The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-09-24

Editor Times-Discerning persons
are becoming painfully aware that
Mr.. Hoover's abilities are not of the
kind and number that will enable
him to direct successfully the task
he has assumed of relieving the suf-
fering caused by unemployment of
millions of men and women now on
the verge of starvation.
All who succeed in great enter
prises exhibit a grasp of the situa-
ton; the value of time and celebrity
of action. He showed his inability
by slownesS in grasping the great
ness of the disaster caused by the
drought which visited twenty-five
states; his unwillingness to accept
the advice of men who know; his
hostility to the senate at a time
when he should have conciliated,
the lengths to which he went in
defeating its appropriation of $25,-
100000 intended to relieve from
starvation a million suffering Amer
leans, even dragging the central
committee of the Red Cross into
declaring at the time the bill was
pending in the house that if it
passed that organization would not
handle the relief.
It can not be that the 1argeness
of the sum asked staggered both
Mr.. Hoover and Mellon, for during
the war, and after, Mr.. Hoover OBJ
tanned $140,O00,000 to feed starving
Belgians, Russians and Germans.
Not long since, Mr. Mellon handed
back to certain big corporations
$3.50, 600, said to be surplus
tax" and this was done so freely
and with such trustfulness that no
statement of account could be
found by the senate committee, nor
could any responsibility for the gift
be fixed. When questioned, the
heads of the various departments
exhibited ignorance of the whole
transaction.
Doubtless Mr.. Hoover was a ca
pable engineer and boss Of men
rendered submissive by oppression;
and doubtless, too, he did well
overseas; but there he had efficient
coadjutors, a limited territory, and
was acting in a subordinate capacity
and not as boss of the works.
Mr.. Hoover'S antipathy to the dole
seems to carry him far-even into
English politics-but as choice be-
tween evils, the dole is to be pre-
ferred to starvation.
He has pledged the people that
there shall be no starvation. II his
present scheme of relief is attempted
both will appear and another red
chapter be added to history.
JOHN NEWTON.
Editor Times-As you are a man
of progressive ideas and want to
make this world a better place in
which to live, especially now dur
ing this depression, submit plan
for your consideration.
The basis of all our living primar-
lily comes from the farm. We could
start the unemployed in cooper
alive colonies on some. Of the best
farm land in the country and pro-
duce everything for their own con-
sumption, produced by the latest
agricultural machinery.
Also, there could be factories and
mills in connection for manufactur-
ing the raw materials into finished
products-plants such as flour mills,
slaughter houses, bakeries, Gamer
les, machine shop, laundry, etc.
These colonies always could alb
sorb the extra people not employed
by private business. We might as
well build something permanent
for the future. BY using this same
money that we will use to relieve
the unemployed this winter, We
could start some modern apartment
buildings Quilt by unemployed on
large co-ouexative farms and there