The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-01-16
STICKER LAW DOES
NOT APPLY TO CORPORATIONS,
ASSERTS CITY PROSECUTOR
Strict Enforcement to Be
Continued by Police
Officers.
MAYOR BACKS BOARD
None to Get Immunity
Under Law:' Edict
to Stand.

! City police will continue to
interpret the new traffic ordi-
nance as falling to give them
any right whatever to cancel
traffic stickers for minor VIOLA
tions and will continue to en-
force the ordinance to the let
ter.
This was the stand taken today
by Mayor L. Ert Slack in discussing
a newspaper report of long con-
ference between seven councilmen
and the board of safety Tuesday
afternoon.
The councilmen, wrought up be-
cause it had been disclosed by The
indianapolis Times last week that
among the first business men to
seek exemption from traffic stickers
for a business friend was Council
man Edward w. Harris, indicated
they believed the police were de-
liberating being hard boiled" in
order to diScredit the council.
No Authority to Cancel
The board of safety denied any
such intention pointed out that the
newspaper story had not been in
spired by the board, nor any po-
lice official, but rather was the re-
suit of a Times reporter having kept
his ears open around police head
quarters.
| Councilmen suggested to the
board, at least by inference, that
they thought the new ordinance
gave police the same authority to
cancel stickerS where it appeared
the motorist had been unjustly
tagged that police had under the
traffic code before Jan. /.
{. The board declared it could not
see that authority was given to any
one to cancel stickers, on advice
of Smiley M. Chambers, assistant
city attorney.
| Slack Backs Up Board
Mayor Slack today backed up the
board with a statement that he
stood upon the letter he wrote sew
eral days ago to the board INSTRUCT
| ing that tie ordinance be enforced
without fear or favor.
The ordinance provides that the
city clerk shall report monthly to
| the council the number of traffic
stickerS issued and the number of
cancellations of such traffic viola
ton notices with the stated reasons
therefor, and the name of the re-
sponsible person or official author
izing such cancellation"
The ordinance, however, has no
provision whatever showing who is
such responsible person or official"
WOrIey Is Silent
Police frankly have declared that
they we're not going to lay them
selves subject to an explosion in the
council chamber by exempting any
one. Councilmen have openly de-
clared that they provide for the re-
port to them to curb fragrant ex-
emptions and prevent any Official
from building up political machine
by the exemption privilege.
1t was brought out that the high
official whom Harris approached last
week was Police Chief Claude M.
Worley. Worley has refused to dis
cuss the affair. Harris has declared
he took the business friend to police
headquarters and requested exenp-
ton from tagging, just to show the
friend how "airtight the ordinance
is"
Shake Hands After Row
| Originally the board of safety and
council conference Tuesday after
noon was called to discuss the gens
eral traffic situation. with rerout-
ing Of street cars as the chief topic.
i The conference, however, de-
veloped into two and half hour
wrangle over the sticker situation
and another meeting is to be held
to discuss car rerouting.
Councilman Albert F. Meurer,
COIill(lE AL dDOub OH A1OQl dLDCi DllC
conference started, remarked:
About the only practical solution
to this matter is to allow the police
department to use some discretion.
Their judgment is as good as ours.
The other councilnen made no
overtureS toward amending the or
dinance to specifically give police
latitude.
Councilmen and board members
shook hands after the conference
and declared all we're friends.
Corporation Counsel Oren D.
Hack stated he would advise with
Prosecutor Spencer about the throw
ing out of affidavits against COM
pany traffic violations. Spencer
seems correct In holding there Is no
way to prosecute the firms unless
police officers can give the name of
the empIoye driving the car" Hack
said.
According to Chief Worley, trafnc
officers very seldom are able to
learn more than the license numbers
Of the cars they tag. They viii con-
rinue. as at present tagging the cars
and turning over to. the prosecs;t1r
the numbers leaving further aaka8
e hmA