Zero Weather Causes Considerable Suffering Among Poor in Tenement Sections of Big Cities of Easil §f HARRISBURG TELEGRAPH H ofar-3W>cpcndenl. LXXXVIII No. 299 22 PAGES DaU £laUer eP at s the d f4t omcratna® rlsburf la3S HARRISBURG, PA 1 JUMP FOR LIVES WHEN FIRE BLOCKS MEANS OF ESCAPE Child of Eight Years Is Dropped From Window by Parents When Bedroom Is Enveloped in Flames FIREMAN CALLED OUT THREE TIMES IN ZERO TEMPERATURE Asleep when an exploding oil stove set fire to the bedroom of the home of Lewis Robinson, 1444 Derry street, this morn ing at 4 o'clock, the family managed to escape, only through hasty exits in scanty attire through second-story windows. Two are in the hospital and the third was given treatment there. Three fires have been reported to the city fire department since 8.05 o'clock last night. The fire in this, instance was- con fined to the Robinson bedrefoms. Those in the hospital are Mrs. Lewis Robinson and her sister, Miss Marie Jordan. Miss Jordan was seriously burned about the face and the hands. The husband received treatment at the institution, and his burns, together with those of his wife, are about the hands, face and body. They are not as severe as those of Miss lordan. Bedroom Ablaze With their rooms already ablaze and with the stairway passage block ed, Mrs. Robinson, an 8-year-old daughter and two sisters of Mrs. Robinson, all scantily attired, sought the windows as a means of exit while Robinson made futile attempts to extinguish the flames. Harvey A. Boyer, 14.13 Swatara street, a Harrisburg Railways tno torman, on the scene shortly after the tire alarm had been sounded, rendered valuable assistance in the rescue of the occupants. Drops Child and Jumps With the heat becoming more in tense, Mrs. Robinson sought the front window as a means of escape for herself. Standing at the window, she dropped her 8-year-old daugh ter into the arms of Boyer standing below. Later, after her husband had gotten out through a back window, she jumped from the front window and was caught by Boyer and her husband. The Jordan girls escaped through a back porch onto a low outkitchen front which they were assisted to the ground by neighbors and spectators. Robinson was burned in his at tempt to extinguish the flames. TWe blaze cut his way off and he had been unable to reach them. Mrs. Robinson and Miss Jordan were burned in their attempt to escape. Firemen arrived on the spene shortly after the alarm and soon had the tire, under control. The flames were confined almost entirely to the front room of the second floor, al though the house, generally was damaged to a large extent by water. The house is owned by John Felty. The loss will amount* to several thou sand dollars. The Robinson family is colored. Auto Burns and Trolley Car Cuts to Pieces All Luggage Saved From Fire Trouble camped last night on the trail of Dr. G. A. Zimmerman, 1409 Market street, and George W. Swelgert. who were on their way from Hummelstown to Harrisburg. Xot only was Dr. Zim merman's automobile almost destroyed by lire, but the baggage of the occu pants of the machine was cut to pieces by a trolley car. Dr. Zimmerman and Mr. Sweigert had been in Hummelstown and surrounding territories in the interest of the cam paign proposed for the Polyclinic Hos pital, through which $1,90.000 is to be raised for that institution's enlargement. About 7.30 o'clock last evening, as they were returning to Harrisburg, Dr. Zimmerman's car caught (ire. The phy sician and Mr. Sweigert removed all the baggage, robes, medical cases and other paraphernalia from the machine and placed them along side the highway. With snow and the robes they endeavor ed to beat out the flames. They fought tlie tire for J5 minutes and finally suc ceeded in extinguishing It. Then a Hummelstown car bowling merrily along toward the city, cut to pieces all of the bags, medical cases and other ar ticles so carefully taken from the ma chine. Builds Fire to Smoke Meat and Blaze Burns Rear of Two Houses Hot ashes remaining from a lire for smoking meat in an outkitchen, I his morning set fire to the double frame house at 10-12 South Cameron street, occupied by Clarence Russell and Willis Hat bold. The outkitchen was destroyed and the weather boarding