s
ttimlttg JgjJSfc fc&SttJCr
I'UMJClEDGER COMPANY
CthtlB It. K. CUtlTlB, 1M1D(NT.
CJitl il udfngttm, Vlc lrInt r John C. Msrtln,
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jviillimn, biwton.
EDlTOltULIlOAnDj
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SUBSCRIPTION TEIIMS
IJy carrier, Dailt OnLt, lx centa. 'fly mall, ponlpald
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ttusofto Walnut keystone, maim sooo
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I ' ' - ' -
rillLADELPIIlA. TDKSI1AY. .MA II CI I 9. 1915.
" ' ' '
J. weakHno dodges the Issue and loses; a
ttronp man faces it and wins.
The Stake of , Greece In tho War
KINO CONSTANTWE of Greece recolved
hia military education In Berlin. His
wife Is tho Kaiser's sister. Since tho begin
ning of tho war ho has been using all his
influenco to preserve Grecian neutrality. Ho
has refused his consent to tho war policy of
his Prlmo Minister, Eleutherlos Venezelos,
nnd Venezelos resigned last Saturday.
Venezelos is the statesman who has lifted
his. country from a feeble and poverty
stricken Power Into a position of prosperity
and political strength. He was tho organiz
ing mind In tho Balkan war, and because ot
his military and diplomatic genius Groeco to
day includes a considerable part of Its an
cient domain In Macedonia and Thrace, which
was ruled by tho Turk when the Balkan war
began,
This masterful Greek statesman, with am
bition to recover still more of tho ancient em
pire that was ruled from Athens, steps aside
because his King will not consent. Whether
the nation is behind him or behind the King
will bo disclosed within a few weeks, and per
haps within a fow days. The news reports,
which como by way of the channels con
trolled by thb Allies, indicate that the Greeks
are. enthusiastic for war. They are said to bo
anxious that when the dismemberment of
Turkey takes place Greece shall get her share
of Asia Minor. Unless they throw the weight
of their influenco with the Allies their claims
will not be considered in the event of tho de
feat of Germany and the conquest of Turkey.
If tho Kaiser can convince them that ho is
sure to win and promises to give Smyrna and
tho adjacent coast as the price of their neu
trality, Venezelos will remain In retirement
fpr n. whllo. President, Wilson's task of pro.
serving American neutrality Is easy in com
parison with that confronting King Constan
tly. Preparing for the Next Fourth
IF THE precedent set last year of holding
a national celebration of the Fourth of
July in Independence Hall Is to be followed
this year, the State and the city should begin
preparations at once. Representative Dunn,
who has introduced a bill in tho General As
. sembly calling for an appropriation of (20,000
for tho next two years and authorizing the ap
pointment of a State commission to co-oper-nt.o
with a' city committee, has started the
work in the right way. Tho money should
be appropriated and a commission of rep
resentative citizens should be named.
Although the legal title to Independence
Bquare and Independence Hall Is held by this
city, the great hall really belongs to the
Whole country, and Philadelphia and Penn
sylvania owe It to the nation to do all In
their power to have the great national cele
bration of Independence Day occur In the
Bquare sacred to liberty.
New Jersey Will Get Local Option First
WHILE Pennsylvania waits the organiza
tion of public sentiment in favor of Jocal
option, tho New Jersey Legislature gets ready
to pass a local option bill putting the Stato
In line with tho best temperance sentiment.
Before the week ends the New Jersey bill
Will become a law, according to the Anti
Saloon League. But no one knows JUBt when
the General Assembly here will be forced to
respond to the undoubted demand of the peo
ple. It pretends to bo a representative body,
but If the men who control Its members can
have their way It will refuse to represent tho
people on this Issue, The only way to bring
It Into line is to let It know that the people
will not he denied, and that they will see to
It that those who are trying to frustrate their
will shall not have such power again, The
people can rule here, If they care to take the
reins in their hands. And If they do not
assert themselves they will have only them
selves to blame, as the Governor remarked
on Saturday night.
