Richmond Palladium (Daily), Volume 40, Number 144, 31 May 1915 — Page 1

bic: MOOTP TP A X. A TDTTTW VI Klt AA Palladium and 8ut-Teleram RICHMOND. IND, MONDAY EVENING, MAY31, 1915. SINGLE COPY. 2 CENTS t vt. au., i-x-t Consolidated. 1907 iaj

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CITY CANNOT RECEDE FROM PURCHASE ME ON ACCOUNT OF DEBT State Board of Accounts Rules Richmond Has Borrowing Power of Over $284,000 to Use in Purchase of Electric Plant of L, H. & P. Company Before October 13 City's Debt Limit Raised $61,000, Street Improvement Debt Being Eliminated as Money Could Be Obtained on Levy of Special Assessment Possible Appeal to Court Would Cause Delay with an Increase of Borrowing Power.

BOND CLINGS TO FIRST OPINION GIVEN With Whole Question at Deadlock, It Is Believed City Officials Will Not Recede from Their Plan to Proceed with Condemnation Proceedings Even if It Is Proved Richmond Is Legally Obligated to Buy After Utility Commission Fixes Valuation With Delay Occasioned by Suit Limit of Indebtedness Might Reach $400,000 as It Is Thought Taxables WU1 Increase $1,000,000 Next Year.

The city of Richmond will have a borrowing power of over $284,000.00 to use in the purchase of the electric light plant of the Light, Heat & Power company before October 13 which is the time limit for the purchase of the property, under the present plan. This is the ruling of the state board of accounts from the figures submitted to the board, showing the present financial status of the city and the estimated income on the municipal light plant. The city officials have been figuring on a debt limit of $330,000.00, but that figure has been raised to $341,000.00 by the state board because the city is allowed to figure on 2 of the total gross taxables in the city. The city officials heretofore in their figures have been deducting the mortgage exemptions which is contrary to the ruling on the question. Basis of Estimate of City. The citizens committee and the members of the city administration in figuring the advisability of the purchase of the other plant have based their decision on the fact that if the city could get the plant for $200,000, the supposed debt limit of the city, it would be a good purchase and if the public utility commission fixed a price in excess of that amount, the city would automatically be relieved of the obligation to purchase because council could not obligate the city for more than its constitutional limit. In addition to the state board raising the debt limit of the city about $11,000.00 it has ruled that the city does not have to take into consideration any debt contracted for in its street improvement plan, as that amount can be raised by a special levy. This ruling adds about $50,000.00 to the borrowing power making a total increase of $61,000.00 to apply in the purchase of the plant of the competing company. Gives City Chance to Increase Loan Limit. In case the city should not be satisfied with the valuation placed on the property by the state commission, the city would i m i i j i ii. 1 1- i.; ......1 J

probably me an appeal wren ine supreme court wnicn acuun wuum delay the purchase for some time, meanwhile the city's borrowing power would be increasing and by the time the supreme court made its decision the debt limit of the city might reach $350,000.00 or $400,000.00 as it is thought the taxables in Wayne county next year will be increased almost $1,000,000, while the profit from the municipal light plant would add a substantial amount to be applied on the purchase price. City Attorney Bond still holds to his opinion that the city is not obligated to buy while the attorneys for the L., H. & P. company and some members of the utility commission hold an opposite view. Obligation to Purchase Seems Definite. The whole question having reached a deadlock as to the city's position it is believed that the city officials will not recede from their plan to proceed with the condemnation proceedings even if it is proved that the city is legally obligated to buy after the valuation is fixed. At least the city cannot get out of its obligation to buy on the plea that its constitutional debt limit will not permit such action. If the commission should fix a valuation in excess of the $284,000.00 it is believed that the company officials will appeal the case to the supreme court so as to delay the proceedings until the city will be in a position to buy the plant at the figure fixed by the commission.

"DON'T ROCK BOAT" DAVIS WARNS U. S. i The need of celebrating Memorial Day as it was originally planned and not as a mere national holiday, was emphasized by Rev. E. E. Davis, pastor of the Second Presbyterian church' in the services Sunday, in his annual j Memorial sermon on "Some Lessons Learned from Memorial Day." He made reference to the fact that history shows that patriotic services were held centuries ago with their purposes similar to the fundamental rules governing the setting aside of our present Mtmorial Day, to acknowledge our devotion and expressed our gratitude for some great cause. He cited the Civil War as an example of horrors which comes in the life of a nation and discussed the bond of union now existing between the North and South. He emphasized the need of keeping our poise and refrain-: lng from "rocking the boat" during the present troublous times abroad. Two special selections of music were