on the rear of tlie building badly burned. Mrs. Russell had smoked some meat from a recent butchering, yesterday, end t!iis morning had built another lire to complete the operation. After the fire had been started, she decided that thfe meat had been sufficiently smoked and extinguished it, she says. The hot ashes remained and are he lit ved to have set (ire to the out kitchen. I THE WEATHER! (Toady weather, probably snovr flurries to-night and Friday. Slowly rising temperature, low est to-night about 8 degrees.. Eastern Pennsylvania: Snow Hurries probable (o-nlght and Friday. Slow rise In tempern lure. Moderate vnrlnblr winds lieeoming east and southeast. Hlvrri The Susquehanna river and all Its branehes will full es eept loeal rises are likely to , oeeur where the ehnnnel he roines clogged with Ice. V stage of about .*>.o fret Is Indi cated for Harrlsburg Friday morning. WANTED" The women who are in charge of the city's first Toy Mission to day requested that Harrisburg men and women who know the names of deserving children who, because of misfortune, may have a cheerless Christmas, get the names of these children to the Toy Mission before Monday. Receiving donations for the Toy Mission will cease Monday. This refers to toys. Money donations will be received as long as they come. Headquarters of" the Toy Mission are at 119 South Front street. MERCURY AT TWO SETS RECORD FOR MID-DECEMBER First Time on Record When Zero Weather Appears So Early in Month The first zero weather of the win ter to-day slowed up traffic, froze water pipes and caused much incon venience among many activities. Weather a few degrees warmer is forecast for to-night and to-morrow, but little relief is promised by the Federal Weather Bureau. The mercury stood officially at two degrees above early to-day. This is tlie lowest ever recorded in Ilar risburg so early in December. At many places zero was registered and in many unprotected points within ten miles of the city temperatures of four to six degrees below zero were reported. Cloudy weather is in prospect for to-night and to-morrow with occa sional snow flurries. Trains wore from thirty minutes to live hours late. The tieups were mostly in the west, but it took some trains from thirty minutes to an hour to get to the station afer reaching the local yards. Engine trouble, poor fuel and congested freight traffic were said to lie the cause for delays. Officials said they were doing the best possible under existfng conditions. The cold weather last night and this morning made It a hard task to keep up steam. Express business showed a big increase, necessitat ing more engines. Just now freight engines are in demand because of the rush of coal trains and express trains had to wait. The longest delays, it was said, were west of Pittsburgh. Trains be tween Altoona and Harrisburg, and between Philadelphia and Harris burg, lost time because of heavy travel and freight congestions. Tt was expected that the schedules would all be straightened out by this evening. 100 Families Driven From Beds When Fire Breaks Out in Tenement i New York, Dec. 18. —Xew York ! to-day had its first touch of real winter weather. The temperature ! dropped from 20 degrees above zero at 2 o'clock yesterday afternoon to zero at 1 a, m. A stiff northwest wind added to the discomfort. Jt wus I lie coldest December clay here in two years. Firemen were called upon to fight a number of blazes. More than 100 families were driven from their beds to the street by a fire in an Eighth avenue tenement. Half clad ten ants were cared for at Knights of Columbus headquarters. Another blaze damaged the school of Journal- Ism at Columbia University and some women students in an adjoining dor mitory rushed into the street half dressed. There was considerable suffering in the poorer sections of the city. COLI> ADD OVER STATE Philadelphia, Dec. 18.