Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-10-19
SHANK-RALSTON
CONTEST DRAWS
MUD THROWING
Each Candidate Accuses Other
of Bootleg and Thug
Support.
LAST NIGHTS BIG TALK

horse thieves on election day." declared
Samuel Lewis Shank, Republican nominee
for mayor in speaking of his Democratic
opponent at Linden and Legrand streets
last night 1.-THE only thing that's trou-
bling Ralston is that he can't get them
all. He's got part of them though-Jerry
Casey and Cocky Shea. If they're not
gamblers I'd like to know who IS"
Ar. Shank thus replied to charges he
says Mr.. Ralston is making that the Re
publican campaign is backed by gam
bIers, bootleggers and horsethieves."
He changed his position somewhat upon
the anti-open vault ordinance and served
notice upon commission row that it will
have "to move the potatoes off of the
sidewalks" The board Of safety rules
forcing iremen to wear $40 uniforms in
which to fight fires and requiring practice
in getting apparatus out of fire houses
and coupling of hose of companies max
ing six or seven runs day were criti-
cised by the candidate.
Trouble was. ayerted at a meeting at
State and Fletcher avenues when, be-
fore Mr.. Shank spoke, several Republican
workers chased away three men whom
they said were sluggers sent to the
meeting by the Democrats to break 1t up.
The Democrats also sent a motor truck
with a small band on board, followed by
twenty five or thirty small boys carrying
red lights past the meeting. Despite these
interruption Mr.. Shank spoke to more
than two hundred persons who crowded
around a motor truck.
Last week Mr.. Shank declared that he
was in favor of repeating the anti-open
vault ordinance, which would require
connection with sewers or installation of
septic tanks in every home in Indian
apolis within one year, and re-enactment
of it after the Legislature puts through
a law making it possible for citizens to
pay for the improvement In annual pay
ments spread over eight or ten years.
Last night he said:
There is no question that for the good
health of the people of Indianapolis that
this condition ought to be eliminated but
the people ought to be given eight or
ten years in which to pay for it."
Boyd NJ. Ralstons plan of organizing
loan company to help citizens pay for
their sewer connections or septic tanks
again was attacked by Mr.. Shank.
"Ralston' first said he was going to re-
peal that ordinance. He found that that
didn't set very good so the next thing
he said was that he was going to organ
ize loan company to loan people money
on their property with which to pay for
the improvements. Now most people are
buying their property on payments and
don't even own their places yet. You
know there isn't any set Of men that is
going to loan money on a piece of prop
erty that you don't own. If you do hap
pen to own 1t by the time you get done
paying for abstracts, lawyers, interest
and so forth you'll owe more than the
nronerty is worth"
Mr.. Shank told Of a report he had re-
ceived to the effect that George Hitz. the
commission merchant. met a Republican
worker and said he was circulating a
paper against Shank and had 104 against
and for him. The worker told Mr.
Hftz to make it five for Shank, the can
didate said
mo wonder those commission men are
against me-" he said. 81 was against
them. They were charging So a bushel
for potatoes at a time when l went out
and bought all the people wanted for
so cents a bushel. OF course they re
against me.
But say, I want to tell you that this
bird Hitz is not going to get to crowd
people off of the sidewalk with his stuff
out in front of his place when l am
mayor. No. The chances are l will run
George Hitz off of that sidewalk. l don't
know but what I ought to write George
a letter tomorrow telling him. George.
get ready to move your potatoes off of
the sidewalk after Jan. q
Mr.. Shank said he did not believe in
arresting % 900 citizens a year and let
ting most of them go because the police
had nothing on them. 81 think 1t would
do more good to arrest half that number
and convict them"
He pointed to his record in the city
market house and asserted that a change
in the Shank administration track eleva-
ton contract by the Bell administration
whereby New Jersey street was closed
amounted TO a gift of 100000 worth of
property to the railroads.
Touching upon Mr.. Ralston's hackers
Mr.. Shank said that Frank P. Baker had
told him he would like for him SHANK
to t'chase Tom Meeker out of town"
Meeker and Baker have been at logger
heads since the primary election. Meeker
is Democratic city chairman. He said the
folks at Linden and Legrand streets
might ask Meeker about a letter from
a priest touching upon something that
was done in regard to a church building
at Mineral Springs. 81 don't know what
IT was, but you ask Tom II he comes
down here" he said.
Il has cost S30,OOO,OO0 to run In
dianapolis the last four years while it
cost only 100000 during the four years
of the Shank administration, the nominee
said.
Denouncing the practice Of sending to
New York and California for experts"
to tell the people here how to run their
government Mr.. Shank said:
Were going to run this thing ourselves
during the next four years. Yes, and
we're not going to have Delavan Smith of
Lake Forest, IN, and his indianapolis
News telling US how to run our govern
ment. IN tell that old bird where to
get off at.
1.-THE News talks about me being
backed only by gamblers and bootleg
gers. The News isn't afraid of gamblers
running Indianapolis 1t wants to run
Indianapolis itself. but by the grace of
God it is not going to get t. do it. The
News is going to retire for four years
beginning next January.
Mr.. Shank also spoke at Shelby and
Iowa streets ad Carson and Troy ave-
nues Lloyd D. Claxcombe and John E.
King, Republican nominees for city
councilmen, spoke briefly at all of the
meetings.
Mrs. E. A. Kuhns at the State and
Fletcher avsnue meeting declared that
she had. known Mr.. Shank from boyhood
and tina mo man ever did more and got
more criticism and less praise for it than
Mr.. Shank" She praised Mr.. Shank for
driving out the red light district during
his administration and declared this is
something which should recommend Inn
to I'll women.