PILOTS WHO FACED SPEEDWAY STARTER

Car. Stutz. Nation. America Driver. .Wilcox Mercedes . . . Germany . .R. DePalma Peugeot France Resta Stutz America Cooper Stutz America Anderson Sunbeam England Porporato Sunbeam England Graham Peugeot France Burman Kleinart. .. .America Klein Duesenberg. America Alley Peugeot France LeCain Sunbeam. . ..England Grant Duesenberg . America .... O'Donnell Peugeot France Babcock Delage France J. DePalma Sebring America Cooper Maxwell America Carlson Maxwell America Orr Duesenberg. America Mulford Maxwell America Rickenbacker Mais America Mais Purcell America Cox Bugatti Germany Hill Cornelian . . .America. . . . Chevrolet Emden America Haupt

FIGHT BARRETT AS MEMBER OF EARLHAM BOARD Anti-Kelly Faction Claims President Backs Candidacy of Former Professor at College for Trustee.

ALUMNI GET BUSY Barrett Crowd Puts Out Long Circular Asking Graduates to Throw Votes for His Candidacy. With the announcement of the candidacy of R. Warren Barrett of Philadelphia, as a "non-partisan," to be one of the three representatives of the Earlham Alumni association on the board of trustees of Earlham college, the strong anti-Kelly faction in the alumni has started a movement aimed to defeat Barrett. The assertion is made by the leaders of this faction that President Kelly is behind the Barret candidacy, and with his election the minority control of the board of trustees would be perpetuated, even if the two other alumni representatives on the board were identified with the anti-Kelly forces. At the present time the board consists of twelve members. The middle of June the membership of the board will be Increased to fifteen by the election of three alumni trustees. One of the board rules requires a twothirds vote for the adoption of board actions. Lack Enough Votes. As five of the twelve members now on the board are ardent supporters of President Kelly, they have been able to dictate its procedure, the anti-Ke)ly members lacking one of the necessary two-thirds majority. With the election of three anti-Kelly trustees, as representatives of the olumnl, that faction would control ten of the fifteen vates, or the necessary two-thirds majority, and to secure this advantage they are prepared to matte Continued On Page Eight. U. S. TO ANSWER DECISIVELY ON GERMAN NOTE Wilson Expected to Back Up Original Demand Made on Lusitania Incident to Germany. WASHINGTON, May 31. The German note in reply to President Wilson's demand arising from the Lusitania tragedy, disappointing and evasive in character and regarded here as more conducive to parley than to quick adjustment of the present grave difficulties between this nation and Germany, was before the chief executive and officials of the state department today. It was planned to consider the document at the cabinet meeting tomorrow, which is looked upon as the most important in years. President Wilson will reply promptly and decisively to the German note and will sustain the position taken in the Lusitania note it was learned in official circles today. There are two courses open to him, according to one official of the state department, one is to support the original stand, without reservation and the other, o taka a course which will entail prolonged controversy. It was predicted that the president will take the former. The note reached the state department at midnight and the work of uncoding began early today for immediate presentation to the president. Mr. Wilson already had received the unofficial translation of the note as made in Berlin, and the official text was a matter of form. The German note is even more disappointing than the forecasts of its contents, according t the pessimistic opinion which prevailed in official circles when the actual text of the German reply became available. Weather Forecast FOR INDIANA Tuesday fair and warmer. Temperature. Noon 62 Yesterday. Maximum 57 Minimum 51 For Richmond Partly cloudy and Warmer tonight or Tuesday. General Conditions A great area of low barometric pressure prevails between the Great Lakes and the Rocky mountains is causing the protracted spell of gloomy and cloudy weather. Warmer Tuesday. W. E. Moore, Weather Forecaster.

DIXIANA BLOWN UP BY UNDERSEA BOAT

HAVRE, May 31. The steamer Dlxiana, owned by the Strong Steamship company of Savannah, Ga., has been sunk by a German submarine. The Dixiana was attacked off Ushant, where German submarines have been particularly active during the last few days. The Dixiana was bound from Savannah to Swansea Wales, and this port. All the members of the crew, 27 in number, including the captain, were saved. They took to the boats and were picked up by a steamer which landed them at Barry, Wales. The steamship Dixiana flew the British flag, acocrding to Lloyd's maritime record. She was a vessel of 2,147 tons and sailed from Savannah on May 11. KILL 44 GERMANS. AMSTERDAM, May 31 Forty-four German soldiers were killed and fifty wounded in a raid on a German aerodrome at Gontrode, between Ghent and Brussels, on Sunday, according to a dispatch received by the Telegraaf today. The raid was carried out by two of the Allies' aviators.

