The Third Socialist

Until last week the U.S. had only two Socialist mayors. One of them, crusty old Jasper McLevy of Bridgeport, Conn.,* has been in office 14 years, looks a lead-pipe cinch for re-election to his eighth term in November. Last week, in nearby Norwalk, Irving C. Freese, 44, a McLevy protege, became the nation's third Socialist mayor.

Citizens of Norwalk, who had long eyed the sound, honest McLevy administration, gave Socialist Freese a thumping total of 8,561 votes, the greatest plurality in the city's history. In the landslide, Socialist candidates bagged virtually every other office in the municipal government.

Freese had made his campaign headquarters in a barbershop, after selling out his profitable photo-finishing business. He had hit hard at tax-assessment irregularities, the spoils system, and a messy welfare setup. In a post-election speech, the new Mayor said that his "was not a victory for the Socialist party, but for the 45,000 people of Norwalk."

Next day he moved into City Hall, and before nightfall he fired the corporation counsel and announced that he was thinking of a new fire commissioner.

Freese opposes Norman Thomas' socialism as impractical. His principal program is "honest government." i.e., to clean up the mess he inherited. Even staid Republican bankers liked him, expected that he, like Jasper McLevy, would be more of a Socialist in name than in deeds.

* The other: John Henry Stump of Reading, Pa.

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