The Indianapolis times. [volume], May 21, 1931, Home Edition, Image 1

About The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965

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NATION’S AIR
FLEET ‘WARS’
OVER CHICAGO
700 Battle Planes Fly in
Formation for Review
Before Commandant.
CITY UNDER ‘ATTACK'
Biggest Crowd in History
of Illinois Metropolis
Sees Maneuvers.
BY ARNOLD B. LARSON
United PreM Staff Correspondent
CHICAGO, May 21.—The nation’s
greatest peacetime air armada
swept out of the north today and
“attacked” Chicago.
The battle planes—almost 700
strong and manned by the army’s
crack fighting pilots—streaked fifty
miles along the Lake Michigan
front in war array from Waukegan
to Gary.
The heavily armed bombers,
speedy pursuit ships and fighting
attack units passed in review be
fore the air corps commandant,
General Benjamin Foulois, at more
than 100 miles an hour, and then
fell to “dog fighting” over the lake
off Navy pier, giving the massed
thousands in Grant park an idea
of what might happen to their city
if a real war came.
Mobilized in the air shortly after
dawn from five city and suburban
airports, the air fleet formed in bat
tle squadrons northwest of Chicago,
roared northward to Waukegan and
turned southward for a straight
sweep of fifty miles, past the ex
clusive north shore suburbs to Navy
pier that juts a quarter of a mile
out into the lake.
Pier Is “Point of Attack”
The pier was the official “point
of attack” in the war maneuvers to
enable the army to determine how
quickly it can assemble its air
strength in event of hostilities.
Past the pier roared the 700
planes, alternate squadrons high to
obviate the possibility of mid-air
crashes, then past the Stevens ho
tel, where General Foulois with his
staff review the fleet from the roof.
The bombers wheeled back from
the south, the pilots of the twin
motored ships pulling the throttles
wide open as they swooped on the
navy pier to unload their cargoes of
imaginary bombs.
Higher and farther out over the
lake, some of them “in the sun,”
pursuit and attack groups dived to
ward the seemingly unwieldy bomb
ers to turn back the “enemy” that
sought to blow up the lake front.
The smaller attacking planes held
their triangle formations perfectly
as they wheeled and dived around
the “hostile” planes, theoretically
firing hundreds of rounds of ma
chine fire into the fuselages of the
bombers.
Planes Return to Dayton
Machine gunners who manned the
pivot weapons in the cockpits of
the bombers replied to the firing
with just as much simulated en
thusiasm.
Most of the air fleet, after the
review, swung eastward across the
lake and started for Fairfield air
depot at Dayton shortly after 9
a. m.
From the air, the lake front from
Lincoln park on the north, to Jack
son park, on the south, slightly
more than 100 blocks, appeared
black with spectators and automo
biles.
The entire length of Grant park
was a solid mass of people with only
here and there splashes of green
grass in sight of the pilots and
newspaper men riding with the
fleet.
Overworked traffic policemen said
it was the largest crowd they ever
had seen in Chicago.
RALSTON IS RECEIVER
OF FARMERS TRUST
Indianapolis Realtor Is Named by
Superior Judge Weir.
Boyd M. Ralston, Indianapolis
realtor, today was named receiver
of the Farmers Trust Company, by
Superior Judge Clarence E. Weir.
Weir named H. Nathan Swaim,
park board attorney, and Charles
W. Richards, attorney, as counsel
to work with Ralston on the re
ceivership.
The bank was closed May 4 on
vote of board of directors and at a
preliminary hearing earlier in the
week, bank officials and Weir ex
pressed the confidence that the
bank would meet obligations to alf
depositors.
Today, Weir said he did not know
whether this would be accomplished
but “had every confidence in these
men and believe they will be able to
bring this about.”
DENY RESORT ROBBERY
French Lick Hotel Attaches Brand
Report as False.
By Times Special
FRENCH LICK, Ind., May 21.
Attaches of the French Lick Springs
hotel today labeled as false reports
of “wholesale burglary” of the
hotel's rooms, and said a sneak thief
had stolen approximately S2OO from
one guest’s room.
They scouted as ridiculous an
account appearing in the St. Louis
(Mo.) Globe Democrat that three
St. Louisans were robbed of $1,300
and that a woman was robbed of
SIO,OOO in jewels.
Hourly Temperatures
6a. m 45 10 a. m 57
7a. m 47 ll a. m 58
8 a. m..... 53 12 <noon).. 57
9a. m W Ip. m 58
Complete Wire Reports of UNITED PRESS, The Greatest World-Wide News Service
The Indianapolis Times
Fair tonight followed by increasing cloudiness, Friday continued cool, possibly light frost in exposed places tonight.