— Unusually cold weather for this season of the year prevails to-day throughout Pennsylvania. Upstate points gen erally report zero temperatures or below. The coldest point recorded wus near Wllliamsport where the thermometer registered 24 below zero. In Philadelphia it was four above at 7 a. m. Scranton reported four below and Binghamton eight below. \\ i &>'hf \ MAYOR WILL GET $3,500 UNDER NEW SALARY SCHEDULE Councilmen Add foOO to An nual Pay in the 1920 Budget | Meeting in special session late yester | day afternoon City Council passed on | first reading an ordinance (o increaso I the salaries of the mayor from $3,000 j to $3,300 and of each of the four City i Commissioners from $2,500 lo $3,000 ! annually, and fixing the salary of the City Controller at $3,000 each year. The measure was introduced by Mayor D. 1,. Keister. It will be' passed finally at the regular session next Tuesday, and will become effective ten days later, i The new salary schedule for the coun ! cilmen becomes effective January 5, i 1919, when the city government is re- I organized. Budget Xot Yet Ready ! The four City Commissioners now j members of Council, having been re ! elected, and Mayor-elect George A. I Hoverter will receive the increases. The j $3,000-salary for the City Controller was fixed by law, an amendment to the j Clark act permitting councils of third i class cities of the State to fix the sal- I arios to be paid controllers, but direct j ing the salaries must not be lower than those paid to the members of council. I When the Clark act, the present thlrd- I class city government law, became cf- I fective it fixed the minimum salaries | for councilmen at $2,500, the maximum I at $3,000 ; the minimum for the mayor J at $3,000 and the maximum $3,500. and ' the salary of the controller at SSOO an ! nually. Willi the reorganization of | municipal government in Harrisburg ! Council fixed the salaries for the Mayor and the four City Commissioners at the [ minimum amounts in the Clark aet. City Councilmen met again last night to consider the budget, completing their study of each bureau's appropriation requests. Additional "cuts" have been made, but several more sessions will be necessary before the budget ordinance is ready to be passed. Divorced Three Years They Decide to Try Married Life Again Divorced three years ago in Illi nois, Arthur 11. Williams, Washing ton, and Mabel W. Williams,' Oil City, yesterday secured a marriage license at the county bureau in the Recorder's office, and will rewed, they told the clerk. A divorce de cree, which they , showed, stated that they were divorced April 11, 1916, on the grounds of desertion, the decree being given in the Bu reau county court, Ilinois. LOSES BOTH LEGS Harrison Zeiders, of Flusing, Ohio, formerly of this city, and a son of W. | W. Zeiders. who conducts a hardware I store at 1436 Derry street, had both I legs out off while working in the i railroad' yards at Flushing yesterday,! according to word received by Mr.: Zeiders WHS going, to work: yesterday when struck by a freight] train. 11c bad stepped from tlio path of u pussenger train In front of the freight without noticing its approach. I Grasping For the Last Straw WHY JOE IS LOOKING FOR JUNK DEALER Joe Hatchett. an employe of the Harrisburg Kngineers' Club, is eagerly awaiting the return of ♦ 5") of his money. Yesterday Joe started to shovel snow from the pavements from in front of Iho clubhouse in South Front street. In order to pre vent the loss of his wallet, money and papers, he removed them and placed them between two bundles of old papers in the cellar. While Joe was busy shoveling the. snow a junk dealer visited the club and the housekeeper sold the old papers, Joe's wallet and money. BLOOD INFUSION FAILS TO SAVE PEFFLEY'S LIFE Two Desperate Efforts on the Part of Physicians Prove Unsuccessful Suffering for more than three years with pernicious anemia and e patient of the Harrisburg Hospital since March 8, during which time blood had been transfused into his veins on two occasions, Oscar B. Peffley, 3AI,B Washington, Dec. 18. Some •!.