The Barbarous Turk
THE- Turk makes war by massacring the
nationals of his enemy who happen to be
Jn hia territory. This Is the survival of the
old system of barbarism when no man's life
was safe unless protected by force.
Jt will only be necessary for the Turkish
army, or the Turkish people, to keep on kill
ing Christians to bring about the complete
destruction of what Is left of the Turkish
Kmjjre It has been a pestiferous thing for
generations. Civilized nations are fast ap.
preaching Jhe (Joors of Constantinople, and
hat clty must soon fall Into their hands.
Whenever may be the outcome of the war in
wafern 'Europe the een.tlment of the world
vil nqfc- tolerate the return of the city and
Us Burremnding territory to Turkey on any
terms.
Simplicity of the Housing Problem
PHILADELPHIA has 295.000 buildings oo.
cuplfcd tor residence purposes by 387,000
t ..miliea. That I there are flnly 32,000 famlllw
wfud ip not have a whole house for their
o? . Manhattan Borough, or New York,
hjljilge'ljigejts-'wfui enlarged by annexing the
gpjbt has 75,000 buildings occupied as resl
&imwb by 493,000 lamlUes. or an' average of
abwoat seven families to a qwqjljng. In New
Yfwk, a whole. Including Brooklyn, Staten
Um4, Cjena and tb reeton above the liar
k.tft JUvor, there la aa average of more that
tfcmt&mJtyw to tn Jwu In Chicago, with
itiltaSpieh of prairie landn the elty
lBMtf, tare about two fasjlllaB to the
tomtmiiX Uw Mta te V es-atry with
janw Xkva tao.aoo totaHMf-M- tr are only
14, ad titey tt m$w UmoM, tit wbioh
KVENItfG
there la a lower average of Inhabitants In
each house than In Philadelphia.
Tho Governor's Ideal of n liouso for every
family, nnd thai well ventilated and with
modern sanitary conveniences, Is easier of
realization than soino pessimists would have
us believe. When tho prevailing conditions
are so Rood, the Insanitary, squalid tenement
without water, without bathrooms and with
out light or air becomes conspicuous. Tho
housing law wns Intended to bring about
their complete removal, Hut selfish men nro
seeking to preserve them, to protect tho dirty
Income of their owners. Arc the decent peo
ple of the city and the State willing that they
should succeed?
"How Will I Ever Explain It to Jim7"
"Vt'EN boasts were made at tho previous
s session of the Legislature that rapid
transit in Philadelphia would ho held up until
1916. When Finance Committee of Councils
pigeon-holed tho Taylor ordinances for
weeks, It was clearly apparent that the ob
structionists were relying on dilatory tactics
to accomplish this purpose.
Public sentiment forced them to a show
down and they sought to muddy the waters
by captious objections to parts of tho Taylor
plan, while at the samo time offering to pop
ulous Frankford and North nnd South Phila
delphia a will-o'-the-wisp sort of transit,
which, they anticipated, would serve to di
vide tho transit forces and so permit months
more of delay.
Tho original Connolly-Seger-Costello sub
stitute ordinance was, presumably Intention
ally, faulty In two respects. First, tho ordi
nance was to bo stnmped with probable Il
legality by specincally basing it on personal
taxables. John G. Johnson exposed the trick
In this so clearly, being supported by City
Solicitor Ryan, that not oven Mr. Connelly
dared retain tho objectionable words and an
amendment to strike thorn out was permitted.
Tho second dilatory dovlce was to mako tho
loan ordinance provide for a program In part
so utterly Impracticable, namely, tho exten
sion 'to Rhawn street, that no public official
with a. conscience would accept It. It ap
parently was expected by tho obstructionists
that tho situation would be saved for them
through this subterfuge, even If tho ordi
nance was permitted to be passed In legnl
form. So sure were they of this that tho
word was passed to vote for tho amended
measure. Rapid transit seemed to bo tied
up in a hard and fast knot which no human
being could untie.
But tho pullbacks were too sure of their
ground. Mr. Taylor found that he could uso
tho funds provided under the ordinance and
yet not spend one cent for any plans but his
own. The Frankford elevated obviously must
be begun in town nnd gradually bo built out.
