Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-06-04

fellow VIII o
- - re c ommends
"h' rat poison 10
get rid of rats. He is down 10
earth. and that is why he is IN
this column today.
He has been in Detroit only
since the first OF the year, hut
he gets around, 80 l asked him
what his impressions were. He
said:
"l--It's the friendllest big city
I've ever been In. Maybe II IN
because there are 80 many In
dustrial workers. It's a young
city. Oh. know that, geo
graphically and historically. II II
old, but IT'S essentially young
city.
>2-But I was shocked by the
y of purpOseful planning.
mink the mayors new plan has
seeds of the future-good or bad,
depending how II II worked out.
"3-I can't imagine a city like
Detroit not having more express
highways.
"i-And why doesn't the city
condemn its blighted residential
areas and turn them over 10 real
estate firms to rebuild: With
certain restrictions, of course.
They should be made liyable, but
nil
let the people move back into
them.
81 WAS surprised that the
mayor hasn't said something
about parks Juvenile delin-
quency ~ running high. Young
people usually get into trouble
because they haven't anything
else 90 do. More neighbOrhood
parks and Fairgrounds would
help.
"6-I never saw q city with
80 many rats and such dirty
hack alleys. II would cost some
thing. hut the city could dis
tribute free rat poison. There's
an air raid warden In every
block. Why not sanitary
warden TO see to such things
The Rev. Mr.. Wheeler has hit
several nails squarely on their
heads. | know perfectly we'll
that a lot Of people already have
been slamming away at the
same problems, but it's interest
ing 10 see Detroit through the
eyes OF somebody who has been
here for only few months.
The Rev. Mr.. Wheeler himself
r. quite interesting. He came 10
Detroit az assistant 10 DIR. Edgar
Dewitt Jones. a. a result ~ his
YAK In Kansas City, under the
Burris \. Jenkins. father ri
iris Jenkins Jr.. whose strik-
ing cartoons have appeared often
In the Times.
Before he entered the minis
try, he was n coal miner. So IL
his father. Likewise his brother
in-law and his brothers. Very
shortly he II going hack home
20 the mining country for a visit
and will 20 down In the mines
with his brothers.
I don't know how often n man
Of the cloth gets into places like
coal mines hut. az gather
things from the Bible. God IL
Just as likely 10 be i'm a coal mine
n In a temple, and there's no
reason why a minister shouldn't
be there, too.
when he gets back, he SAYS,
he II going 10 preach a sermon
about the mines and the mining
situation.
To get back 10 Detroit, and
most particularly 10 the mayors
plan, Mr.. Wheeler points out
that similar plan has been
used IN Kansas City, financed by
n S5-a-year tax on automobiles,
instead of the pay roll tax ad-
vocated here. He thought the
auto tax was too steep. but APP
proved of the aims. The same
attitude seems 10 be true among
DctrolteTs approval Of the aims.
but n question as 70 whether the
pay roll tax is the right way 10
pay for II.
The Rev. Mr.. Wheeler adds
another suggestion:
Its young mans city. Go
get some young, daring, far
sighted engineers. pay them well.
and set up 25-year plan for the
city"
Sounds good If the plan is
left flexible.
~nother thing he mentioned
" hasn't been announced yet,
but a group Of North Woodward
churches are getting together TO
try a sort of outdoor playground
on the lawn between the Pres
byterian and Baptist churches
at Pingree and Philadelphia ave-
nues. from June % 10 July 81,
To care for war workers chill
dren, aged to Is, from 3 TO
$3.50. six days week.
Another practical approach 10
problem. In fact, that's really