- 500,01)0 American soldiers and sail ors soon are to receive the Victory Medal —tribute of a grateful nation to all the men in uniform who aided in crushing Herman ambition ,to dominate the world. TURKEYS ARE PLENTIFUL BUT PRICE REMAINS HIGH Fowls Enough For Everyone's Table but Dealers Are Ask ing Fancy Price For Choice Birds Poultry deulers announced to-day that prices for Christmas fowls would approximate those of the Thanksgiving season when turkeys sold as high us 80 cents a pound for a new high record. Thuttheie is u plentiful supply of turkeys, geese and chickens in the surrounding country was freely ad mitted. Prices lust Saturday for fowls of ull kind wero cheaper In THURSDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 18, 1919. HITCHCOCK AND UNDERWOODFIGHT FOR LEADERSHIP | Democratic Senators Sum i nioncd to Meet Saturday to Make Choice By Associated Press Washington, Dec. IS. A call for a conference of Democratic Sena tors Saturday to select a loader to 1 succeed the late Senator Martin, of Virginia, was issued to-day by Sen ator Hitchcock, of Nebraska, who is contesting with Senator Under wood. of Alabama, for the place. Settlement of the contest between Senator Hitchcock, the acting Dem ocratic leader, and chief spokesman for the administration in the Treaty fight, and Senator Underwood, for ! inerly Democratic leader in the House, is the only business to come before the conference. The outcome of the contest was said to be in doubt. .Might Block Vote Friends of Senator Underwood in timated to-day that they might en deavor to postpone a vote untli after the holidays, when the full Demo cratic membership, including Carter Glass as successor to. Senator Mar tin, is expected to he present. The Alabama Senator's supporters also were said to desire disposition of (he Treaty before the leadership elec tion, so that (he question of en dorsing Senator Hitchcock's man agement of the Treaty might not b an issue. Some Senators said the leadership contest might have considerable bearing on the immediate outcome ofJhe Treaty controversy. Senators Hitchcock and Underwood have dif fered regarding future procedu. e the former opposing and the latter agreeing lo accept as a last alterna tive the plan or Senator Knox, Ue publican, Pennsylvania, to ratify the Treaty except the heague of Na tions covenant, which would be left for future consideration. It has been said at the White House that irrespective of the out come of the leadership contest. Sen ator Hitchcock will continue as the administration leader in the Treaty the Chestnut street market than for many weeks and large nnmbers of chickens, ducks and guineas were on the stalls. The supply of eggs also was exceptionally large. Dressed turkeys reudy for the rousting pan now are retuiling at 65 cents u. pound for the choicest birds. Live turkeys and geese re cently huve been wholesaling us low as 35 cents for turkeys. But these are not Christmas prices, it was said. U. S. DICKERING WITH BIG PACKERS FOR COMPROMISE Government, For Concessions, Will Withdraw Anti- Trust Prosecution QUIT GROCERY BUSINESS Understood They Are Willing to Split Firms Into Sepa rate Entities H'j Associated Press Wiinhinictoii. Dec. J B.—Negotiations between the meat packers and the government, it became known to-day. have been going on for some time with the object of compromising the anti-trust prosecution which is still 'in the stage of a Grand JuVy investi gation. It is understood that one of tt;e plans considered is the withdrawal of the packers from side lines, such as wholesale grocery business which various reports of the 1' ederal Trade t'ommission have charged them witn seeking to dominate. Willing to Split i The Gran*- Jury proceedings, begntl uAp Chicago, were, interrupted by d<-- Tfsion of tlie government's attorneys jitnd for a time there was a prospect I of its being transferred to New York. | Meanwhile negotiations were begun • at whose instance it has not been dis ! closed, which it was planned would I remove some of the causes of the .'government's complaint. It is under | stood t hat the packers represented that they already hud begun with i drawing ' from the grocery business I and were willing to carry the plan I still further. | Plans also have been under coli i sideration by some of the for i the separation of their corporations i into separate entities somewhat such 'as the Standard Oil and American l<>- Ibacco Companies accepted alter the ! Supreme Court's dissolution decree. I Attorneys for the big live packers i were in conference again to-day Wn.ii officials of the Department of Justice. Meat Packers Will Dispose of Many Side Lines Result of Pact By Associated Press Chicago. Dec. 18. A dozen or more important side line industries