Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 January 1917 — DEMOCRATS WILL FIGHT OIL BILL [ARTICLE]

DEMOCRATS WILL FIGHT OIL BILL

Will Make a United Stand Against Goodrich’s Plan to Abolish the ■ ’ State Oil Inspectors."" — 5 J.:'.: ■jt ' It became known in legislative circles Thursday that the democratic side of the senate would make a united stand against some of Governor bills, especially the state oil* inspection bill. It is probable that one of the democratic members will vote favorably on this bill. This is the ball of the new governor by which he would abolish all of the state oil inspectors, which would do away with a large number of men and mean a substantial saving for the state. The democratic senators say that they are voting against some of the Goodrich bills, not merely (because they are Goodrich bills, but because some of the bills, including the oil measure, they designate as ‘political.” The statement of members from the democratic side is that they will* not oppose any bills drafted which are in .the interest of economy. They have not explained why they do not think the oil measure is economy. The democratic members give as their reason for not supporting this bill is that it is in the interest of getting some sixty democratic deputy oil inspectors in various parts of the state out of a job and for that reason cannot see their way clear to support it. Senator J. R. Flaming, democratic caucus chairman, stated that when Thomas R. Marshall was governor he permitted the republicans to hold the oil inspection department for two years, and for that reason Governor Goodrich should extend the same courtesy to the democrats now. The democratic members want a jublic hearing on the bill/ The oil inspection department is presided over by J. O. Beymer, of Tipton, a democrat. The democratic members propose to fight to hold their jobs for the next two years.