VOLUME 4a—NUMBER 9
Here’s Your Poppy!
jSPBIP
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SBflEr
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Miss Neva E. Dye (left) and Mrs. Edna Werkhoff preparing for the
American Legion’s Poppy day sales Saturday.
Hundreds of thousands of pop
pies were incased in boxes today
as members of the American
Legion and the auxiliary looked
to the annual sale Saturday
throughout Indiana.
Proceeds from the Poppy day
sales are used-to further the re
NEW YORK BEER
BARONSTABBED
Powerful Gotham Figure
May Lose Life.
By United Press
NEW YORK, May 21.—Vannie
Higgins, one of New York’s most
powerful beer runners and rack
eteers, was taken to the Polyclinic
hospital today in a critical condi
tion from knife wounds.
Higgins’ assailant was unlocated
and he refused to tell police who
had stabbed him.
The racketeer, who heads a widely
feared gang in Brooklyn and who
formerly was associated with Jack
(Legs) Diamond, was taken to the
hospital in a taxicab from Long
island.
Although suffering intensely from
three deep gashes in the chest,
Higgins consented to talk with de
tectives long enough to say he had
been stabbed in Flushing, L. I.
“My wife knows who did it,” he
said.
Police, searching for the rack
eteer’s wife, feared she may have
been kidnaped or killed by the same
enemy who attacked her husband.
She has not been home since early
Wednesday night.
Higgins was known to police as
one of the bigger “business men” of
the underworld. He owned a fleet
of taxicabs, had a chain of res
taurants in Brooklyn and was in
terested in several night clubs.
FROST ISJORECAST
Cool to Continue Friday
With Rain and Cloudiness.
Warning of frost in exposed places
tonight, was issued today by the
weather bureau. Cool weather is to
continue through Friday and in
creasing cloudiness may be followed
by rain, according to the weather
bureau.
TYPICAL U. S. FAMILY
TO BE HEARD ON AIR
NBC Will Interview City Residents
at Home on Sunday.
America’s typical family—the
Browns of 4144 Carrollton avenue—
will “go on the air” on a nation
wide hook-up Sunday morning.
Mr. and Mrs. Merrill J. Brown,
their daughter Louise, 15, and son
John, 13, who were chosen by the
American magazine as “the typical
American family,” will be inter
viewed by two staff men of the
National Broadcasting Company,
Inc., in their home on Carrollton
avenue, from 11 to 11:30 (C. S. TANARUS.)
Sunday morning.
Stations on the NBC-WJZ net
work will carry the interview.
Creditors Galore, But No
Money, Says Vanderbilt
By United Press
LOS ANGELES. May 21.—Cor
nelius Vanderbilt Jr. is “broke”
and can not pay SII,OOO judgment
entered against him. He testified
before a court referee.
His assets, he said, are S4O in
his pocket and possibly S7O in
New York and Nevada banks.
But he expressed willingness to
share them with Edward J. Ralph,
former newspaper man, and his
other creditors.
Vanderbilt admitted that his
wife was not dependent upon
him, and that he had hundreds
of other creditors. In fact,
thousands,” and that he lived in
a Sutcliff (Nev.) cabin, which be
longed to a friend.
Ralph had obtained a judg
ment on a libel complaint in
which he accused Vanderbilt of
calling him a “spy from his
enemies.”
Judge Arthur P. Wills did not
enjar an order against Vander
bilt for payment of the judgment.
lief program for disabled soldiers
by the legion and auxiliary.
Miss Neva E. Dye, 725 North
Pennsylvania street, and Mrs.
Edna K. Werkhoff, 3360 North
Meridian street, state secretary of
the auxiliary, are among the
women sorting poppies that will
be offered to Mr. and Mrs. Cit
izen.
HIGHWAY CHIEFS
FAVORROGERS
Enjoys Patronage Despite
Conspiracy Charges.
Ralph Rogers, Bloomington stone
contractor, whose trial for conspir
acy to loot the state highway de
partment on stone contracts re
sulted in disagreement of the jury,
will continue to enjoy department
patronage, it was admitted by state
highway officials today.
In contrast, Director Richard Lie
ber of the conservation department
announced several days ago that he
will readvertise for new bids on a
stone contract for his department
on which Rogers was low bidder.
Meanwhile, Attorney - General
James M. Ogden laid plans for the
retrial of Rogers.
