Much Talk—No Food

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 897, 14 February 1930, Page 9

Much Talk —No Food

CHICAGO CITY DESPERATE

On Verge of Rebellion

GANG “DIRECTORS” DISTURBED

SO desperate are the unpaid and unfed employees of the bankrupt city of Chicago that an alderman says they only require a leader to incite serious trouble for the civic administration. Wholesale arrests of criminal suspects have been effected, among the chief of them being a police coup at a “directors’ meeting” of a prominent gang.

United I*.A.—By Telegraph—Copyright Reed. 9.5 a.m. CHICAGO, Thursday. The unpaid civic employees are growing more desperate hourly, as the rumour circulated that the Mayor, Mr. William Thompson, is leaving for Florida. Alderman Arvey stated: “The city employees will not go much longer without cash. All they need is a leader to start serious trouble for the city administration.” Officials are suddenly becoming worried because their constituents are deserting them in connection with the April primaries. They promised determined efforts to find a way out of the increasing .predicament, but a superabundance of words, combined with a complete absence of action, has characterised the activities of the majority of relief workers.

The Thompson and Strawn groups remain at cross purposes. The unpaid police continued their round-up of the criminal element, with the arrest of over 2,500 suspects, the names of some of whom would, according to Chief-Detective Egan, “grace the penitentiary roster, or the hangman’s warrant.” Today’s principal capture was that °f five chieftains of the notorious O Donnell gang, .who were apprehended at “a directors’ meeting.” Mr. Robert Randolph, president of the Industry Association, discussing iacketeering, stated: “There is not an industry or business in Cricago that is not paying tribute, some direct and some indirect. The public is paying in increased taxes, higher laundry and tailoring bills, higher rentals and in scores of other ways.”