Jasper County Democrat, Volume 22, Number 54, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 October 1919 — MAYOR HODGES MAKING GOOD [ARTICLE]

MAYOR HODGES MAKING GOOD

Tells Gary Strikers . Where to “Head In,’’ and They Obey. According to W. H. Blodgett of the Indianapolis News, Mayor William F. Hodges of Gary is built of the type of Mayor Ole Hansen of Seottle, who put down a strike in that city several months ago and put the “reds’’ to flight by his stralght-from-the-shoulder talk to them, and gained national prominence as a result. Mr. Blodgett says, among other things in connection with the perfect order Mayor Hodges has maintained in Gary during this big strike, in Tuesday evening’s News: Gary faced a tense moment at 2 o’clock Monday afternoon when Mayor Hodges found a large number of men on the streets wearing picket badges. He confronted the chairman of the committee, “What do you mean,” exclaimed the mayor pointing to the array of pickets in sight, “by putting so many pickets in the streets? You know that is a violation of the agreement and we will not permit if.” “I don’t think we have broken

any agreement," the chairman began explaining but the mayor cut him short. "I know you have violated the agreement, and you know it, too, and you know the danger of having so many men congregating. 1 will give you just 15 minutes," declared the mayor, looking at his watch, "to get these men off the streets. If they are not gone then, I shall call every force the city has at command and put them off, and I say to you," continued the mayor emphatically, with his watch in hand, “that if the forces of the city are called out this strike is ended so far as Gary is concerned. It is not my intention to put men into the mills, but If the men wish to go into them, I shall see that they do so unmolested, and 500 pickets means trouble. There is no half-way measure about this thing. The strikers as' well as every one else must stand by their agreement or we will take action, and quick action.” The mayor’s order was promptly obeyed. Before the 15 minutes had expired all the pickets but 20 had disappeared from the streets and what was certain to have been conflict was passed. The mayor drove back to the city hall and the incident was closed. . Mayor * Hodges is a native of Kentucky, we believe, and several years ago was located in Rensselaer for a time in the practice of law, going from here to Gary. He is a Republican in politics and was elected mayor at the last city election held there after one of the hottest political fights in the history of the steel city. iHte is certainly proving himself to be made of the right stuff and, like Mayor Hansen of Seattle, is demonstrating what a little backbone and straight talk will do in situations of this kind. “Red leaders and their followers are always cowards and a little direct language, backed by a few wellaimed bullets, if necessary, will send such coyotes yelping to their holes.