The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-03-20
Continued from Page 0ne)

for Florida In the private car of
". F. Kenny, wealthy friend of AL
NTH.
He left three knotty problems be-
hind-important transit, tunnel and
bridge legislation, pending report
on a costly bus franchise, and the
hot litigation over the 7-cent fare.
which had reached the United
States supreme court.
=
MOT many months after the be-
IN ginning of his second term,
when Tammany was believed to be
tightening its grip on City Hall,
Mayor Walker took a vacation in
Bermuda. In 1880, when there were
increased rumblings of civic cor
ruption, he went to Florida again.
A few months previously there
had been handed to Governor
Franklin D. Roosevelt the first de-
finite demand for the removal from
Office of Mayor Walker.
A director of the Institute for
Public Service, claiming to repre-
sent 100000 injured" citizens,
charged that during the first three
and half years OF Office he had
been guilty Of "prodigiously waste
full neglect, inef1ciency, broken
pledges, false official publicity, pre-
ventable delays, misspending,- over
taxing, unfair assessing and the en-
couragement Of graft and violation
of law" There were twenty-six
specific charges.
Jimmy Walker has said that
there is nothing so disarming to
critic as to be ignored" Any
way, he did just that, and the crit
les we're disarmed
He remained the Jazz Mayor,
Jimmy the Jester, New York's Am
baSsador to the World, Mayor at
Large, Lord Mayor of Gotham, and,
to most of those 100000 injured
citizens, good old Jimmy"
NEVER has he permitted disap-
1N probation to interfere with his
peculiar routine. He has continued
to prowl the bright spots at night,
to go late to his Office, and to dash
hurriedly through transactions Of
city business Of such moment that
wrong decision would mean the
loss Of millions of dollars.
He is conscientious about presid-
ing at important board meetings,
where his wit and authority are
given full play.
But he usually is willing to leave
an important conference to greet
some bedraggled youth who has
pushed peanut across the CONT
nent to the steps of city hall.
If Jimmy Walker chose to an
swer his critics he could, no doubt,
point out that nearly all his va
cations have been taken at the
same time each year, and that his
present one was delayed for some
time against his doctors orders.
He also could challenge his enc
mics to name any period during
his two terms of Office when va.
cation would not have provided eS-
cape from some sort of scandal.
His administration has been ex-
pensive beyond any other on rec
ord, costing some $570,OO0,O00 an
nually Yet the mayor has made
no particular pretense of economy.
IF we're going to improve this
city," he said, we've got to pay for
it," With no definite idea of how
they were to be financed, he has
initiated vast projects, such as $780,
100000 for schools, $600,000,0o0 for
MYTH the apparent snap judg-
w ment that characterizes every
thing he does, he one day visited
one ward of one hospital, found it
unfit for dogs" and forced an APP
preparation of $16,000,00O for the
rehabilitation of all city hospitals.
He took a ride through Central
park, went back to city hall and
sandbagged the board of estimate
with a $l,000,000 appropriation to
improve it.
All this is good "theater," and
Jimmy Walker, frustrated in an
early ambition to be an actor, is
playing the leading role. More than |
once he officially has been repri- |
for his fragrant hardness, |
and his haODv- -1lJcIrv attitude u, |