Jasper County Democrat, Volume 20, Number 84, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 January 1918 — FEBRUARY 18 IS RALLY DAY [ARTICLE]

FEBRUARY 18 IS RALLY DAY

Defense Council Working on Program for the Occasion. The regular meeting of the county council of defense at the court house Wednesday aJfternoon was quite well attended by the members thereof. Among the matters disouissd was that of holding a county defense “rally day’ in response to instructions from the state council of defense, which had fixed Monday, February 18, as the date for same in this county, and speakers will be sent here for that day. Nothing definite was done in the matter of determining where the meetings would be held, but it i 3 probable that the various schools of tike county willi>e dismissed for that day and the teachers at least be requested by the county superintendent to attend tfie meetings. County Fuel Administrator Fendig stated that while the fuel situation was acute there was still a small supply of coal in the hands of the dealers and that this was bping put out only in emergency cases and especially to the poorer people of the city. He had been advised by President Kurrie of the Monon that the Latter had wired to 'one of the Indiana mines to have a car of coal shipped to Rensselaer immediately, and that we would probably receive this in a few days, which, with the car seized by the administrator Tuesday and the amount in the hands of the dealers, would probably carry us through until traffic conditions became more normal, if everyone used as little fuel as possible and wheros ever wood .could be secured to use it instead of coal. It is probable that the greatest scarcity will be experienced in hard coal, but as soon as traffic conditions become -normal once more there is seemingly no reason why we should not get plenty of fuel in here again. The statement was made thut there were some violations of the law in Rensselaer in regard to the wearing of soldiers’ uniforms, in whole or in part, by men who were not at present in the military service, and a motion was made and carried protesting against this infraction of the military law, and it is probable that arrests will follow violations in the future. There was some discussion of the appeals ‘for aid for this fund and that fund and this organization and that organization that was purporting to be helping the soldiers either in camp or in the field, and it was the sense of the meeting that many of these organizations were unnecessary and only increased the expenses o)f distribution of the funds „ raised and that only those recognized by the war department, such as the'Red Cross, Y. M. C. A. and Knights of Columbuis should be contributed to by the public; that if lodges or fraternal organizations, cluibs, etc., desired to assist in this work that it were better for them to do so through the recognized agencies than to work independently; that these minor organizations would perhaps be doing a better work by contributing their money to the recognized agencies and in looking after the interests of the families of members who are in the service tttan they could otherwise.