The funds will be oxhausted long beforo
Rhawn street Is reached, and no other funds
will be available until a new Councils speaks.
That new Councils can specify what sec
tions of tho system the specific funds shall
be used for. Tho elevated will bo built with
Rhawn street as the ultimate terminal, Rny,
but Brldgo street must be reached first. How
long after that will it take to get to Rhawn
street a Councils subsequently to bo elected
must say. So, too, Just because the present
Councils will not provide funds for tho loop
is no reason why a later Councils will not.
Tho electors In November will decide that
question. Meantime, available funds can be
wisely nnd conservatively expended In dig
ging on Broad street, where under any plan
a subway Is certain.
So, all that Councils has been able to do Is
to delay an Indorsement of the Taylor plan as
a whole, while providing funds for the ac
complishment of part of that program, and
a very Important part of it.
Mr. Taylor, in other words, takes n broad
minded view and expresses by his action com
plete faith In tho electorate, on which ho
throws the burden of his tight by calling on
It to decide in November whether It Is for
tho "fake" plan or tho real plan.
The obstructionists have blundered into a
blind pit from which they cannot extricate
themselves without stultification nnd certnin
political repudiation. They have been check
mated by the skilful tactics of the Director,
whose vision is of quick transit, quickly got,
unwarped by selfish political ambition. Ho
Is ndt trained In playing tho game, but theso
men compelled him to play It. and with what
cards are on the table he has turned the trick.
They did not make quite so hideous a crea
ture as they thought they had constructed.
Instead of the Impossible ordinance they Im
agined they had written, they are amazed to
find that It can be used to good advantage.
There Is a good deal of humor In the situ
ation. The friends of transit can nfford to
laugh at the pullbacks. How readily tho
duckling takes to water! "How will I ever
explain it to Jim?"
The Inefficient always Insist
charge of inefficiency Is unfair.
that the
When a baby swallows a bichloride of mer
cury tablet some one la to blame for leaving
It where a baby could get It.
Employing men on the Parkway7, or some
other Important public work, is better than
giving emergency aid in any other way,
For the steenth time the New York courts
are to be asked to decide whether Thav 1b
any saner now than when he killed Stanford
White.
The Standard Oil people seem to be as much
Interested in Doctor nittman's economical
process of distilling gasoline as any of the
little producers
Of all the fool things to be argued before
the United States Supreme Court, whether
the upper berth in a sleeping ear should be
made up before a passenger applies for It Is
about the fooleet.
Secretary McAdoo riQw says that there was
never any Intention to buy the Interned ar
juan ships if the ship purchase bill had
passed. But an Inquest over the corpse of
the bill is uninteresting and unimwlant un
ite? the Adnintrs tln ptaM t jfulvarilaa it
tato W t the next awtaa ot Geagress,
LEtai3Il - PHtLABJDLPH:rA: TTTBSDAT, MABPH 9, 101&
DR, R. JOHNSTON
.ON THE WAR
, j. .
The Philadelphia Pastor Chides
England for Lack of Appreciation
of American Sentiment "Display
of III Temper" Regretted
THE following letter Vas written by Doctor
Johnston, rector of tho "Church of tho
Saviour, to tho editor of tho Edinburgh
Scotsman, In which newspaper It was printed,
together with an editorial reply. Doctor
Johnston himself Is openly an advocato of
tho Allies, nnd tho Scotsman, of course, Is
nntl-Gcrman. Tho correspondenco nnd reply,
therefore, both deal with tho subject from
tho viewpoint of tho Allies, and are presented
hero only becnuso of their undoubted Interest
to the general public.
To the Ildttor of thc-Scotsman:
Sir The local papers today tell us of two
tliliiRs. First .we are told that "Scotsmen hiss
America," nt a meeting addressed by Lord
Itosebery In Kdlnlnirgh, and vary their hisses
with shouts of "dollnrs." Secondly, wo are
told of a speech In Minneapolis, by Doctor
Dornhcrg, ox-Socrctary of State ot the German
Empire. In It lip advocates a future combina
tion botween Germany and America with a
view to terminating British 'lomlnatlon of tho
Bens.
