Happy Hundred Men Leave Ft. Harrison

From The Indianapolis News, Friday, November 29: Demobilization began today at Ft. Benjamin Harrison with the mustering out of the first 100 soldiers of Company P, 21st Battalion Engineers receiving discharge papers. Other soldiers looked on enviously as the “lucky 100” cheered with joy, threw their hats into the air, and danced about when told they could go to the post quartermaster, receive their last pay, and start for home. Tomorrow 150 additional soldiers will leave camp and Monday an entire company will be mustered out. The goal is to send out two companies daily, but the speed of demobilization depends on the ability of the railroads to handle the increased traffic. Tomorrow more than fifty army trucks will convoy through downtown streets as the 1,600 men of the Chamber of Commerce army vocational training school bid farewell to Indianapolis.

“Happy Hundred Men Leave Ft. Harrison,” The Indianapolis News, 29 November 1918, p. 1:5

“Army Truck Train to Parade Through City,” The Indianapolis Star, 29 November 1918, p. 1:4

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Say Schools Face Serious Problem

From The Indianapolis News, Thursday, November 28: The Indianapolis public schools are starving from the lack of money for necessary maintenance and for providing a living wage for a competent teaching staff. If the next state legislature fails to provide financial relief, the city schools will not be in full operation when they open in September 1919. While there is an urgent need for more school buildings with proper sanitary conditions, the most pressing need is funding to employ enough qualified teachers to provide the city pupils with the kind of instruction to which they are entitled. Surrounding cities such as Detroit, Chicago, and Cincinnati are drawing away the best Indianapolis teachers because of the city’s inability to offer competitive pay. The Indianapolis educational tax levy is limited to 67ȼ (2017: $11.12) which is much lower than other Indiana cities.

“Say Schools Face Serious Problem,” The Indianapolis News, 28 November 1918, p. 1:2

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Food Profiteer May Go to Jail

From The Indianapolis Star, Friday, November 22: At a conference of county food administrators yesterday, G. Harold Powell, representing United States food administrator Herbert Hoover, said America must help feed 200 million hungry Europeans and urged continued conservation of food so all available foodstuffs might be sent to Europe to relieve famine conditions. Michael E. Foley, State Council of Defense chair, said, “Hunger and liberty do not go hand in hand; you will have to feed the populations in the warring countries before you can break up anarchy and Bolshevik disorders.” The patriotic fervor prevalent during the war is gone; food violations can no longer be met with autocratic methods. Voluntary contributions rather than fines are suggested for food violations. The week of December 1 was designated “Victory Week” for the presentation of extensive food conservation programs in Indiana counties.

“Food Profiteer May Go to Jail,” The Indianapolis Star, 22 November 1918, p. 16:2

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