Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-11-26
PRESIDENCY OF
COUNCIL KEPT
NBACKGROUND
Jewett and Anti Forces Seem
to Be on Still Hunt for
Support.
ELECTION DUE JAN. 8

II thsre is any pronounced desire on
fhe mart OF any member Of the city
council to become president OF that body
next year he is keeping CLIENT about it,
& canvass Of councilmen shows Al
though there are but two regular meet
tngs left before the annual election on
jan. &, council leaders declare they have
not even given the matter any serious
thought What the leaders declare, ara
what they may be considering ere, If
course, different matters, observers say.
The presidency Of the council, always
An important position. because Of the
pover to appoint committees and refer
measures to them, is Of more than usual
importance next year. With the mu-
nicipaI primary in May and election in
November in sight, It win be of advan-
tage to either Of the two cOntending fac
ton, which have existed in the council
for the p&st three years. to control the
chair. TIE factions are composed OF
those councumen who favor the Jewett
administration and those who do not.
ANTS HAMPER
ADMINISTRATION.
The administration has been more or
less successfully hamps-ed In some of its
pet schemes by the anti-faction ever since
IL took office. II this condition could
be eliminated in the remaining year Of
Jewett tenure OF Office administration
men feel they could get through some
OF the projects which must be completed
Il prediction pledges are to be fulfilled.
II these promises are not redeemed II is
patent the administration candidate for
mayor must go into the primary with
this disadvantage, and II nominated
must face the voters in the election with
the weight Of the Jewett failure about
his neck.
The wing Of the Republican party
which has been doing everything in Its
power IN the last year to unseat Mayor
Charles ". Jewett and County Treas
urer Ralph Lemcke from control Of the
Marion County organization. would ike
nothing better than to see the admins
tratfon candidate for mayor harrassed IN
the primaries with the shattered remains
Of the Jewett platform staring him in
the face and Haunting where all may see.
IL would 20 fsr toward the nomination
Of an Observation-Disclosures candidate,
which practically would mean the sue
cess Of the ants In their desigAs on
the county Organization
TWO DEMONSTRATIONS
OF ANTI POWER.
That it is entirely possible for the
council to block administration moves
when II so wills Was demonstrated
through the summer when dozens OF or
dinances ordering the board Of works to
resurface streets over rernonstrances Of
property owners were killed, when the
council threatened to refuse to ratify a
contract for the purchase Of equipment
with which to complete the mOtorization
of the fire department and on numer-
49, as rTufaI
ing program was cut In half and motor
ization was not finally put through until
those who favored II ate out OF the anti
eOunciImen's hands.
The failure TO repair streets badly IN
need Of il is one Of the numerous blows
from which the administration Will have
TO recover if it hopes 70 bask In the
public grace TO the extent that its ap-
prOval OF a candidate for mayor viii be
an asset instead Of a liability to that
man. The antis have been able to choke
the administration measures often be-
cause they have a majority and because
every committee Of any Importance in
cludes a majority Of their members
If an administration councilman we're
made president he could Ill important
committees Ike those Of public works.
finance and public safety with admins
tration members and save many meas
Ures from death IN COMMITTEES. even
though it might be impossible to get
them past the anti majority in the
council as whole. An administration
man in the chair also might prevent
many Of the attacks on the mayor and
Ms aides such as the ants have made
during the last three years
There is little possibility, however. OF
an administration man receiving the Of