I havo received letters Intcly from ndlnburKh,
In which nn Imputlrnt spirit and unwarranted
criticism of America Is evident. One good cleri
cal friend writes: "lthcr tho States must
condemn Germany, and plainly sny so, or con
done her crimes." Where has such wholcsalo
condemnation been heard more thin in our
midst? It Is quite another matter to intcrveno
with force of arms. Some of our finest citizens
ndvocato an American entry Into the wrr. Per
sonally, I cannot boo that this Is Justifiable,
though I would rnther fight than preach the
Gospel nt this hour. The responsibility of tho
President, Involving the hnpplncss and well'aro
of 100,000,000 of people, Is too weighty to bo
determined by any outside authority or MV
accumulation of devout sentiment. In rcpiv
to an Invitation to a "neutrality" meeting, tho i
Dlsliop of Pennsylvania wrote, and tho letter j
nppearcd in the public press:
"As nn American citizen, pledged to ttpnoia
American Irtenls. I am altogether against Oer
mnny nnd Austria In this war. On tho grounds
that they nro threatening, nnd would destroy
as far ns they have opportunity, those political
nnd personal liberties and rights which we
Americans have made the foundations of our
Government. Feeling ns I do, you will readily
understand that I cannot havo part In nny
mooting or movement which hns for Its real
object, whether or not explicitly nvowed, tho
support of a cause to which I personally nnd
resolutely am opposed."
Attempts to Capture Public Opinion
The desperate efforts the Gormnns nro making
at the front to defeat the Allies Is only equaled
by their frantic cffortB to capture public opin
ion In America. Nothing will nld them more
than the Idiotic display of Ill-temper by such
audiences wo arc being told of.
Tho sltuntlon In America ought to bo calmly
considered. Hero Is a nntlon freo from nil
cnlantrllng alliances, freo from all fear ot
Invasion and threatened by none. It finds
Itself the only grent nation outside, as far as
fear and self-interest are concerned, tho
possibility of war. An Independent peo
ple, accustomed to determine Its own policy
nnd sottlo Its own .principles, It hns nover
fought with Germany, nnd tho history of this
peoplo records three grent wars. In ench of
th'sp wars Englnnd has been tho enemy.
How Is this people acting In this crisis? Tho
whol" nntlon, with tho exception of tho Germnn
population. Is with tho Allies, Britain's cnuso Is
spoken of ns "ours": tho "we" and the "us"
of war conversation Is eloquent of a wonderful
sympathy. Tho press is a unit; tho vigor of
Its articles, tho lofty conception of right Is not
excelled by the London press. In tho clubs, on
the street, in ofTlces, In the street cars, tho
one spirit Is shown. At the Union Lenguo Club
the other day a well-known citizen of mature
years raised tho song "Tlpp-rary" In responso
to the orchestra. I suggested that it was an
unneutral net. and the astonishing answer como
back from tho mild American: "Neutral, sir;
I'm damned If I nm." Most Americans think
he would be, too, If ho were neutral In heart.
In every walk In life, Judges, writers, clergy
men, manufacturers, lawyers, native-born pro
fessors, sailors, soldiers, teachers hold tho
snmo opinion. This pronounced sympathy with
the allied cause Is not nn equivalent to "killing
Kruger with your mouth." It Is backed up by
the presence of American men In the French
nnd Canadian nrmles, by American money,
by tho American Red Cross. At the opera, at
the orchestra. American women are knitting;
In Bible classes and in theatres they are knit
ting for Kitchener's soldiers. American hearts
wait anxiously for news of success, and are
heavy when 111 reports come. In return for
this, Ood mend us! Edinburgh of all cities
hisses tho name "America," and shouts "dol
lars" ns interpreting Amerlcnn motivo in seek
ing to guard legitimate trade. I would rather
havo had tho Joy of beating tho mouth that
hissed than In destroying a company of hostile
foreign soldiers. They at least are lighting for
their country, tho other Is showing tho ser
pent's teeth.
