Jasper County Democrat, Volume 23, Number 6, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 April 1920 — STATE NEWS ITEMS [ARTICLE]

STATE NEWS ITEMS

The Doings of Hoosierdom Reported by Wire. GAIN IN FREIGHT SHIPMENTS Movements on Railroads Serving Indianapolis, Which Have Been Held Back by Strike of Switchmen, Show Improvement. • - • Indianapolis, April 16.—Freight movements on railroad lines iserving Indianapolis which have been held back because of the insurgent strike of yard switchmen show a decided improvement and railroad officials said that freight in the Indianapolis yards is moving more freely. The lal>or situation is critical. Several railroads reporting that some of the men who quit have returned to work, and the Big Four railroad opened an office to engage men to till the places of the switchmen who quit. Several informal conferences were held between railroad superintendents and strikers relative to the return to work of the men but the railroad officials declined to discuss what took place at the meetings. Several of the railroad companies are considering plans to nil the places of the men who have quit. -The Big Four railroad, which has been -accepting only carload shipments, has announced that both carload and Jess than carload shipments will be accepted for local stations only. Big Four officials said 28 engines were working and they expected to better the day’s record to handling about 65 per cent of the normal business of the road.

Man and Dog Periah in Fire. Muncie, April 16. —Awakened about four o’clock in the morning by reports of what is believed to have been the discharge of revolver cartridges, persons living in the village of Medford, eight miles southeast of Muncie, saw the two-room house occupied by James Heftier, a laborer, in flames. When they were able to enter the building later, they found Hetzler’s charred bones on the remains of his bed and the bones of his dog under the bed. It is not known whether the man and dog were killed by exploding cartridges or were burned to death. Hetjler was fifty-three years old. He is said to have had a considerable sum of money. Hetzler had been divorced for several years. His former wife has married again and now lives in Indianapolis. A son and daughter, it is said, also live in Indianapolis. Strike Closes Motor Plant. Newcastle, April 16. —After working one day on a half-time schedule, the Maxwell Motor company here suspended operations entirely, throwing 3,500 persons out of employment. The insurgent strike of railroad switchmen and yardmen is responsible, the factory being unable to get raw materials and no more finished products. The factory has plenty of coal. This is the first time id more than five years the factory has been entirely idle, says F. D. Brebner, superintendent. Other industries are feeling the pinch of the strike, but are continuing operations and placing their products in storage. Miners Ask Weekly Pay. Brazil, April 16.—The joint scale committee of the coal miners and operators of district No. 8 of the United Mine Workers of America, which Includes the Indiana block coal field, failed to reach an agreement here on g proposed new wage scale because of the miners’ demand for a weekly pay day. The miners made a straight-out demand for a pay day every Saturday night which, it is reported, precedes a vigorous fight for a weekly pay day in district No. 11, the adjacent bituminous field. Provisions for a new scale have otherwise been agreed on.