The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-05-23
BUREAU BACKS
. Down ON FIRE
I AID ACCUSATION
Better Business Unit Has
No Evidence to Link
/ HoqStOn, Carey.

T. M. Overly manager of tbs
Better Business Bureau, today issueo
q statement saying that a report
upon methods Of solicitation for ad-
vcrtising for magazines sponsored
by the State fire marshal's office and
the city fire prevention division,
given to The indianapolis Times By
a bureau representative for publ
cation Tuesday, contained stale
mentS which were untrue and
which conveyed false impression
Overly referred specifically to the
statement in the report which was
given to The Times that Using
their positions and Offices as clubs
over their victims. these two men
literally have sandbcEgcd thousands
Of dollars from the public and bust
ness institutions Of indianapolis
and vicinity in the last two years.
The two men" referred to in the
statement we're Alfred HOgston,
State fire marshal, and Horace w.
Carey, city fire prevention chief.
Can't Name Men
The bureau has been invcstigat-
ing the solicitation methods Of
1.-THE Indiana Fire Prevention
Year Book" the organ of the fire
marshals department, and Of the
Manual Of Fire Prevention" spon-
scored by the city fire prevention
division.
The bureau says it has uncovered
evidence OF coercive methods on the
part of the solicitors for these two
magazines. but, Overly declared:
THE Better Business Bureau docs
not have any evidence that either
of these men personally assisted in
such methods or that any sucb
methods were used with their au-
thority or consent.
solicitors of advertising have
directly represented themselves, Or
indirectly given the impression that
they we're representing the State
fire marshal or the local fire pre-
vention chief. or their offices.
However. Mr.. Hogston or MI
Carey cannot be held accountable
for the use Of such practices and
methods as are above mentioned,
unless it could be shown that Mrc
HogstCn or Mr.. Carey knew thai
these practices we're being followed
Bureau Apologies
I'VE 90 not have any such in
formation, and, therefore, an apol-
ogy is due to both Mr.. Hogston and
Mr.. Carey from the Better Business
Bureau"
Overly also clarified information
regarding a check in payment for
advertising in the city manual,
which bore the name in the space
for Endorsement of Jesse A. Hut
sell, former fire chief. making it
appear that Hutsell personally had
gotten the money.
Overly declared that such a
check is in the possession Of the
bureau, but that comparison of the
signaturae with Hutsells actual
writing has convinced him that the
signature on the check is a forgery.
Overly declared that the bureau
was not retraCting the statement
that the practice of advertising So
licitors frightening business men in
to buying advertising in the two
publications with implied threats Of
official punishment had occurred in
a number Of instances.
Thousands of dollars, he asserted,
shave been collected from business
men who have been under the i'm
preston that this money was to be
used in the furtherance of fire pre-
Vention work, when, in fact, the
money has gone into the hands Of
the private promoters"
Little Fire Prevention
$50 far as the bureau can learn,
the only fire prevention work &C
mplished has been the small
amcun5 e propaganda distributed
through the magazines, all Of which
could have been disseminated far
more cheaply in regular pamphlet
form"
The board of safety and Mayor
Slack, after an inquiry into the city
fire prevention publication late
Tuesday, issued an order prohibit
ing any policeman or fireman from
soliciting for any purpose without
direct authorization from the board.
Mayer Slack issued a statement
declaring that the city has not au-
thorized publication of the manual
and on one is authorized to make
-