A Lying Commonplace
The cheap, sneering, lying commonplace abAut
tho dollnr Is too frequently found on Euro
pean lips; the flying of tho American flng in
August of almost any year In Princes street
Is not for love. It ill becomes men so to
speak. When the. Briton cares nB little for
tho dollar as tho American, the poverty, and
shame, nnd want, and hunger I have minis
tered amongst In Gorglo will bo gono forover.
But enough .
With regard to the President's note and Mr.
Bryan's communications, British people ought
to realize that they have to regard the rights
of this nation. The shipping bill is not new;
It Is ns e'ergreen as Homo Rulo. I believe that
one of tho first acts of the first Congress of
theso States was a shipping bill. I listened In
Jho Senate to EUhu Root's denunciation of an
American ofllclaPB note, which proved that
lofty Integrity and high Idealism was not
a stranger In America. I heard a noble citizen
ot Now York say that ho would not consider
American commerce under any circumstances
as against England's preservation. These sen
timents are widespread. But to the President
It 1b not given to tako a personal view. He Is
the guardian of tho future, and against a
vicious precedent ho has to set his face, When,
under the present strain, Scotsmen cannot sea
this, we nro not surprised. But It Is well to
eliminate the Buperlor cry of "dollars." In
the Civil War. England preferred the material
advantage of her trade to the Integrity of
this Union. The fact that slavery was Involved
Beemed then to have no effect on the morals of
the contraband trade. These bitter memories
ar all dead. It has been given to an Edin
burgh audience to revive them In the generous
Amerlcnn heart,
Official American neutrality Is difficult to
maintain; It Is the President's duty to maintain
It. Americans must be allowed to trade. The
evil suggestion of the meeting I refer to has
joined hands with the Germans, who say that
the hands of the Government here are red
because they are trading with England In
dum-dum bullets!
The neutrality of this nation Is akn to the
neutrality of (he American who was admon
ished to be neutral. "I am neutral," he an
swered. "I don't care a damn who beats
the Germans."
The Task of the President
Let It rest there. The taik of the President
Is serious, especially when the aggressiveness
and number of the German population is re
raembered. Belgium was a fortunate excuse for going to
wer; I do not doubt the sincerity of the posi
tlen tpken; I dp say. and openly say it here
without reserve or shame, without Belgium's
neutrality. England must have gone to war
Years of Irritating lnults, years of threaten
ing menace were bound to result In this way
Suckled on Toryism. I nevertheless have been
a constant admirer of Sir Edward Grey since
the day of hie flr?t swecli n his first campaign
as a .tripling with his beautiful wife he ap
peared en a border platform Britain's posi
tion needs no defense; soma Britons need a
geg od uthws wisdom.
Let tbo. whp In these times of war have
leisure to attend meetings, rsmemtov that an
American President has duties to nn in.-i-Zl,
SI"??: i.'i l$'? Wttt snftJ
The ABMrteaa'e love of gbt ytf hajwpit f
.. K ..' TC
' '""( i ' ' -"ij y il
i BBIIiffi&S,. W&l . . -L fl
ISSMlssSilf 1
rattle of the eword; his instlnotlvo response
to his Inheritance of Anglo-Saxon Ideas ot
liberty, require no stimulus from any quarter
and his Irrltntlon at puerile hisses is best left
sleeping I am, etc.,
ROBERT JOHNSTON.
Rector of tho Church of the Saviour, and
formerly rector of St. Mnrtln's Episcopal
Church, Edinburgh.
