Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 153, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 July 1918 — ORDINANCE. [ARTICLE]

ORDINANCE.

Special Ordinance No. 188, 1918. An ordinance defining a war loafer, providing penalties for the punishment of those found guilty of so being; granting courts the right .to suspend sentence in certain contingencies; defining what constitutes prima facie evidence as to employment, and fixing a time for its taking effect. Be it ordained by the Common Council of the city of Rensselaer, Indiana Sec. 1. Tihat ito preserve peace and good order and to prevent vice and immorality and to promote thrift and industry during the present emergency, and to aid the whole people while engaged in many occupations to win the war with Germany and her Allies, this ordinance is enacted. Sec. 3 Whoever being more than eighteen and not more than fifty years of age and physicially fit to perform manual labor, -is found within the corporate limits of the city of Rensselaer from and after the passage of this ordinance and wthile the United States of America is engaged in war with any nation or power, without visible means of support, and is not continuously employed in a lawful occupation, business, trade, calling or profession, and who in the six months last past has made no reasonable effort to procure employment, or who has refused to labor when employment is offered for a fair compensation, or who spends a major portion of the daylight hours on the streets or alleys or the public places of the city, idling, loitering and gossiping, and who, in the last proceeding six months has not performed manual labor sufficient that the remuneration thereof has equaled the probable cost of the food consumed by said person, shall be deemed guilty of being a “Wfeir Loafer,” and upon conviction thereof shall be fined in any sum not to exceed one hundred dollars, to which may be added imprisonment in the county jail, workhouse, or Indiana State farm for a term not exceeding six months. Provided, that the following persons or classes shall be excluded from the provisions of this act: (a) Students or persons fitting themselves in an educational way to engage Ift trade or Industrial pursuits. (b) Persons temporarily unemployed by reason of differences wttth their employers. (c) Persons engaged in any seasonable business, trade or occupation. Sec. 3. Provided, that after the conviction of a person of being a “War Loafer," the court may use its power, as conferred in similar cases by statute, to suspend sentence, if upon the representation of two reputable citizens that they will furnish the defendant with employment at a reasonable remuneration, and upon the defendant’s representation that he will report weekly to the court as to his employment; which period of employment and reporting shall be equal to the term of imprisonment rendered by the count. And if said defendant shall fall to continue in said employment, or fail to make report to the court, he shall be taken in custody and the original sentence enforced. Sec. 4. Evidence that the defendant appears to be wlthdn age limits as fixed in this ordinance, that ihe is seen frequently on the streets alleys or public places of the community not engaged in any form of employment, and seems not be continuously in any occupation, trade or profession and that he is seemingly healthy and fit for labor, shall be deemed prima fade evidence that the defendant is a “Whr Loafer" within the meaning of this ordinance. Sec. S. rrhis ordinance shall be in force from and after its passage, and f lubrication for two consecutive weeks n the Evening Republican, a daily newspaper printed and published in said county the first of wthioh publication shall be on the 9th day of July, 1918, and the last on the 18th day of July, 1918.

Approved by me this Bth day of July, 1918. - / CHARLES G. SPITLER, v Mayor. This ordinance passed in council on the Bth day of July. 1915, and approved by the mayor of the city of Rensselaer, Indiana on the Sth day of July, 1918. CHAS. MORLAN, City Clerk. State of Indiana, County of Jasper, ss-: J hereby certify that the above and foregoing is a full, true and complete copy of Ordinance No. 188 passed by the common council of the city of Rensselaer, Indiana on the Sth day of July, 1918. Witness my hand and official seal this 9th day of July. 1918. - CHAS. MORLAN, City Clerk,