Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 199, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 August 1919 — HAMMOND MAYOR DECIDES NOT TO USE TROOPS [ARTICLE]

HAMMOND MAYOR DECIDES NOT TO USE TROOPS

Hammond, Ind., Aug. 17.—Fearing to ask for troops already mobilized in four Indiana cities to come to Hammond to take charge of the Standard Steel car strike situation, lest hopes of arbitration be wrecked, Mayor Dan Brown' this afternoon to wire for them only as a last resort. The strikers’ committee pleaded with the mayor at the conference this morning not to ask for troops until all chances for mediation are gone, as they are hopeful of a successful final conference tomorrow Standard Steel car officials, which has been arranged. , A referendum vote was takrw* among the strikers last night on the proposition of returning to work tomorrow morning _at the companpresent offer, but it was rejected by a ibig vote. The strikers have promised to keep the foreign women who have (been a cause of turbulance off the streets tomorrow morning, ibut Sheriff Lew Barnes, of Lake county, has deputized a' large force of sheriffs for duty when work begins. The eqtire city police reserves will be called out to preserve order. Representatives of the United States housing corporation, who wired for help to Washington to preserve government property from molestation, declined to state whether the government will dispatch regulars here. In the meantime the city is without street car' service pending the settlement of demands made by the city officials in the way of increased transportation facilities and betterment of service demanded at a special councilman ic meeting last night before they will give the street car company permission to raise its rates to 7 cents. The car men accuse the company of violating contract .to increase their wages when Chicago surface railway employes received an increase. Barney Carter, representing the car men, in a public interview, stated that it might be necessary to pull off Chicago surface railway employes in order to win the Hammond Strike. The Chicago men will tie up the Chicago lines if necessary to win the Hammond strike for their fellow ear men. t # Adjutant Gen. Harry B. Smith last night said that no orders had been issued from his office for companies of the state militia to hold themselves in readiness to proceed to Hammond, more recently than at the beginning of the strike, when such orders were issued. As is customary in the case of all strike disorders in the state.