STORY OF FIRST HALF OF DRIVERS' STRUGGLE FOR SPEEDWAY HONOR

INDIANAPOLIS SPEEDWAY, May 31. Under the worst weather conditions ever prevailing, the fifth international 500-mile race was started today. Paced around the two-and-one-half-mile brick course by Carl Fisher, president of the Speedway association, in his small white roadster, twentyfour racing cars got away to a flying start promptly on the stroke of 10 o'clock. Completing the first lap going sixty miles an hour. Fisher pulled off the course and gave up the track to the iera The attendance was estimated at 75,000. Two hundred times around the oval will complete the necessary five hundred miles. The winner usually finishes at 5 o'clock with nine others who place stringing in anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours behind. Thomas Holds Record. With a smaller field and faster cars entered than ever before, it was considered probable that the speedway record will be battered. The present record for the event is 6:05:45.94, established last year by Rene Thomas in a Delage. All previous speed records were shattered today in the first half of the race, the most spectacular and hardest fought ever staged on any course. When the race was half over Ralph DePalma, driving the German made Mercedes car, was leading Resta in a Peugot by the narrow margin of twenty-eight seconds. These two Italians fought for the lead when only a few seconds separated them for the entire distance. After the two leaders in this order came Gil Anderson and Cooper of the Stutz team, porporato in a Sunbeam, Wilcox in a Stutz, Van Raalte in a Sunbeam and Burman in a Peugot. At this stage of the race there had been no accidents, track conditions were ideal for record making speed. De Palma's time for the 250 miles was 2:47:06.65, an average of 89.77 miles an hour. Last year's average for 250 miles was 82.85 miles an hour. Johnny Atkins relieved Gil Anderson in the Stutz at the end of 250 miles. At the end of 150 miles Resta was in the lead, but only 25 feet over Ralph DePalma. These two stars were driving the most thrilling race ever seen here. Resta, when forced to stop and change two tires and take water and gasoline, had been driving without a stop. He was back in the race with slight loss of time, but the stop had I cosi mm me leau, ueraiina uuviug ! snatched it from him by more than a j mile. DePalma's time was 1:58.11.30, an average of 88.84 miles an hour. This was another record, the best time for this distance until today was an average of 84.70. Behind DePalma was Anderson, who was pushing him hard, Resta was third. Cooper in his Stutz was fourth, and Wilcox in a Stutz was fifth. DePalma Holds Lead. The 200 mile average of 89.22 miles per hour was seven miles faster than last year. The rank for 200 miles was DePalma first, Resta second, Anderson third, Cooper fourth. Time, 2:14.29. Resta, fighting for first place behind De Palma in the last twenty-five miles, gained a full minute on DePalma. DePalma was first by a nose at the end of 225 miles, with Resta second, Anderson third, Cooper fourth, Poroprato fifth, Wilcox sixth. Time, 2:30.53. Average 89.37. Chevelrot ran out of gasoline in the back stretch. His mechanician ran more than a mile to the pit and obtained enough of the fluid to bring the car to the pits. This race was remarkable for the fact that five-three-car teams started. They are the Stutz, Maxwell, Duessenberg, American, and the Sunbeam and Peugot, foreign. Racers have established that three is the magic number, and the men with money to bet absorbed the idea that with a definite plan outlined, three drivers have a decided advantage oVer one. At the end of twenty-five miles a pace of 89.46 miles an hour was being maintained. Gil Anderson in a Stutz was in the lead. Resta in a Peugot