In the closing arguments Earl
Stroup, deputy attorney-general
prosecuting the suit, pointed out the
difference in the two state depart
ments’ views of Rogers guilt.
Since indited last March with
William Sayer, Bloomington, for
mer state highway district superin
tendent, Rogers has continued to
find high favor in the department
he is charged with looting.
He has been awarded thousands
of dollars in stone contracts and a
$300,000 construction contract was
given a firm in which he owns half
interest.
GAS KILLS AGED PAIR
Elwood Couple Asphyxiated by
Faulty Heater in Sleep.
By United Press
ELWOOD, Ind., May 21.—Eph
raim Rummel, 78, and his wife
Emma, 69, were asphyxiated by gas
escaping from a water heater at
their home here today. They were
found in separate bedrooms, and
indications were they had been
overcome while asleep.
NAB SUSPECT HERE
IN $200,000 FRAUD
A year’s search of two continents
for an alleged Chicago “big-shot
swindler” mded in Indianapolis to
day.
Captured by Indianapolis police
after a relative had seen him in a
downtown restaurant Louis S.
Gottlieb, 52, was to be turned over
to Chicago authorities today to face
a charge of embezzling $200,000.
Gottlieb, who has been living at
728 South Illinois street, and had
taken office space as an attorney
in a downtown building, denied,
following his arrest Tuesday night,
that he was wanted at Chicago.
According to police, authorities of
two continents have searched a year
I !
Cornells Vanderbilt Jr,
INDIANAPOLIS, THURSDAY, MAY 21, 1931
LIE DETECTOR
FOR KIRKLAND
IS RULED OUT
Judge Refuses Motion of
Defense for Use of
Device in Court.
ACCURACY IS DISPUTED
Inventor of Instrument De
fends It as Tool to
Obtain Justice.
By United Press
VALPARAISO, Ind., May 21.—The
“lie detector” today definitely was
ruled out of the second trial of Vir
gil Kirkland on charges of mur
dering Arlene Draves, his sweet
heart.
Most of the morning was spent
questioning expert witnesses regard
ing the accuracy of Leonard Kee
ler’s instrument which he claims
detects falsehood by gauging the
blood pressure of the subject.
Following the testimony, during
which the jury was excused, Judge
Grant Crumpacker overruled two
defense motions, one asking that
results of a lie detector test .on
Kirkland be admitted into evidence,
and the other that the instrument
be applied in the courtroom.
Inventor Defends Device
Keeler, psychologist of Northwest
ern university and inventor of the
detector, testified that the instru
ment had been used in about 10,f/00
cases in eight or nine states and
that “there is no question that its
results are accurate.”
Dr. Herman N. Bundesen, health
commissioner of Chicago, said he had
seen the detector used in “fifteen
or twenty murder cases” and that
the results show “a reasonable de
gree of accuracy.”
On cross-examination, the health
examiner said the instrument “still
is in the experimental stage” and
that its “chief value lies in the
psychological effect on the subject.”
Clarence Muhlenberger of the
Northwestern crime detection school,
testified that the lie detector “is
accurate if handled correctly.”
Kirkland’s Mother Testifies
Richard Oldham, defense attor
ney, said Kirkland had submitted
to the detector two days before the
present trial began but did not re
veal the results.
Kirkland’s gray-haired mother
testified Wednesday her son was in
love with Arlene Draves, 18, whom
he is charged with killing by “re
peated attacks” at a Gary liquor
party last autumn. At a previous
trial he was sentenced to life im
prisonment.
“My boy couldn’t have killed Ar
lene,” said Mrs. Kirkland with re
markable composure. “He was in
love with her.
"Arlene often talked with us
about marrying Virgil and came to
our home and talked with me about
cooking.”
Leslie Confers With Ade
Governor Harry G. Leslie went to
Brook, Ind., today to confer with
George Ade, famed Hoosier humor
ist, regarding the Indiana author’s
program for the first night of the
Governor’s conference at French
Lick, June 1-3.
for Gottlieb. He is alleged to have
fleeced Jews of Chicago out of their
savings in a second mortgage
“racket” that was supposed to bring
big returns, and did, Chicago police
say, until he had collected all then
savings.
Gottlieb was eating in a restau
rant here when he was spied by
Max Lieber of Chicago, a distant
relative. Gottlieb denied knowing
Lieber, but the latter told police the
alleged embezzler had taken $15,000
from his father-in-law.
According to police, Gottlieb, after
his alleged cleanup in Chicago, fled
to England. He has been living in
Indianapolis since before Easter, it
was learned.