of the Chicago meat packers involv ing investments of many millions ot dollars will be disposed of under llto stipulated decree soon to he entered iu (he United iStat.es Court at Wash ington on motidn of Attorney Oon erul Palmer. While representatives of the paok*r to-d* dMiUMMI to discuss the details of the decree n --! dor which the packers in the future i will be required to confine tlie busi i ness activities to the production of I meat, poultry, butter, eggs' and. cheese, it was learned from an au thoritative source that the outline of i the plans had been agreed upon. | Among the lines ot business from I which it 4s said the packers will be | Ordered to withdraw under tlie stipu lated court decree are the following: l.eather, canned fruits and vego ! tables, soap, cleansing powders, gro | ceries, fertilizers, coal storage, fish, refrigerator car lines, cereals, glue, sporting goods and the control of stockyards. I Representatives of the packers ex | press the view that under the pro- I posed plan they might continue to I manufacture soap and fertilizer, as they are natural products of the meat i packing industry. Some doubt was expressed as to whether cleansing I powders is an animal product. One j purpose of the proposed reorganiza- I tion, it is said, is to prevent the | packers from engaging in the whole- I sale grocery business. I Swift and Company already has ! segregated its South American and i Australian meat business, its fruit | and vegetable canning industry and I its manufacture of leather. Wilson I and Company recently disposed of } its wholesale grocery lines to a New York firm. , Enough Food Rots in N. Y. Each Year to Feed Population a Month New York, Dec. IS.—Enough food | rots in the port of New York each I year to feed the entire population of j the city for one month, according to I E. D. Goodsell, a local fruit dealer, j At a food conference to-duy under j the auspices of Columbia Univer sity's Department of Arlculture and I the Institute of Arts and Sciences, I he estimated, the total loss from | food decay in this country at $50,- i 000,000 annually, ninety per cent of j which, he said, could be conserved |by proper distribution facilities. | Mr. Goodsell favored government I subsidy of food producers, bused on I their increased production. In order j to Increase the food supply through the world. | Mrs. Elmer Blair, former presi [ dent of the State Federation of I Women's Clubs, pledged the aid of | 3,000,000 members of the General ; Federation of Women's Clubs to any j plan advised for the satisfactory so | lution of food problem. Six million | school children throtihout the coun- I try are under weight, she said, bc | cause of malnutrition. Peddler of Narcotics Dies a Victim of His Habit Forming Drugs Charles Poindextcr, colored, Rich- ' mond, Va., believed to have been a peddler In narcotics operating In this city, died at the Harrisburg Hospital last night. 15 minutes after being admitted to the institution. Poindexter had been taken sudden ly sick in his room at the Corona Ho ld in Vorbeke street. Hospital phy sicians believed that an overdose of narcotics wus responsible for his | death, roindexter. according to Informa- ] lion in the hands of Harrisburg po lice, came to the city several days ago ! frim Ooatesvllle. Tho body has been ' turned over to Coroner Eckinger. [ OM.Y EVENING ASSOCIATED PRESS SINGLE COPIES UGUF CniTIfUI NEWSPAPER IX IIAHEISBLKU TWO CENTS HUMk tUI 1 lUN *4OO A YEAR IS ENOUGH SO HE REFUSES RAISE By Associated Press Kearney, N. J., Dec. 3 B.—De claring his position as secretary or the local Board of Health is worth no more than the S4OO yearly stipend which lie now re ceives, Alfred Anderson has de clined to accept an increase which the board proffered him. Anderson, who has held the po sition four years, says an in crease "would be un injustice to the townspeople, as the board holds only twelve meetings a year." STRICT ECONOMY TO RULE CUT IN APPROPRIATIONS Low Post Office and Navy Re quests Only Ones to Go Through Unscathed Washington. Dec. 18. All gen eral appropriations for 19:11 will lie pared down "in accordance with strictest economy," except the Post Office and Xaval departments, the estimates of which arc less