The Denison Press (Denison, Tex.), Vol. 2, No. 22, Ed. 1 Friday, August 12, 1932 Page: 1 of 8
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FF YOU LIKE THIS PAPER, TELL
OUR ADVERTISERS* THEY
WILL APPRECIATE IT
Teddy Roosevelt said, speaking of
political bosses and business inter-
ests, "They want the earth
and they would destroy me and
themselves to get it.” That is why
privileged business is always busy
in getting candidates in office that
will favor their corrupt plans.
ON THE
FRONT PAGE
-oo-
Representative United Press DENISON, TEXAS, FRIDAY. AUGUST 12th ' 19*2 VOL. 2—NO. 22
DENTON SAYS CITY OWNED PLANT IS SUCCESS
-------------------,$ ____
Does Denison
Have Ring Of
Despoilers ?
Operation On
Victim Train
Rock Thrower
Denton Sound
Annual Audit
Of City Shows
Mayor Writes
Of Condition
City Finance
jhSome speculation is on in Deni-
W)n as to what turn will take place
when the new officials shall take
their office next January. This is
especially true as to the county at-
torney and sheriff.
The speculation hinges around
the much-talked open gambling
going on here, some of which is
declared to be known and it is ev-
en hinted that some of it is pro-
tected.
In many cities the policy is for
certain men to set themselves up
as political bosses and plan ahead
for elections to get the man in of •
fice on whom they can bring pro-
per pressure. Tins organization
runs about the same in every com-
munity where such practices are
going on. There is always the
chief boss w h o works through
a chosen few henchmen. Under
them are still others.
How It All Works
All of them take their orders
from the chief boss. His tactics
are sly and he is larder to catch
than are the cheaper skates. The
•heap skates fall over each other
\ trying to get their little rake-
kjs. They generally take all the
Aps. Once in a while they holler
%ir heads off and those higher up
.re exposed.
Reports from the hospital
Friday morning are to the ef-
fect that the condition of Mr.
Ponder is very unsatisfactory
and that he will have a hard
fight to recover.
A son of the injured man
reports that they have the
name of the special officer who
did the rock throwing and that
they will push the matter to
the end.
Amputation of Robert Ponder's
left leg just above the knee became
necessary at the city hospital Wed-
nesday night where lie has been
confined since being forced from
a Katy freight train at Ray yard
early last Friday morning.
The left leg was badly crushed
just above the foot and amputa-
tion was necessary following the
setting up of complications.
At the hospital Thursday Mr.
Ponder was resting fair, but had a
bard night, it was stated at the
hospital.
M. Ponder is 60 0years of age
and came to Denison on his way to
Port Lavaca riding a freight. Ik
v;as told that, he could ride the
train, he stated and- on pulling out
of Ray yards, a man appeared on
tor of the box car adjoining tip-
oil tank car on whic h he was rid -
The whole ring works to get the
officials involved in some way in
their meshes. They labor to get
something on them They even
tell the judges what the decision
shall be in many cases. The de-
puties are in the deals. And so are
the constables. All are in for their
share of the rake-off. And when
a poor devil does not pay be is
pinched and properly fined. And
this "enforcing” of the law is sup-
posed to be properly printed by
the newspapers and brag how the
law is being enforced in the com-
munity.
The gambling games which are
run under this system are all pro-
perly protected. They pay their
rake-off and all who are supposed
to get their share of the pot gel
in touch with the pay-off man of
the ring.
Once in a while to make a show
the game is notified that a "raid”
will bo made. The "raid” is pulled
and generally nothing is found.
The papers are again expected t<
print this for tho public to read.
Of course, tho tip-off man from
•Ihe law’s end of the machine tells
JT> man who runs the game that
Pi.V-h a raid is forthcoming when
Siolice arrive they find men play-
Contlnued on pact 4
ing and began pelting stone? at lu.v.
Continued on Page 5
Buyers’ Panic
Reported on in
North Markets
"Reports are to the effect that
there is a buyers’ panic on in the
markets north,” stated J. W. Mad-
den Friday morning.
"I understand that there are
more than 7,000 buyers crowding in
Chicago and more than 4,000 in
St. Louis, and all of them buying.
Orders will have to wait for weeks
to be filled, as there are no goods
made up. That is a good sign to
merchants, the chief thing showing |
that the return of confidence isi
here,” he continued.
Mr. Madden, who is on of the
largest buyers in this section, op-
erating a large department store
here for more than forty years,
judges that it will be a few weeks
before the retail end of the trade
will feel the effect of tho rush in
the markets to the north.
‘1 am satisfied that we have
started the turn upward to better
days," he added.
Tlie City of Denton, in sharp
contrast with many municipalities
in Texas and the nation, during the
past fiscal year had receipts over
$12,000 in excess of disbursements.
At the close of that period, May 31,
it owned assets over $2,000,000
above its liabilities and held a cash
balance totalling over $65,500.
The figures are according to the
findings of McLaren and Co., of
Dallas, auditing firm which lias
completed the annual audit of the
city's books.
The complete audit report has
been placed with the city secretary,
and citizens interested in the de-
tailed statement of any part may
inspect the full report there, with
its lS-page summary, exhibits and
explanatory tabulations, officials
stated.
That the city's financial condi-
tion won the approval of the audi-
tors is indicated in the fact that
their recommendations at the close
of the audit have to do with details
of bookkeeping and recommend no
sweeping change.
A more complex system of re-
quisitioning and tabulating pur-
chases would be the chief effect of
carrying out the recommended
change—a stiift. to what accounting
knows as an “accrual basis.”