THE VICTOR

:4t 3tf " - RALPH OE PALMA. was second and DePalma in a Mercedes was third. At fifty miles Gil Anderson in his Stutz was leading by a mile. Resta's Peugot was second, De Palma third, Wilcox fourth, and Cooper fifth. The pace was a killing one. Van Raalte, the Irish army officer, the driver of the Sunbeam under the name- of Graham, drew a rousing cheer by raising in his car and kissing the British flag before the stands. The firat .car to lose time in the race was the 'Mais entry,' losing fortyfive seconds. On the third lap he dropped put on account of a flooded carburetor. . After thirteen laps Cox in a Purcell car was laid out several minutes to repair a broken pump shaft. Fifty mile6 of the fastest driving ever wit nessed here or any other speedway kept Anderson in his Stutz in the lead. Gets New Record. Every lap up to this point had seen a lively brush between Ralph DePalma and Resta and who were fighting for place in front. The three leaders at fifty miles were: Anderson, Resta and Porporatto in a Sunbeam. Ralph DePalma was fourth. A new record was hung up by Anderson for the fifty miles which negotiated in 33:21.90, an average of 89.91 miles an hour. The fo-mer record for fifty miles was made on this course last year by- Thomas, the Lelage driver at 86 miles an hour. Cox was declared out of the race. The first car to be pushed off the course today after twenty-three laps. His pump gear was broken and could not be repaired. Bugatti Car is Out. Louis Chevrolet, driving a Cornelian, the smallest car ever entered in a big . race, went twenty-one laps without a stop. He lost a minute and a half at the pit taking on water, but was back in the race. Ralph Mulford, with his Duessenberg. pulled into the pit on a bare rim. Hill's Bugatti car was the first -f the foreign makes to drop out of the race. He was forced to quit on the back stretch on account of engine trouble. Gil Anderson was still leading in the race at 75 miles. He had made the distance in 50.02.77, an average of 89.91. Behind hir came Resta, Ralph DePalma, Proporato Cooper and Rickenbacher in a Maxvell. Just after he had finished the 75 miles Anderson was forced to change two tires. He accomplished this in 41 seconds and was away, the shouts of the crowd drowning the thunderous popping of his motors. Resta Takes Lead. At 100 miles Resta was leading, his time being 1:07.30. DePalma was second. Cooper third, Porporato fourth and Rickenbacher fifth. The average for the 100 miles was SS.8S, made by Resta. DePalma went into the lead, but Resta regained first position at 150 miles, with DePalma second, and Wilcox a lap behind. The Delage car was forced to drop out with a broken flywheel. Up to 125 miles neither DePalma nor Resta had made a stop. On his forty-fourth lap Porporato in the Sunbeam stopped at the pit and changed three tires in thirty-three seconds. A new world's record. After he had taken his car off the track, Mais ,in the car bearing his own name, got back into the race and made twelve more laps around the track before he was flagged off. Mais had violated a rule by taking his car off the course. Set High Average. An average speed of S9.13 miles an hour was being maintained at the end of 125 miles. The leaders were running as follows: Resta, Ralph DePalma, Wilcox. On account of a loose fly-wheel J. DePalma was forced to withdraw from the race after he had completed .110 miles." The average for 175 miles was S8.84 miles an hour, with DePalma first and Anderson crowding him. Resta was third, Cooper fourth and Wilcox fifth.

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RESTA AND STUTZ TEAM CROWD BRILLIANT PILOT WHO SHATTERS RECORDS INDIANAPOLIS, May '61 Ralph DePalma won the 500-mile Speedway classic in a Mercedes on 5:33:55.50 at an average of 89.84 miles per hour. Resta came in second and Anderson third. Resta's time, 5:37:24.94. Anderson's time. 5:42:27.57. This shatters the record set in 1914 by Rene Thomas who drove a Delage over the course in 6:03:45 at an average speed of 82:47 miles an hour. DePalma who had been robbed of the title as speed king by hard luck in former years, earned the crown by his daring driving, which showed consummate skill and a reckless disregard for

danger. He was crowded all the way by Dario Resta in a Peugeot, surrendering the lead to him several times, but regaining it each time by sensational bursts of speed. DePalma first took the lead at the end of 125 miles of the course. After that the contest developed into a constant brush between him and Resta. The Peugeot driver narrowly escaped an accident when his car skidded into the retaining wall. No damage was done. Drivers and cars survived the grind without injury or accident. There were no fatalities. After he had gone 405 miles Porporato was forced to withdraw on account of a broken crank case. He was in fifth place. His withdrawal gave Wilcox fifth place. The three Stutz cars driven by Anderson, Aitken and Wilcox were running third, fourth and fifth. The team work of the Stutz crew in holding their cars up among the leaders was a feature of the race. DePalma's time at the end of 450 miles was 5:00:22.27, averaging 89.89 miles an hour. Just before the 450 miles was completed, Aitken pulled into the pit with a broken exhaust pipe. It was repaired in twenty seconds and Cooper resumed his seat at the wheel. With fifty miles to go, all the leaders were settled to hold their position. Sensational brushes in front of the grand stand became less frequent. DePalma was one and one-half laps ahead of Resta. He was taking his curves with extreme care, at the same time maintaining even greater speed than at the earlier stages of the contest.

DePalma Leads at End of 425 Miles. INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., May 31 At the end of 425 miles, Ralph DePalma appeared to be almost certain winner of the 500mile grind at the Speedway here. For many miles DePalma in his German-made Mercedes had successfully held the lead despite the desperate and skillful attempts of Dorio Resta to pass him. DePalma's sensational driving smashed all records at the averaged 89 79 miles per hour, almost seven miles faster than last year's performance when Rene Thomas averaged 82.47 miles. DePalma started the race in third place and did not take the lead until the end of 125 miles,, after which it was a battle between him and Resta, only a few seconds separating them at any time.