Isidor Wulfson, attorney, with
whom Gottlieb had made his home
for several weeks and from whom
Gottlieb rented office space in the
Indiana Trust building, declared to
day that the swindling suspect said
he had lost $90,000 in the stock
market.
He told me he had been traveling
ail over the world and he had stayed
m London a long time,” said Wulf
son.
Detectives were checking infor
mation from Wulfson that Gottlieb
Knew and had made the acquaint
ance of many Hungarian residents
of Indianapolis.
marchioness is dead
Georgian Beauty Claimed by Death
at 95; Was Royalty Figure.
By United Press
PARIS, May 21.—The Dowager
Marchioness of Anglesey, a Georgia
. beauty who generations ago was
: called the most beautiful woman in
Europe, died today at 95.
She was bom Mary Livingston
IGng. of Augusta, Ga..>daughter of
I the Georgian senator, John Pendle
ton King.
In her youth, the Marchioness was
a close friend of Queen Victoria of
England and a striking figure in the
courts of London, Vienna and St. I
Petersburg.
Put Cookies ‘Over Top ’
Mbs?* s -•/. R I : |
“Sweets to the sweet!” Peggy Sweeney (left), 3 Hampton court, of
Troop 8, and Betty Jean Heath, 4615 Broadway, Troop 45, taste the
fruits of their labor after selling, respectively, 232 and 205 dozen
cookies in the annual ‘cookie day” campaign.
Indianapolis has gone "cookie
conscious”—spurred by hundreds
of Girl Scouts who, in the last
week, have sold 20,000 dozen
cookies in their annual sales cam
paign.
They are making a strenuous
effort to eclipse last year’s record
total of 36,000 dozen. On Satur
day, the official Girl Scout
“Cookie day,” the sw’eets, in the
form of the Girl Scout emblem,
will be on sale at booths in down
town stores and banks.
REASSESSMENT
PLEA jSDENIED
County Council Refuses to
Set SIO,OOO for Survey.
Move of John C. McCloskey, Cen
ter township assessor, to start re
assessment of real estate in the
township, due to alleged juggling of
figures on assessor’s books, was re
pulsed today by the county coun
cilmen.
Council members refused flatly to
allow McCloskey the SIO,OOO he
sought for special deputies and of
fice equipment to carry on the re
valuation.
Voting against the proposal, al
though members of the Indianapo
lis Real Estate Board asked that
it be done and offered aid, coun
cilmen said: “This is no time to
start a reassessment.”
McCloskey was told that it should
be done in 1932, but councilmen
said that if he desired to start now
he would have to operate without
additional deputies or funds.
According to charges made by
McCloskey, alterations made on the
books before he took office had
placed unequal valuations on real
estate in Center township.
Argument Over
Cattle Causes
Fatal Gunplay
By Times Special
WEST BADEN, Ind., May 21.
Argument over a small herd of cat
tle was believed the cause of the
slaying near here today of John M.
Felknor, 68, a former of near Pros
pect, Ind.
Felknor was shot through the
abdomen, authorities believe by a
shotgun in the hands of Henry
Slick, 55, a farmer living two miles
west of this city.
A sheriff’s posse, with blood
hounds on the trail, was seeking
Slick, who went into nearby hills
after the shooting.
Felknor left his home early today
to go to Slick’s farm to return the
cattle, awarded him recently in a
law suit.
Wife Files Suit to End \Perfect *
Marriage to Graham McNamee
NEW YORK, May 21. Graham
McNamee, whose radio voice is known to
millions, was unable to explain today why
his wife suddenly has filed suit for
separation.
The noted apnouncer, whose “ideal
marriage” has been publicized widely, both
in print and on the air, admitted that
Mrs. McNamee filed the suit in supreme
court two weeks ago.
He is making a desperate effort, his
friends said, to find his wife in an effort
to learn the cause of her action, though
so far he has been unable to locate her.
News of the suit came as a shock to
friends and acquaintances of the couple.
since many stories have been written about their
“perfect” romance.
A short time ago Mrs. McNamee, broadcasting
over the NBC chain, told of her husband and their
home life, and how, whenever he is on the air,
she sits at home and compares his performance witb\
that of competing announcers. j
Peggy Sweeney, Troop 8, is out
in front in the sales race with or
ders for 232 dozen cookies in her
book. Betty Jean Heath, Troop
46, is next with 205 dozen. Others
who have sold more than 100
dozen are: Dorothy De Long,
Troop 24, 105 dozen; Mary Louise
Merrill, Troop 22, 170 dozen; Char
lotte Densford, Troop 46, 126
dozen; Adele Herwitz, Troop 22,
100 dozen; Elizabeth Kadel, Troop
46, 100 dozen, and Marjorie Aller
dice, Troop 46, 112 dozen.
