The Washington herald., 1912-05-12
By JAMES B. MORROW.

two buildings full of goods- He started
in politics with laugh-he laughed, and
the big md little bosses laughed. He
was joyful; they were sconful. Now he
is Mayor Of Indianapolis. Before another
year has passed he may be Governor OF
his State.
It can be said that he is like a manu-
facturer who is making something all
the people want Ideas, with head and
a pair of legs long enough TO carry
them out. built up his business from a
comical collection OF old trash to an
immense stock Of merchandise fresh
from the factory. In politics ideas are
called issues. Shank advertised bargains
in beds, settees, and oupboards. and Gus
toners appeared
Coming to the Mayoralty, Shank
FLASHED the prices of poultry and pota-
toes, and cities and societies in all parts
of the country are asking him 20 lecture
and tell them how TO live. Six invita-
tions, which I read. arrived by this
mornings mail All that he demands
when he leaves Indianapolis is his travel
expenses ShanS's philosophy is simple.
Practically, it is only this: Reduce the
prices" He is still cut-rate merchant,
though a Mayor. HIS personality is
made uncommon, however, by language,
atmosphere, and manner He is feet II
inches tail, and weighs 2io pounds. All of
his up-and-down measurements are pro-
dfgious-from forehead TO neck and from
waist line TO the ground-but he is not fat
His eyes are blue. his thin nose Is slight
ly hooked, and a scanty wisp OF brown
hair incompletely overlays the large bald
spot on his head.
shank Upon the Throne.
Poor womer-some in mourning-a
strange assortment OF men, and a dozen
negroes, suIlen and suspicious in their be-
hayior toward one another, wait an audi
eucs in dumb patiencs while the Mayor
tells me of his unique adventures Daily
he sits in a leather rocking chair,
huge leg and foot swinging nervously
from the arm, and talks loudly but
kindly to those who are let In He is
slangy, ready of speech. shrewd, dynamic,
and manifestly sincere. Once he lived
on stolen chickens, and says so. Il an
nexed them" he remarks with uncon-
scious audacity, and hastens on with his
narrative This morning he wears dark
coat and a red vest, striped with black
He is married, but has no children, and
his friends declare he is giving his sal
ary away to the poor.
How did get into the produce busi-
ness?" he asks, repeating my Gnestion-
'I'U tell you. On the 17th of last Sep
tember a man came in here and said:
Lew, I just paid Is cents for quarter
of a peck of potatoes That's $40
bushel and a id outrage So called
for Atkinson, who is a smart, active TEL
low and used to work for me. Go TO
Michigan 1 told him, and see what you
can do in the potato line He tele-
graphed in a day or two that he could
buy a carload at 69 cents a bushel de-
Hvered in Indianapolis
Send 'em along!' I wired back. At
hot 1a Mirhfgan nOtaL0
grower usually gave an option on his crop
to a travelling buyer, that the buyer sold
the crop to a storage warehouse, that
the warehouse people sold the potatoes
to commission men in Detroit, Grand
Rapids Lansing, and Indianapolis, ana
that the commission men supplied tne re-
tafl dealers. There were ive profits, you
see. from the potato field to the table
Of the consumer.
Atkinson returned with the potatoes
and the facts. I sold the potatoes at
the city market house at 20 cents a
bushel cash on the spot. In all, We
handled sixteen carloads. Then I did a
few stunts with chickens and turkeys,
mfncemeat and Christmas trees. Prices
tumbIed One day I got wise as to ap-
pies, which grocers and others were SELL
ing at s. cents peck Hundreds OF
bushels OF apples were rotting in the
orchards of Indiana Dealers told the
farmers that apples were scarcely worth
the trouble of picking. Everybody had
apples, so they said.
Broke Up an Apple Trust.
'T put Atkinson on the case. Break
up that apple bunch said He bought
apples at $40 a barrel. There are eleven
pecks in a barrel Eleven into $40
goes about p times We sold fine ap-
ples-red ones and yellow ones-at 30
cents a peck, thus reducing the price
more than half. Then quit ] had
given the town lesson in prices; had
shown the people the one principal cause
of dear living. Atkinson, however, kept
on. He is in the produce business now
and is selling potatoes, apples, eggs, and
oranges below the usual market quota
tons, and is making 800 a week for him
self.
'T would stop the extortion practiced
throughout the country by appointing in
all large cities municipal purchasers Of
produce They ought to be honest and
keen men and have eyes like hawks. II
the potato crop around Indianapolis were
short, for example, I'd expect the city
purchaser to know where the crop was
normal or plentiful He would be a
wstchman on the wall and be ready to
act at the drop of the hat. Maybe he
would never be compelled to use his au-
thority to rush in shipments Of any
thing and thus break the market, but ne
would be prepared at all times to do so.
The fear Of his competition would. 1 am
sure. keep TIE regular dealers in check.
Then I suggest that the trolley lines
running into cities-we have twenty
five electric roads coming into Indian
spolis-be permitted to bring vegeta-
bles, fruit butter. eggs, and poultry
right from the farms to the market
houses. That would cut out the profits
OF the middlemen. They are smart
people, by the way and should be do
ing something else-something bene-
fetal you understand. Farmers in
many places cannot sell directly to re-
tail dealers. II a retail dealer does
business with farmer he is boycotted
by the middlemen and one source of
his supply. and often a necessary
source, is completely shut OF.
Country-Yyide Plan and Theory.
There is a trust..you see. and while
there may be no direct cooperation
uetween the middlemen OF different
cities they are all working on the same
theory. They are following a system
that is general in its application. The
marketmen Of Indianapolis are with
n and 800 OF them have organized
in an attempt to reduce prices and to |
escape from the clutches Of the specu- |
iators and commission merchants. I
believe in business and in business
men. A fair profit is objectionable to |
no one. But robbery IS robbery, wheth- |
er IL Is accomplished by polite compul- |