Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 56, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 March 1919 — GOV. GOODRICH MAY SWING WHIP ON LEGISLATURE [ARTICLE]

GOV. GOODRICH MAY SWING WHIP ON LEGISLATURE

Indianapolis, March 6.—Conditions in the Indiana legislature (today were so critical that word was circulated that Gov. Goodrich was preparing to “read the riot act” to Republican leaders. Unless the appropriation bills are changed in many ways, a special session will be necessary, it was freely predicted. Hopelessly floundering in the maze of bills, the hou&e adopted a “gag rule,” giving five members virtual dictatorship over legislation to be considered between now and Monday night, when the session ends. Bitter feeling between the senate and house and factional jealousy threatens a breakdown of the legislative program. To date the assembly has enacted pnly seventeen laws out of several hundred bills introduced. Almost rowdylscenes prevailed today in the senate sitting as a committee of the whole on the tax bill when the majority, amid cries of “kaiser rule” from the element that is filibustering against the measure, adopted a rule to limit debate with a view of avoiding the necessity of an extra session. Despite a filibustering effort by Senator Eisner, Democrat, assisted by Senator McCray, Republican, progress on the tax reform bill was made in the senate. Eisner offered as an amendment to the tax bill the excise tax measure considered by the legislature two years ago. It was long and would-have consumed much time the reading. Eisner and McCray both insisted that it be read in full, but Chairman Negley directed the reading clerk to read extracts, and it was voted down. i Most of "the changes made by the senate in the afternoon were directed toward restoring the bill to the form in which it wa sprepared by the state tax commissioners before introduction in the house. The chief changes were on motions to amend by Senator Beardsley and Senator Masters. y