COUNCIL SNUBS
VEHLINFS PLEA
Slice $345 From Coroner's
Fund Request.
County councilmen today slapped
Coroner Fred W. Vehling when, de
spite the pleas of his attorney, they
granted him financial aid of $1,725,
after having cut $345 from his ap
propriation requests of $2,170.
Already having exhausted an
SI,BOO autopsy fund, Vehling sought
$1,725 additional, but this was cut
to $1,500, and some councilmen
wanted to reduce it to SI,OOO.
The council also sliced Vehling’s
office supply appropriation from
$320 to SIOO.
At the preliminary session
Wednesday several members of the
council told Fred Barrett, attorney
for the coroner, that they believed
Vehling could have saved money out
of the SI,BOO fund.
Barrett today presented figures,
revealing that more autopsies had
been performed this year than in
1930. Barrett also declared that
Vehling had cut the expenses of the*
office more than $2,000 annually
after recent revelations in a probe
of the office conducted by The
Times.
REVOLT REPORTED
LAUNCHED IN CUBA
By United Press
HAVANA, May 21.—Armed in
surrection against the government
of President Gerardo Machado,
long anticipated, has begun in half
a dozen towns today, unconfirmed
reports from Santiago De Cuba
said.
Rebels were reported in action in
Manzanillo, Jiguani, Guantanamo,
Ueurto Tarafa, Holguin and Bay
amo.
Censorship on the government
telegraph wires prevented cor
respondents from communicating
with the allegedly disturbed zone.
Precautions were taken in Havana
against an outbreak in the capital,
however.
Reports of insurrection in Santiago
province caused great excitement in
Havana. The reports were vague and
By United Press
L :■ 9
McNamee
radio set and Mrs. McNamee used to go out and
stand in front of radio stores to hear her husband's
broadcasting.
She would always report her impressions to
him, and later they had their home equipped with
five radios, that she might compare his broadcasts
with others. S
Entered as Second-Class Matter
at Poatoffice, Indianapolis. Ind.
NATION’S RAILWAYS TO ASK
FREIGHT RATE INCREASE OF
AT LEAST 10 PER CENT
Carriers Contend That Hike Would Break’
Depression, Save Wage Standards,
Revive Prosperity.
BOOST WOULD NET HALF BILLION
Transportation System of Country Will
Collapse Unless Revenue Gain Is
Allowed, Officials Declare.
(Copyright by Scrlpps-Howard Newspaper Alliance. 1931.)
NEW YORK, May 21.—0n the contention that the move
will break the depression, save the wage standard, and turn
the country back to better times, the railroads of the nation
are considering application for a horizontal increase in
freight rates.
The rate to be asked probably would raise the present
rate by not less than 10 per cent and perhaps as high as 15
per cent. In money this would amount to $500,000,000 a
year.
The Scripps-Howard newspapers have learned that con
ferences leading to such action, which will go directly in the
face of the prevailing trend toward lower prices, now are
being held.
Below is summarized the railway argument as it will be
presented to the interstate commerce commission. The quo
tations are from a man high in railway affairs:
“The railroads, as distinct
from private business, are
governmentally regulated in
stitutions. As such, we are
entitled to adequate revenue
for adequate maintenance,
adequate wages, and adequate
return on investment.
“We do not now have such
adequate revenue. We have cut to
the bone and a continuation of such
cuts will mean a breaking down of
the transportation system of (.he na
tion; will mean inadequate main
tenance, service, wages, as well as
return on investment.
Out of Market
“Our cuts to date have taken out
of the market the nation’s largest
single buyer. We are buying only
the barest Restore our
buying power and our demands for
material will be so great as to tum
the economic tide.
“Formerly we purchased 20 per
cent of the nation’s total volume of
goods. Today we are purchasing
only an Infinitesimal part of that.
“We buy in normal times, for ex
ample, 23 per cent of the soft coal,
19 per cent of the fuel oil, 17 per
cent of the iron and steel, 20 per
cent of the timber. Many in those
industries find their market ‘frozen’
because we lire out of it.
“Our normal demands, as con
trasted with the depreciated demand
of the present, would represent the
difference between stagnation ar.d
activity in all those lines, as well as
many others not mentioned.