German-Americans
The Scotsman comments editorially on
Doctor Johnston's letter as follows:
A correspondent, who wns formerly an Edin
burgh clergyman, nnd who Is now minister ot
nn Episcopal Church In Philadelphia, makes
complaint In a letter printed In another col
umn of Scottish feeling rcgnrdlng tho United
States. Ho alludes to an Incident nt Lord
Rosebery's Edinburgh meeting a fortnight ngo,
which It Is evident has been misrepresented
and distorted by German propagandists in
America. "Wo are told," ho writes, "that
Scotsmen hiss America, "and vary their hisses
with shouts of dollars." Tho statement Is
false. Its origin Is tho Innccuracy of a re
porter; its development Is tho work of a
slanderer. Thero wero no hisses when Lord
Rosebery mentioned the United States. One
foolish and Irresponsible person cried "tho al
mighty dollar." The audience turned upon him
as a nuisance, and their Impatient demand for
sllenco wns apparently understood by a care
less reporter to bo tho expression of a hostile
feeling against America. Our correspondent
will, no doubt, tako means to correct the false
Impression produced In the Philadelphia press
by this Incident. His commentary on Scottish
feeling need not be discussed, ns it is based
upon an Illusion. But it is interesting to learn
from a private letter that ono of tho leading
ministers in Philadelphia wns describing tho
conduct of German-Americans in virtually tho
snmo terms ns Lord Rosebery at a time which
synchronises with tho Edinburgh meeting.
"Tho German population of tho United States,"
Lord Rosebery said, "which Is very lnrge. Is
extromely anxious, so far ns we can gather
from the papers, to play the samo part In
tho United States as Prussia plays In Ger
manyto bo the mahout of the United States,
to be tho driver and to (Irivo her Into what
would be a civil war with her ancestors nnd
her friends Great Britain." "As to this Ger
man propaganda," writes tho Philadelphia
clergyman, "I am getting more and more In
dignant nnd arousod. Many letters havo como
to me lately showing beyond a doubt that
there is a network sprend over this wholo
country secretly nnd silently, nnd that very
great harm Is being done, so much so. In faot,
that I really believe our Institutions are In
danger."
GREEK PRAYER FOR PEACE
It was not loft for modern times to discover
the blessings of pence. Tho Hebrew prophets
hard company when they praised It and besought
It of a higher power. Prof. Alexander Nnlrne.
of King's College, London, has cited In the Lon
don Times tho following prayer he found In the
Pax (lines 091 ft.) of Aristophanes, the Greek
writer of comedies (450-38S, B. C), and furnished
tho translation, which, though somewhat free,
gives admirably tho flavor of tho original:
O thou that makest wars to cease In all tho
world.
In accordance with thine ancient name we be
seech thee
Mako war arid tumult now to cease
From the murmur and tho subtlety ot susplolon
with which we vex one another.
Give us rest,
Make a new beginning.
And mingle nsaln tho kindred of the nations In
the alchemy of love;
And with some finer essence of forbearance and
forgiveness
Temper our mind.
FRIENDS
No man can expect to find a friend without
faults; nor can he propose himself to be so to
another. Without reciprocal mildness and tem
perance there can be no continuance of friend
ship. Every man will have something to do for
his friend, and something to bear with in him.
The sober man only can do the first: and for
the latter, patience Is requisite. It is better for
a man to depend on hlmoplt than to be annoyed
with either a madman or a fool. Owen Fell
tham, THE WILSONIAN VERSION
To eay "I am the State"
Is sadly out of date,
For your ruler autocratic:
Heads the party Democratic,
And declares, whate'er befall.
He Is the "Initiative,
Referendum and recall'':
"That's all."
John P, Davln. M. D., in New Tork Bun.
. . m r . ii
v , WAITING ' ' '
Serene, I fold my hands and wait,
Nor care for wind, or tide, or sea;
I rave no mqre 'gainst -time or fate.
For lol my own shall some to me, '
Asleep, awake, by night or day,
The friends I seek are seeking me;
No wind can drive my bark astray,
Nor change the tide of deetlny.
What matter if I stand alone?
I. wait with iW the coming years;
My hrt shall reap, where It has sowp.
Arid gamer up It? fruit of tears.
The stars corne nightly to the sky;
Thft tidal wave unto the tm;
Nor time, nor space, ngr deep, oor hjgh.
Can keep thrown away rpflv rne.
Jba Burroufbj.
FREEDOM STILL LIVES
While pne tw w ipk out against In.
Jwrtlse.
yvhljv through. 'nw's dorusd "Rlgbtl" clear
VattMit
Rs '?. jw
WTM1H VHI.