After 275 miles had been ground under the wheels of the race cars, De Palma was leading and increasing his speed all the time. His time for 275 miles was 3:03:22.73, an average of 89.98 miles. The record for this distance was 82.89 miles an hour. Resta the Peugot driver, was still in second place. Johnny Aitken, who had relieved Gil Anderson at the wheel of the Stutz, was third; Cooper in a Stutz was fourth, and porporato in a Sunbeam fifth. After half the race was over Hughie Hughes relieved Carlson of the Maxwell team. The nearest approach to an accident came at the end of 275 miles when Varnraalte"s Sunbeam skidded off the track on the back j stretch, and in bumping over the j ground lost its hood. The British pilot, i pulled his car back on the track and i continued racing without a hood unI til he was flagged down. DePalma Changes Tires. DePalma stopped at the end of 30 miles to change tires, and lost the lead to Resta. He put on four new tires and lost two minutes and twentyeight seconds. Another record fell in the distance. DePalma's average being 90.21 miles an hour. The record made last year was 82.98. DePalma was a minute and thirty seconds behind Resta at 305 miles. Resta had only stopped once up to that time, and DePalmas hope of regaining the lead lay on the chance that the Peugot driver would be forced to make another stop. As Resta, the leader, pulled into the stretch on his one hundred and twenty-ninth lap, DePalma who was one lap behind, caught up with the Peugot driver, when the two Italians staged the neatest brush of the race, DePalma passing Resta as, they made the turn at the south end of the course. On the next two lays the same drivers clashed again on the straightaway in front of the main stands, Resta coming out victorious. At the end of 325 miles Resta. was leading and making an average of 89.91 miles. De Palma was still a lap behind, and the two Stutz cars, driven by Aitken and Cooper were in third and fourth positions. Porporato in his Sunbeam, was fifth. Resta Hits Wall. At the end of the one hundred and thirty-seventh lap DePalma again gained the lead when Resta's car limped into the pit for tires and gasoline. De TWO CITIZENS DIE GLEN KARX. O., May 31. Mrs. Sadie Horn, a highly, respected citizen of Glen Karn, O., died Saturday evening after a lingering illness of cancer at the age of 49 years. Funeral

Palma was making every mile in about forty seconds. Klein, in the Kleinart car. who was far behind the leaders, gave one of the gamest exhibitions of the race, when the partition between his gas and oil compartments broke. He went on running using the entire compartment of gas, putting oil in by hand. Resta's pulling up at the pit was preceded by a near-accident on the turn leading into the stretch, when his car skidded into the retaining wall but bounced back into the pit without injury to his car. Chevrolet in the Corneilian. officially was declared out on account of a broken crank shaft after he had done 190 miles. De Palma had a slight lead on Resta at the end of 350 miles. His time was 3:45:41.15, an average of 89.28 miles an hour. Aitken and Cooper, Porporato and Wilcox were running in the order named. At the end of 375 miles the races stood: DePalma 1st, Resta 2nd. Aitken 3rd, Cooper 4th. Time 4:10.57. Average 89.66 miles per hour. Mulford's Stuesenberg car was withdrawn after he had gone 350 miles, a broken connecting rod putting him out of the race. Engine trouble put Babcock's Peugeot out of the race after he had done 117 laps. With only 100 miles of the race left Resta second. Aitken third. Cooper fourth. Porporato fifth. Wilcox sixth. At the end of 400 miles DePalma had done the distance in 4:27:17.19. an average of S9.79 miles an hour, smashing still another record, which was made last year by Thomas in a Delage car. averaging S2.47 miles an hour. Aitken relieved Cooper in Stutz No. 4. Anderson taking his original Stutz No. .5, which Aitken had been driving as a relief. Anderson Takes Wheel. At the end of 400 miles Andersen resumed the driving of the Stutz car which was in third place, and Aitken. who had been Anderson's relief, took Cooper's place in a Stutz in fourth place. The positions of the other cars were not changed. DePalma continued to speed up as the race drew to a close. He has done 425 miles in 4:43:54.5, an average of 89.82 miles an hour. All the leaders were holding their positions and all were driving consistently. DePalma lead after 450 miles, two laps ahead of Resta. Stutz cars are in third and fourth places.

services Tuesday morning In the Christian church at Hollansburg, Rev. Turner officating. Burial in Arba cemetery. Mrs. Bertha Chenoweth Houser died this morning of peritonitis after a lingering illness.