Must Spend Money
“Bear in mind that we have to
spend when we get the revenues.
We are permitted to take out only
our governmentally fixed rate of
return on our investment. The rest
must be ploughed back into rolling
stock, grade crossing elimination,
difficult to confirm because of censor
ship on telephone calls and tele
graph wires.
FALL PROVES FATAL TO
OWEN YOUNG’S MOTHER
Noted Financier at Bedside When
End Comes to Aged Woman.
By United Press
VAN HORNESVTLLE, N. Y„ May
21.—Mrs. Ida Bradow Young, 93,
mother of Owen D. Young, died at
her home here this morning from
the effects of a fall downstairs more
than a month ago.
Young, noted financier and chair
man of the board of directors of the
General Electric Company* was at
her bedside when the end came.
Less than a month ago a New York
newspaper carried in ,its magazine sec
tion an article headed, “The Love Romance
of Graham McNamee.”
The McNamees met ten years ago when
both were singing in a church choir.
In 1923, during the summer, McNamee
was doing Jury duty in New York at $3
a day, and during a recess period, while
walking by the American Telephone and
Telegraph building, he suddenly decided
to apply for a job as an announcer.
The profession of announcing at that
time was far less glamorous than it is today.
In his early days as an announcer,
the McNamees were too poor to own a
HOME
TWO CENTS
safety devices, better roadbeds, into
whatever constitutes public interest
in a better traffic condition.
“We can’t do as private businesses
do; we can’t get 15 per cent on our
money in good times and thereby
‘hive’ up against bad times. We
must spend as we go.
‘Accordingly, we feel that we are
entitled to adequate return in bad
times as well as good. Without it
the whole transportation system
slumps in bad times and thereby is
unable to handle the necessities of
the situation when good times come.
“The American public of the
! present day easily can remember
what an inadequate transportation
system means when shipping de
mands are high and transportation
service is low. The cost of such
condition can not be estimated com
pletely.
Against Wage Cuts
"But any shipper who will recol
lect what slow and uncertain de
liveries meant to him in a time
when the transportation system was
inadequate will be able to make the
personal application.
“We are paying today what we
consider to be good wages, but not
by any means too good. The last
thing we would want to do would
be to cut wages. . *
“But there are only three ways
of meeting decreased revenues. One
is increased rates, the other two
are decreased service and decreased
wages. Decreased wages mean de
creased purchasing power and the
resultant acceleration of the down
ward trend of consumption,
“Already we have had to make
tremendous cuts in the number of
men employed. At the peak. 1,660,-
000 were on the job at full time.
Today the full time number is
1,000.000;
Brotherhoods Back Move
“That the move for increased
rates will be ardently backed'by the
brotherhoods is illustrated by state
'ments from their organ, Labor.”
Leaders of railroad labor orga
nizations are convinced that the
carriers are facing a situation
which calls for an immediate in
crease in freight rates of from 10
to 15 per cent.
“Gross operating revenues of
Class 1 roads for the first three
months of this year showed a de
crease of 19.1 per cent as com- '
pared with the same period in
1930—and the revenues for the
latter year were far below those
of 1929.
Operating costs have been cut
to the bone. There was a reduc
tion of more than $18,000,000, or
over 17 per cent, in the first three
months of this year as compared
with the same period last year.
Practically all this vast sum has
come out of the pay envelopes of
the railroad workers. Tens of
thousands are out of work, and
tens of thousands more are work
ing on part time.
It is clear that railroad reve
nues must be increased, or addi
tional men must be thrown out of
work. Already the reduction in
the buying power of the vast
army cf railroad workers seri
ously has affected business.
In the opinion of railroad em
ployes, the psychological hour is
here. If the interstate commerce
commission will act without un
necessary delay, it may assist ma
terially in getting the country
back on its economic legs.
Will Be Heard on Merits
WASHINGTON, May 21.—Antic
ipated application of railroads for
increased freight rates will be con
sidered on its merits, it was said at
the interstate commerce commission
today.
Because it is concerned over the
rapidly decreasing railroad earnings,
the commission, it was declared au
thoritatively, will listen sympathet
ically to the application, but on the
other hand, it will give a full and
complete hearing to shippero and
other interested parties who may op
pose rate increases.
At the commission, it is expected
a general rate increase will not be
asked. The desired increase, it is
anticipated, will be confined to
heavy bulk commodities, such as
coal, steel, iron ore, cafid and gravel
moving over a long distance f
OutsSd* Marlon
County 3 Cents