The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-04-19
Why These Changes?


Surely Mayor Duvall owes to the people of this
city some explanation of the amazing and far reach
ing changes he made in his official boards.
Without previous notice and with only a hurried
message delivered by his brotherin-law the mayor
has removed the members of the one board which
has retained any measure of public confidence.
There is no Disgusting the facts
Mayor Duvall did not want Roy Shaneberger,
Lem Trotter or Oren Hack and he fired them as
unceremoniousy as he might have discharged
janitor caught asleep at his post.
He did not want them in charge of the public
works of this city and he must have had a reason
for not wanting them.
These men happen to have independent means
and it is always considered something of safe
guard of public interest ohave men on these boards
who are beyond the personal temptation that is
always involved in the handling of vast sums OF
public money
II these men have been negligent, if they have
betrayed public interest if they have favored con-
tractors and politicians is the clear duty Of the
mayor to tell the people about it and not merely to
announce such changes.
It is true that beginning very few weeks
ago the mayor has taken power away from these
members.
They were not consulted when the mayor sud-
denly changed the city engineer and placed there
man who was labeled the political follower of
the Armitages.
They had nothing to do with that change and it
is also true that they have refused to follow the
advice of this engineer when it came to the use of
asphalt on city paving.
Asphalt, say these board members, is more
costly than concrete and they have taken the
position that the people who pay the bills should
have the choice of materials their own particular
,daf;O
and otherwise endeavored to force the use of
asphalt wherever possible The Armitage family
is said to be interested in the sale of asphalt to
the city.
1t may be only coincidence that the discharge
of these board members came on the very day when
there was filed in the Criminal Court by the
prospecting attorney and special prosecutors an
affidavit which declared that the grand jury was
engaged in an investigation pertaining to certain
alleged misconduct of certain public officials; that
one of said officials was John L. Duvall
That makes a matter of public record the fact
that the grand jury had investigated the mayor
Does the mayor believe that his new members,
one of whom is his business associate will be
better qualified 10 protect public interests than
shaneberger Hack and Trotter?
That might be an explanation were it not for the
fact that his first announcement named the present
chief of police 10 take Cue pldSo VI SiioAS"OAoN-'
that the chief had accepted the place. which pays
much less salary and that he reconsidered several
hours later.
That suggests strongly that the mayor was
anxious to get rid of these board members and that
he preferred most any one to the men who nave
for fifteen months helped him retain some contact
with the substantial interests of the city and who
we're always used as proof that the mayor had out
standing men as his advisers.
Surely the mayor owes to the public some state
ment of what hs hopes to obtain from this new
board of public works that he did not get from the
men he so unceremoniously and so crudely sepa-
rated from the public service.
VIII the new board be more honest? Then ne
should tell where this board failed in integrity.
Will the new board be more alert In the pubic
interest? Then he should tell where these men were
negligent.
Will the new board be less amenable to tne III
Auence of politicians and contractors? Then he
should tell the people where these members favored
their friends and failed to protect citizens
Unless such an explanation is made, the people
will undoubtedly supply their own. And when they
do thew will not forget that the mayor went to the
Legislature to secure law that would prevent 'tne
people from removing him by the city manager
route before he had served out his term.