The Omaha morning bee., 1925-04-07
Pay Trolley Fare Boost, Then Demand Good Service,
Says Mayor of Indianapolis Who Broke Spud Trust
Former Auclioneer Speaks
Words of Wisdom for
Omaha.


of ideas.
The ideas range eonsecutively, or
otherwise, from the time he sold sec.
ond hand goods from the auctioneer' S
} block up to and including Monday
morning. The mayor himself, caught
in leqaaeious mood, admitted some
OF them might be good-oome of
them not SO good. But, nevertheless
they were ideas.
Dealing first with women. the
mayor. defeated for governor by 100,-
200 votes of Indiana citizens, showed
down on him. he claims by members
Of the ku klux Khan, admitted he
was bit puzzled by their various ac-
tiyities.
Headed for Shave.
But he said. "men always have
been ornery and now it looks like
The women-especially the girls-are
not going to be lost in the parade
They are stepping right along with
US. perhaps bit ahead. We men are
not bad so why should we say the
women are. II you've ever PLAYED
poker why draw-your own conclu-
sions7
While the mayor was tallling-lots
of it-in The lobby of the Hotel Fon.
tenelle, Mrs. Shank was dressing in
her room for a photograph. The
mayor, according to Mrs. Shank. was
in the barber shop. lie started for
the tonsorial parlor. but met with a
delay which he didn't seem to mind.
He has the faculty. shaved or un-
shaved. of meeting circumstances.
After he had GRATED a sermon on
practical poltics-emphas sizing the
practical, Mayor Shank was asked:
Try to Answer.
Now If these conditions Of finan-
eial influence and friendship actual
ly exist. as You have pictured them,
what is your idea Of correcting
them"
Answer that Yourself" he shot
back Tell me how You can change
conditions. Tell me I've heard lot
of people ask that question and I've
heard a lot of people try TO answer it,.
They only tried The answer hasn't
been written. Better say to that, that
things always have been and always
will be-"
The mayor, super-a ggressive. didn't
have a kind word to say for the ku
lllux klan-nether did he have an
unkind word. As a candidate on the
republican ticket for mayor he was
defeated by 100000 votes and most
of them. he claimed were draped in
white sheets. Now I don't say any
thing about the klan," he declared
They whipped me once. l was
against them and they tanned me.
am not a member of the organiza.
/ ton and | never will be-
And it was here he carried out his
creed of practical politics"
Live and Let Live.
IF they beat YOU. they beat you.
] The votes are from the people And
he people. it seems, must be right
at least once"
Having gone through a street car
fare controversy in indianapolis, this
man. who bought potatoes from the
farmer 10 sell at cost in his home
city in order to break a trust"
preached doctrine of live and let
/ live
/ IF You want to keep your street
car service, pay EN-, he advocated.
The other day | got a tooth pulled.
i Il cost me s. TO have the thing pulled
/ and So for the examination. That's
IS. A few years ago l could have
4 bo l,a > hi f,,
i That sizes up the street car situation.
\ lot of them are starving to death.
+ \ fare of 10 10 cents Is not too
much for a ride. 1t used to he a
i niekel-so did the movies. Expenses
+ are up nowadays.
i Demand the Service.
/ Pay the street car compa nles for
/ their service and make 'em give the
service. II YOU pay 'em they will.
i Don't ever get the idea Of city owner.
ship Of Your car lines. 1t won't work.
'tThe street car companies are hard
up because they don't have the bust
ness they used to- Half OF their bust.
ness now goes in automobiles. Every.
body has car, it seems. That takes
the pennies away from the car com.
panies.
We. have a maid at home we pay
so a week. and she drives to work
every morning in an automobile.
That's what hits the street car com
panies'
After dealing with the car sItua
tion Mayor Shank talked about au.
tomobiles and their parking.
Same as Omaha.
In indianapolis we do the same
/ thing you do in Omaha. The cops
tag the cars and some Of those who
are tagged report to police court and
pay their fines. The others get to
tho city officials and fix things.
/ Sometimes a policeman has tho influ.
ence. But somebody generally fixes
things. of course | don't know any
thing about such conditions. I've
been told. however, they exist
still without the shave the mayor
talked bit about public officials.
lie recalled that the governor OF his
slate had been convicted OF playing
With state funds; that the mayors
had met trials which failed TO turn
ont succes4fully. Other officials Of
the state. he said. also had been con
yicted In court.
BE For, Not Against.
But he declared, as he pound.