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He was elected mayor of Johnstown first during the period of the World War, when he proved most capable as Johnstown's war mayor. It was also during his first administration that the steel strike occurred, which was a tense situation, very ably handled by him. During the war he was chairman of the executive committee of the local chapter of the Red Cross, and was a member of Draft Board No. 1. He is a director of the Guaranty Commercial Acceptance Company and is also president of the Roberta Coal Company, which controls many acres of valuable coal lands in Clearfield County, Pa.
His has been a constructive administration, factional differences have been forgotten, and he is governing the city from a strictly business standpoint, displaying a high quality of executive ability. He has taken a deep interest in the boy offenders against the law; the Boys' Court, which he has established, not only reflects the greatest credit upon Mayor Franke, but is of inestimable value to the boys themselves. Instead of being sent to so-called reformatory institutions, the boys are paroled and each Saturday night they report to the mayor, who hears their stories and in a friendly manor encourages them. These talks with the boys and the proof he gives them of his interest and friendship is winning these wayward ones, and they are eager for the Saturday night meeting, where they can report the progress they are making toward better living. To the present gratification their evidence of improvement give them, there is to be added the certainty that many of these boys will be permanently reclaimed and become useful citizens, a fact that is of far greater portent than the present satisfaction he derives from the Boys' Court. Mayor Franke is in no sense a politician, but is performing every act of his administration for the practical standpoint of present duty, with no thought of his own political future. He is one of the most active members of the Johnstown Chamber of Commerce, and as chairman of its executive committee formulated plans which have greatly aided the various interests of the city, commercial, industrial, educational and along all kindred lines, through the medium of competent committees, representing all community interest, and resulting in increase of city territory, population, manufacturing plants and distributing agencies; improvement in public service lines and in schools; and in economics in administration.
In 1902, Louis Franke was married to Miss Kate Estelle Weimer, a daughter of Hartman H. and Emma (Keyser) Weimer, formerly
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