than for the present year. Majority Leader Moiulell. Wyoming, told the House to-day, when the first urgent de ficiency hill of this session was brought up. Greater reductions [Continued on I'ugc 'JI.] Skating Tomorrow at Wildwood, Is Forecast V. Grant Forrer, assistant superin tendent of parks sent a glad smile a< loss the face of Harrisburg this afternoon when. he said that if the weather man kept up the good work of pushing the mercury down in the old thermometer, Wildwood Park would be ready for skating to-morrow afternoon. The ice on the Wildwood lake is fairly thick now, but needs just a bit more to make it safe. There is still quite a bit if snow which must be cleaned off this afternoon. CATCHES FIRE AT STOVE Harrisburg. The ccr r 1 tion cf Mrs. Catherine Getz, 300 River street, who wai admitted to the Harrisburg j :ntr.l c! >rtly before i-.' '-r'Tcring with s ere burhs -I ■ he' body, is conside d --erlous, it was said at the 1 hospital this afternoon. Mrs. Getz's dress caught fire from a small stove near which she was standing and be i fore the flames could be extinguished was badly burned. , WATER BACK CAUSES FIRE ALARM. Harrisburg. When a water back blew out of a i ; dence in North Seven ■ -'ircet, rear H irttUton, a fire alarm was sounded from Box 341 at Seventh and Hamilton this afternoon at 2.35. ! ITIOUSANDS OF JEWS : KILLED IN NEW POGROMS. !i ' ' c" ' wuve of pograr in the districts of Ukraine occupied by General Denikine's forces are printed in Lemberg newspapers. They de i * I clare about 5,000 Jews wcr killed i none city alone. SUGAR LEGISLATION RECEIVES SETBACK Washington. Sugar legislation received an other setback in the Senate to-day when advocates of the bill to extend federal c ugar control and licensing during 1920 were unable, because of protracted opposi ' tion debate, to bring to a vote the House amendment broadening the powers proposed for the United States Sugar Equalization Board. REPARATIONS FOR SINKINGS AGAIN UP Paris. The question of the compensation Ger many should make for the finking of the Scapa Flow 1 fleet was again before the Supreme Codncil to-day. MRS. BLAKE UNABLE TO TESTIFY Athmuc City. Mrs her Miller Blake- will be t" bie cy testily lu-night m inquest into the death c.t fit. j-yeai-uld nun. ' MARRIAGE LICENSES , Hrundt. Hera her, nnd fluty M. Mnrbrrger, r a lnvr:i; Churl,-* O. Mtelnert and Curolrn M. I.lndlry, HnrrlaburKi Albert K. Koatrr and l.ali, A. Matter. V I unlaw. | GUBERNATORIAL ! SUCCESSION IS l| VOTED DOWN ; Municipalities and Counties r Said to Have Need of Wider Authority jMOVE TO SAVE TIME Recommendations Must Come From Committees; Plans For Public Hearings The proposed' amendment to the Constitution of Pennsylvania to make the Governor eligible to succeed himself was defeated in committee of the whole of the State Constitu tional Revision Commission to-day. i The proposition came in the form of ! a recommendation from the com ' mittee in charge of the article rela j tive to the executive and was at ' tacked by several members, there being no dissenting votes on the question of allowing the section to remain as it now exists in the or ganic law. ■ Judge James IT. lleed, Allegheny, I asked George IS. Alter, chairman i of the committee which had recom j mended the change, for reasons and i Mr. Alter outlined some of the thoughts which had been expressed on the desirability of a continuity in the executive chair. Judge James (Say Gordon, Philadelphia, attacked the proposition and in the course of his remarks said that a certain po | liticul party had embodied prohi j bition of a President succeeding i himself in its national platform, but j that when it had elected a Presi | dent nothing further had come o£ [Continued on Page 6.] I TEI.KS POLICE HE STOCK S7.> IX WEST i Declaring that he had stolen $75 1 in Michigan on November 28, Don i aid Baker, of St. John's. Michigan, ] has given himself up to the Ilarris ! burg police. Baker went to police j headquarters last evening and asked i that he be placed in custody. He j said that while boarding at the home | of P. J. Staub he entered the room jof -.Miss Faye Stevens, a school ! teacher, while she was at school, land took $75 from her purse. St. 'John's police have been notified.