W. NMWt, .
"GREAT SCOTT, WHAT WILL JIM SAYl"
fef
tnavjr . n & . , .,;,:. t-x.
Who Got the Taxpayers' Money, and How Hundreds of Peopla
THB Roberts-Fairbanks Organisation at
Terro Haute, after all opposition had been
beaten, began a systematic contract grab.
Within one year tho plunder ot tho City
Treasury caused tho tax rate to rise, whllo
tho enormous assessments on property
holders forced hundreds of the citizens to
loso their homes. They wero unable to
pay the tribute exneted by the contractors.
Roberts already had an unsavory reputa
tion in Terro Hauto as a contractor. It
was ho who had paved Maple avenue and
Lafayette street and waged a bitter fight
ngalnst tho Board ot Works for refusing to
accept his Inferior material. It was he who
broko into tho city cisterns to save money
in hauling water. It was ho who had
mulcted tho city on intersections and cheap
curbing. These contracts, however, amounted
to no great sum, but they wero Indicative
of tho typo of work to bo done when the
contractor gained more power.
During tho Roberts campaign ono of tho
principal cries was poor streets 27 miles
must bo paved. The Organization's original
project of eliminating the leading thorough
fares from tho city plans nnd placing their
maintenance on tho township was popular
with the citizens, as tho wealthy township,
and not tho city, would havo to pay for the
paving. Tho Organization did not caro who
paid so long as it gained its point. When
tho Pennsylvania Railroad, tho largest town
ship taxpayer, fought this scheme on con
stitutional grounds tho contractors were
stuck only about $100,000 work had been
completed. Then Roberts nnd his friends
turned to the city streets as their salvation.
Philadelphia History Repeated
Tho disclosures made during the investiga
tion by tho Cntlln Commission In Philadel
phia In 1912 were Identical with those which
have como to light in Terre Haute during tho
last month.
There wero the samo contractor poli
ticians. There wns tho samo fraudulent ad
vertising. Thero were tho snmo supplemental
contracts, the same Juggling of accounts,
the Bnme substitution of material, tho samo
faulty work, tho same fako Inspection, the
samo political pull which gave millions to
the Philadelphia contractors, but only thou
sands to tho Terro Hauto contractors. The
courts of Philadelphia condomned the meth
ods of the Philadelphia bosses; three of
tho leading experts In the country called the
work at League Island Park a contracting
crime; but tho political power held by the
contractors kept them In power and has
secured additional contracts. In Terra
Haute this has not been the case. Tho
citizens in that city have started suits to
prevent tho completion of the work, and
ore about to begin proceedings to compel the
contractors to refund. The Government's In
tervention has been the great city saver
It has completely and for all time ended the
contractor regime in that Indiana city,
Roberts and his partners on the Board of
Works George Ehronhardt and Harry Mont
gomerysaw that all the contracts went to
the Cain Construction Company, of Gary,
Ind, In Terret Haute four fake subsidiary
companies were formed to deceive the
citizens. High-sounding names were given
to them, but the potltleal sharpers forgot to
havo them incorporated In Indianapolis,
Now, In the letting of the contracts the
city officials as In the case of Henry Clay
In Philadelphia made all kinds of substitu
tions and changes, apd so tied up the sub.
contractors that they would be forced to
purchase supplies from firms named by the
Organization and bo absolutely under their
control.
The work began; an 1500,000 contract was
let, This was for asphalt, concrete and brick
streets. One of the leading engineers In the
Middle West recently went over the entire
work and presented figures showing that
$100,000 extra, profit has gono Into some
body's hands probably $150,000. In other
words, the asphalt contracts, which were let
at $1.34 a yard, could have been fulfilled at
95 Cents a yard and then yielded a IS per
cent profit to the contractor. This showing '
strangely resembles the famous; 76 cents to
$186 asphalt rate by which the Filbert Pav
ing and Construction Company mulcted this
elty under Mayor Heyburn.
A trip to League Island Park and a view
ef tb wai te'ofcW concrete eurfee and
wall lvd excellent, le, of the iyjie.
