Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-10-30

HNHOMAS ARMSTRONG candidate for
i Receiver Of Taxes on the Town Meet
ing party ticket Is business man. lie
mas always been interested IN politics, but
not as a hrslne or a profession. lie has
not made living out uf II, though he prob
ably could have done so had he tried for
he has the brains and energy wherewith
success may be gained in almost any
business
Mr.. Armstrong came to Philadelphia from
Perth Amboy, ~ j., when he was nineteen
years old and, with three other young men,
entered the terra Gotta business The orig
inal firm was known as stephens, Arm
strong & Conklirg and its members were
Frank and Harry Stephens Mr.. Armstrong
and Ira Conkling.
In 1914, the StephenSes withdrew and
the Conkling Armstrong Terra Gotta Com
pany was formed with Mr.. Conkling at its
head After Mr.. Conking's death two years
ago, Mr. Armstrong succeeded naturally to
the presidency He controls the business
and owns virtually all the cOmpany's stock,
PAYS MILLIONS IN WAGES
The company was not built in a day, But
il has grown steadily until II now Is one
of the largest in the United States. Its
plant in NiCetown employs as many as 400
workers in busiest seasons and the con-
cern has paid millions of dollars In wages
age in size and has n very well-fed appear
ance His face Is round and he has rather
sharp eyes that twinkle He has bust
ness-like. somewhat brusque manner that
seems to Indicate Say what you've got to
say IL its worth saying and be quick about
it." but altogether his personality Is one
that appeals to men.
Mr.. Armstrong; business operations ana
record gained for him recognition, not only
from competitors and associates In MS own
field, but from men generally. lie served
as president of the Master Builders EN-
change and he Is president OF the eastern
Terra Gotta Manufacturers Association as
we'll as Of the National Terra Gotta Manu-
facturers' Association He is the secretary
and a director of the Manufacturers Ciup
of Philadelphia and a member OF the Chaih'
ber Of Commerce and the Rotary Ciub'
FAvORS REPUBLICAN PARTY
In national politics Mr.. Armstrong has
been consistently a Republican. Without
approving every act Of every Republican
national Administration, he has supported
the national party, believing the nation
safer under It's direction than under tna'
Of any other party, and being In sympathy
with it's attitude toward the larger ana
more important national issues
In local politics Mr.. Armstrong has beer
constantly a good Republican He has no'
heen a perennal office seeker nor a per-
petuaI political worker. He became inter
ested in politics about the time he was Ole
en- ugh to vote. and he has retained his In
terest. He ALWAYS has been found cham,
pioning the national Republican party an'
supporting the Republican party local.!
when he could conscientously do so.
Mr. Armstrong has opposed lawless anc
! dishonest Gang methods. and has been asso
/ Gated with every movement In MS TINT
! that sought to rid the city Of bad gov
I ernment and establish clean honest ant
| efficient municipal rule. In January, lgOl
Mr.. Armstrong was nominated by the lie
publicans for Common Councilman from th'
Thirty-elghth Ward, and In February N
was elected.
FOUGHT "RIPPFR" BILL
II was after this that the Quay machine
passed the Philadelphia tax ripper" bill a
| Harrisburg and Governor Stone signed II
| The measure ostenslbly for the benign pur
nose of making the Board Of Revision o
| Taxes elective by the people instead o
| appointive by the Board of Judges, wa
| calculated to give the machine the powe
| Of a czar over all the taxpayers OF Phlla
| delphia Mr.. Armstrong was one OF IN