The Ironton News

"Let's Talk Things Over"
WE HAVE
And Here's the Low Down

Instead of castigating Mr. McMahon, Gallagher, Roseberry. etal., wonder why "Let's Talk it Over" in the Tribune don't mention gas rates? The Tribune is afraid of the gas rate question which would mean a savings to every person in Ironton this winter. The city has been without a gas franchise ever since the City Manager took office. Is the problem too big for a $4,000 year man? He could save the people of Ironton twice what he is paid if he acted in behalf of the people.

The Tribune office seems to be a side issue with a lot of the people connected with publishing it. The General Manager is a member of the City Planning Commission. Ye Editor is a member of the Board of Elections. One reporter is a candidate for City School Board. The editor emeritus is the ex-postmaster and Children's Home trustee. There are a couple on the staff who have been slighted. No doubt the City Manager will take care of them after the election.

We have not read. in all the "Talking It Over" in the Tribune a denial of the meeting held in Ed. Meck's office when politicians fixed it for Mr. Howell to be City Manager, against the best judgment of the council. We have read a shower of statistics. but the public is not blinded to the fact that all the main issues of the election have been evaded in the Tribune columns.

"Riley-Lowry." cries the Tribune. but Charley McGarthy of the Election Board is such a liar. If he would turn to his files and look at Nick McMahon's petition of office, filed 60 days ago, he would find 90 per cent of the signers of his petition men who have been known as Edwards-Capper-Andrews supporters. Election Board Charley believes everything fair in politics and sure takes every opportunity to give untruths.

Instead of statistics let's talk it over why the planning commission has, never functioned. The City Manager appointed the owner of the bill boards as a member, evidently to protect a few unsightly bill boards. McMahon and Gallagher have even suggested that the planning commission give us some ideas about reclaiming factory sites and land values in West Ironton'and Sedgwick by placing a Storm Creek sewer thru Orchard street and filling up that part of the creek south along the N. & W. tracks. What fine factory sites this new land would make. Again they suggest a flood wall be planned for making Sedgwick and West Ironton property values worth what they really should be to the city.

McMahon and Gallagher plan for the future of Ironton. Vote for them.

Judging from the "Let's Talk This Over" Column of the Evening sheet, some one close in the administration is doing some ghost writing. Let's talk that non-partisanship, non-political feature over, Mr. Howell. Intelligent voters will not be fooled by these statistics any more than the usual Hallowe'en ghosts scare grown-ups.

Why not bring out the skeletons in the city hall closets at this time of the year. And dear Readers, this is just an ordinary Wow as the Tribune would say. The more dignified Wows, of course. are to be found in the "Let's Talk This Over" column

Mr. McMahon dares to suggest working for legislation to have city appraisement tax lists published by owners name and street number instead of by old sub-division lot number, as is now done. Evidently the Tribune editor and Mr. Howell are not used to having new ideas, not their own suggestion, put forth, judging by the way they writhe and gag and vilify Mr. McMahon. For their information we will tell them that such a tax listing. after a thorough investigation of the irregularities. is one of the civic accomplishments of the city of Chicago. after it was made the issue of an election and sponsored by every civic, organization in Chicago.

Gang politicians opposed it, apparently as they do here. This accomplishment by the city of Chicago has been a matter of national news and interest. We are surprised that it all seems so new to some people who are supposed to know what other cities are doing, and the child-like sputtering explanations of how it cannot be done--and that is another Wow. Get upon the hills, boys, and see what is being done elsewhere!

At nearly every meeting of the City Council for the past two years, Health Commissioner Dr. Allen has had communications about outside toilets in the city, which cause clerk of council Don Hopkins to blush, when he reads.aloud the word "Privy."Why hasn't the City Planning Commission conducted an intensive educational campaign for property owners to tap into sewers?Dr. Allen is doing his best to eliminate the great fly menace for the entire city but he has received little help from the City Manager. This campaign would have cost the city nothing. Our Mr. Howell and Editor of the Tribune evidently have not thought of these things so they will probably dig into the archives and bring out another load of statistics to prove that it cannot be done.

Please stop thrusting ideas of civic betterment Mr. McMahon and Mr. Gallagher. or you will have the City Manager and the Tribune Editor placing signs about the city "It Cannot Be Done," instead of street signs so badly needed.

Perhaps we are poor Wows figuring as the Tribune says. but tell us what kind of a mental twister it takes to figure that Mr. Howell's salary was boosted from $200 a month to $4000 a year and yet the Tribune claims "he actually took a reduction of $1000" -and that, dear citizens, is our notion of another Wow.

Wonder if Bro. Evans. of the Union Mission, saw the woman who took five shots at a man at 2 o'clock Saturday afternoon across the street from the Mission. After this outbreak on the eve of the election, can any one doubt the facts about the underworld as presented in this paper, which Mr. Evans says were not true.

While the Tribune is giving out figures and information supplied from the city building, will they enlighten the public if the city light bill for the recent months has been paid? Is there any truth that street light bills is being held over for next year in order that the city manager's figures now being published in the Tribune look big for this year?

Let us have more light on that subject!

Our City Manager can close fire stations, reduce wages and close his eyes to vice conditions with a lot of favorable statistics. How about the advance insurance rates? With the kind of service now being rendered, if it keeps up another two years. Ironton, as far as protection and service. will be commensurate with that of Pedro at a great saving.

When the City Manager appointed the City Planning Commission, he must have known it was going to be a dead body, as he named an undertaker on it to bury it. The City Manager has never played politics. but he appointed the manager of the Tribune on the Planning Commission. Was that for the purpose of keeping his name out of print?

Ed. Rust was street commissioner and repaired our mud streets twenty years ago. Ed. knew how to repair streets, and so does our present City Manager. No doubt if Mr. Rust were living today, he would make a good City Manager, according to the Tribune's idea that all a City Manager has to do is be a good street mender.

Another day we never expected to live to see, but did. The City Manager's office being made a political headquarters for editorial writing. The city light bill will be higher for October, since Charley McCarthy and the Manager burn so much midnight oil in checking figures for the "Let's Talk This Over" Column.

If the city paid our City Manager for constructive ideas and suggestions, no doubt he'd owe the city money today.