CONTRACTOR RULE IN TERRE HAUM
IjOSU -.lieu i-uiuea jdco,ub uj. in tuuiani
in City Politics.
By IRWIN L. GORDON
IV.
work done by the Roberts clique, of Txa
Haute contractors. They used 'onlytS
thirds of tho cement required In constnlcffl
pavements and curbs; they used the Doiffi
gravel possible: they got In their extnH
every possible point. J
What wero theso extras? Tho idwtS
schemes worked by tho Philadelphia,,
tractors on their South Philadelphia uj
ivortneostern boulevard contracts gjj
worked by theso other political contract
Whllo the original contract was supptitlli
tho citizens to cover everything, it -wai oS;
tho start. "Extra excavations" wasOMJS
the most flagrant abuses. Along on fi&t?
alone the contractors managed to semfyi
extra $3000, whllo In toto some $50,000 3
Into their pockets for this supplemaS
work. Manhole covers which had to be af
Justed brought $4 Instead of the II vM
non-political men received. Expansion &
In concrete strcots wero set every 30jf,15
instead ot every 50 feet. This savedatS)
contractors $50 for every city bjocfcjra
course, it was necessary to reset all curg
along tho lino of the now street. Thlj e!
as a supplemental contract.
Streets in tho Wilderness
Great stretches of streets were pats!
through sections which will probaMjrjS
bo developed for 25 years. Property,' )oS
sure, was owned In these regions by the,H
tlclans. Thus in Terro Haute another NortS
east boulevard scandal began. Ai iw5
the taxpayers had to foot tho bills, i!Ej
tho valuo of tho politicians' property'!.
enhanced tremendously. This was $
tho case In this city when David ilartij
Peter E, Costello and many of tho Count!;
mon bought up property along the boulevari
Only In Philadelphia they sold most at tH
holdings to the city. In Terro Haute fe
wero contented to havo tho Improve-
mado without pay. This was usually attgK
pllshed by changing tho boundary of the.
Wherever now streets were to 6e"lM
sewers must bo placed more contracti.-p
through cornfields these streets were fuM
the city authorities forcing tho property M
ers to pay for tho lateral sowers. It
no difference ns to tho size pf the ,!$l
lateral sewer must bo constructed evujjjj
yards. Under all other contractors tjg
cost $6 to $9, but under the Cain-Rote
men It was $18 to $22. Another eitraiy
was charged each property holder wbwl
sewer was tapped.
In tho brick atrcets some clever
were worked. Roberts owed a certalpM
company a bill of $13,000 on old coptnp
This company received all the contract!
the new streets. Of course, the prlco'j
more than ever charged before, tW!J
Is In hand to show that the brick cqwg
contributed snmn SKOon in defend H0tS!
, ... .. T .- ,
during his trial.
As the contract was based on the ro'J
used, the contractors saw to It that MJ
concrete as possible got Into the wort
man from whom the concrete was pur
was a ward lieutenant and a faithful !V
worker, Sand costs 85 cents a cuble
Cement coHtn 11(1 fid n nnhfn v3J'd. Tha y
versal formula for binder In bVick trejtl
one bag of cement to one bag of pane.
contractors, used pure cement, thus h"J
Ing the cost 100 per cent.
The League Island of Terro Haut
The political contractors of Terre Hj
did exactly what tho contractors
League Island used river gravel. T6f
saved tens of thousands of dollars. TPjJ
rtArtn whn Tmlni.il thn Work at 15
Island for DirMtor PnokA nhowed ltw!
Inferior gravel that sDolled It. In M
Hauto the Wabash River gravel ! s
This la how It was done.
With extras, some of the asphalt
contract nrlces soared in 1S.!5 a yard.
extra curbing, paving and sewers, t
sessment for Improvements to the Pf
holders went JntQ thousands of dollar
peoplo whose properties were heavily
gaged wero ruined they could not P4
the Improvements. Hundreds lt
homes. Thu3 the contractor bosses of 1
Haute slowly tied the noose aheut
hiiaria which uinn eventually to ''
them.
A NATION'S BEST INVESTM
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