Assets Nearly $3,000,000
Current assets are valued, by the
audit, at $4!*,66S.07. including cash,
securities and accounts receivable.
Fixed assets, of which buildings,
streets and paving, and the water
system and power plant are the
chief factors, are valued at $2,736,-
207.23; other assets total $12,983.46.
This gives a total in assets of
$2,836,294.14.
Of current liabilities, water and
light department bonds maturing,
other bonds and consumers meter
dt posits account for the major part
of a $43,338.84 total. Other liabili-
ties are largely composed of water
; nd light and other bonds and total
$715,354.25.
Tlie total of liabilities is $758,693.-
09, leaving an excess of assets
amounting to $2,077,601.05.
Utilities are Profitable
The single largest sum in th;
year's receipts cam • from the water
and light department—$181,483.10
Ad valorem taxes added $104,047.-
(4, and delinquent taxes collected
$11,273.99, the three chief factors in
piling up a total of $306,722.99.
Payment of $132,783.46 into the
water, light and sewer fund, of
$45,518.47 to bonds and sinking
funds, and of $45,293.36 for school
(Continued on Paco 4)
Declaring that Denton lias
many outstanding features in
favor of their municipal owned
plants and that their city taxes
are gradually being lowered
until today they are $1.75 with
75c going to the city school
maintenance fund and that
their light plants and water
plant cleared for the city a
total of $110,000 hist year. Ma-
yor 15. W. McKenzie invites an
open minded group of eitizens
fi]orn Denison to visit an i in-
spect their city and its plants.
They state that now they
have no tax levy for the opera-
tion of executive, fire, police,
health and other departments
of the city, but these are op-
erated from profits of their
utilities.
Other interesting details of
the mayor's letter will show
how that city fares and will be
,of special interest to the grow-
ing number of eitizens here who
are interested in making Deni-
son a tax free city. It will
also take some of the wind out
of the sails of those who have
been criticizing Denton and
showing up its weaknesses,
clearly being propaganda as
the mayor indiat.es all such ef-
forts. The letter follows:
Denton, Texas,
Aug. 10. 1932
Mr. LeRoy M. Anderson,
The Denison Press
Denison, Texas.
Dear Sir:
This will acknowledge receipt of
your letter of August 6. If any
Denison official has been here re-
cently to inspect our munMp.l
electric plant, it was without my
knowledge.
As to whether or not our electric
plant is a success, this can easily
be determined by any fair-minded
person who is willing to go to the
trouble of investigating and will
make his investigation right here
in Denton rather than take the word
of some utility propogandist.
Our electric plant cleared in the
neighborhood of $87,000 last year.
Our water and light plants com-
bined cleared approximately $110,-
000 last year and $93,000 tho pre-
vious year. As a result, we will
operate our city government next
year with a tax levy of $1.75, of
which 75c is for school maintenance
65c. for bond interest and sinking
fund (including school bonds), 33c
for street and bridge work and 2e
for parks. We will have no levy for
(Continued on Page 5)
Joseph W. Folk said: "Bribery
and corruption is a, process of rev-
olution, to make the Democratic
government represent, not the peo-
ple, but a part, tlie worst part of
the people.” That process is tho
only way the big utility companies
are able to carry cn according to
men in their own tanks.
--00-
Life is more than arithmetical
ability to secure a good meal and
a smoke. The difference in men
is the difference in those things to
which the heart gives attention.
Some people live more in twenty
minutes than others live in twenty
years.
-00-
With our young men graduating
from our schools and colleges and
then being willing to prostitute
their talents in the field of graft
for a little money, shows that
something serious is wrong with
our education. The tricks of the
political grafters working for priv-
ileged business should be taught
in the colleges of the land so that
at least the gradutes would become
intelligent crooks, rather than ac-
cept it as a part of the system of
present day life.
Already there is some activities
in looking for a man to run for ma-
jor in Denison who shall be favor-
able to tlie class of citizens who
want and must have special privi-
leges in their business in order to
remain here. Denison does not
want that kind of mayor, nor does
it need that kind of business.
-00-
The next county attorney for this
(ciinty inu.it be one who will not
stand for open gambling and pro-
miscuous bootlegging. If the les-
son would he forthcoming to all
parties concerned, the shake-up in
the present election was due to
open conditions here. Denison will
not stand for it.
J. F. Landers, manager of Per-
kins Bros. Co., and Mrs. Landers,
and children, Mitchel Landers, and
Mrs. J. Gee and daughter, Mar-
garet Ann, were in Dallas this week
to attend the southwesten annual
style show. Mrs. J. II. Bridendolph
an employee of the store, also ac-
companied the group. She will as-
sist Mr. Landers i.i making pur-
chases cf winter merchandise.
Plumbers Cut
Salary Two
Dollars a Day
Announcement is made in Deni-
son that the plumbers organization
of tliis city has made a cut of two
dollars per day in salary in line
with the general downward trend
to balance budgets and meet the
new conditions. This cut has been
effective since August 1st.
It is hoped by the plumbers that
the action will have a tendancy to
stimulate business in that line here.
For many years the scale of
wages here has been $10 per day.
The new scale will be $8.
Some time past the carpenters
made a cut of $2 per day and the
action of the plumbers will bring1
the building trades all to a lower
scale.
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Anderson and Sons Printery. The Denison Press (Denison, Tex.), Vol. 2, No. 22, Ed. 1 Friday, August 12, 1932, newspaper, August 12, 1932; Denison, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth735854/m1/1/: accessed July 9, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Grayson County Frontier Village.