The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-10-18
KEEPING UP
With
THE NE WIS
BY LUDWELL DENNY

BY LUDWELL DENNY
XNTASHINGTON, Oct. 18.-All of
w this fight between candidate
Smith and Secretary of the Treas
ury Mellon over Coolidge economy
makes good campaign show, but
the politicians here do not expect
a change of many votes to result.
Both sides know there has been
so much effective propaganda about
Coolidge economy for seven years,
that Smith nor no one else can get
the idea out of peoples heads this
late in the campaign.
Like all such campaign battles
both sides in their public state
mentS profess to have won.
The Democrats say Melons
official report today failed to refute
AIS charge at Sedslia, Mo-, Tues
day. that the Republican claim of
saving the government $4,000, 900 900
is untrue because based on an I'M
fair comparison between the peace
year 1928 and the war deflation"
year of 1921.
THE trouble with that (Smith)
contention is that the war had been
over for two and half years when
the Republican administration took
control of the government in
March, 1921. If these savings were
inevitable as Governor Smith would
have us believe, why hadn't they
already been more largely effected9"
n
TITO Smiths charge that AL of
Il the departments of the govern
ment in 1927 cost $2OO,OOO,O00 more
than they did in 1924" Uncle Andy
replies;
1.-THE total ordinary expenditure
of the government, which does not
include the expenditures payable
for postal revenues, aggregated in
1924, $1,828,O00,000 and in 1927,
81, 100000, or an increase of
100000, and not $200,O00,000."
He ends with a jibe at AL that
knowledge of the complicated bust
ness Of the government lis not to be
acquired during the course of few
months campaign"
Now what will the average voter
make Of all this confusion of Stats
tics which Mellon and Smith are
firing at each other? The answer
probably is that the average voter
is not interested and would not
understand if he were. About his
only economic political concerns
are believed to be how much taxes
he has to pay and whether times
are good" for him.
Therefore, while the statistical
barrage about Coolidge economy
continues, the much less noticed
government statements on business
and employment conditions are be-
lieved to be a much better gauge
Of the voters attitude.
These statements indicate an in
creasing upward trend in so-called
prosperity. Even if this trend OF
the last six months were suddenly
now to reverse itself in the direc-
ton of business depression, and
there are signs Of that, the less than
three weeks intervening before the
election is believed to be too short
a period to change the voters.
IF this argument is sound, then
Il Hoover has already gone safely
beyond what was from the begin
ming perhaps his gravest danger
the possibility that the large scale
unemployment of last winter and
spring would continue during the
campaign.
According to labor department
figures today, manufacturing pay
roll totals increased in September
1.3 per cent over August, and are
now at the highest point since June,
1927. Factory employment increased
in the month of September is per
cent to the highest point since last
October. The industrial situation
is reported as generally salts
factory"
The favorable trade balance in
September, according to the COM
merce department, was sos, 100000,
compared with $50, 100000 in the
corresponding month last year.
Z The wholesale price index con-
tinues to rise, and is matched by
increased retail prices. September
wholesale prices were 3% per cent
higher than year earlier, while re-
tail prices increased 215 per cent,
the labor department announced to-
day.