Evening Republican, Volume 23, Number 173, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 July 1920 — LEGISLATURE PASSES BILLS [ARTICLE]

LEGISLATURE PASSES BILLS

1 IMPORTANT BILLS DELAYED BY FAILURE OF ES TO AGREE. ♦ ,— Indianapolis, July 19.—Lacking decisions from caucus committees which have been appointed to consider the important subjects of tax legislation and war memorials, the two houses of the Indiana generafl assembly turned their attention today to other bills which have been introduced since the opening of the special session last Monday. The caucus committees were at work during the day, but members were, not hopeful of reaching an agreement before tomorrow. The committee considering tax legislation was confronted with the problem of reconciling two forces, one contending for legislation of the horizontal increases may by the state board of tax commissioners and declared invalid by the supreme court, and the other holding out for a bill advocated by the Indiana federation of farmers associations which would 'leave to the county units the task of revising the 1919 assessments in accordance with the ruling of the supreme court. The committee session this afternoon ended without agreement and the question will be taken up tomorrow morning. . Another committee considering the ten million dollar war memorial project failed to reach an agreement this afternoon, and at another session .tonight considered three plans. One provides for carrying out the memorial project as outlined in bills now before the house. Another provides for the same plan, but would require that it be submitted to a referendum vote at the November election. The third plan would provide for the appointment of a commission to consider the project and report at the regular session of the assembly next winter. Governor Defend* Him*elf.

' When the senate convened this afternoon Governor James P. Goodrich appeared before the senators and read a prepared statement answering a series of questions which , were presented by Senator Joseph M. Cravens, democrat, of Madison, at Saturday’s session. Senator Cravens’ questions pertaining to the goverhor’s coal mining interests and implied that there was an agreement between the governor and E. M. Costin, of Cincinnati, 0., general manager of the Big Four Railroad, whereby a mine in which they had a joint interest was given twentyfive cars daily for shipment of its output. The governor’s statement denied all the implications contained in the senator’s questions. The questions were presented Saturday during debate on the bill passed by the house which extends the power of the house service commission so , that it may order 100 per cent car service to mines with which the state has contracts for supplying fuel to state institutions. The bill will come up for passage in the senate at 10:30 a. m. tomorrow. In the course of his reply the governor made a plea for.passage of his coal commission bill. This bill, which passed the house Saturday, provides for an Indiana coal commission with wide authority to fix the .price of fuel and regulate the distribution of coal produced at Indiana mines.

Senate Activities. V The senate suspended its rules, and passed by a vote of 33 to 3 a bill by Senator Hogston, republican, of Marion, providing for the two platoon system in cities and towns having organized fire departments. The measure was sent to the house. After taking preliminary action on some minor measures the senate adjourned to meet again at 10 a. m. tomorrow. . , . , The house devoted most of its afternoon session to passage under suspension of the rules of representative J. A. Craig’s eugenic marriage bill. The final vote was 71 to 14 and it was then sent to the senate. The bill requires health certificates from applicants for marriage licenses showing that the applicants are free from communicable Previous to consideration of the bill the house by a vote of 61 for to 29 against refused to suspend the rules to pass a bill for repeal of the Indian* primary election law. Sixty seven votes are necessary to suspend the rules. The bill was passed to

third reading, however. A senate bill legalizing the incorporation of Plainfield academy m Hendrix county was passed after the rules had been suspended. The measure now is ready for the governor. .... Night Session. At * short night session the house passed on third reading ten bills most of which were of minor importance and some of which affected only certain localities. Tnese bills will all go to the senate. r A bill by Representative George । W. Hansel, of White county, which would extend the constitutional debt ‘limit to two per cent of the school and civil township bonding limit for school buildings to replace those destroyed or condemned was passed, , 72 to 0. By a vote of 71 to 0, the house passed the bill of Representative Daily of Fort Wayne reducing pare board levies of second class cities from the present range of 10 to 20

cents, to a new range of from 5 to 10 cents. Soldiers and sailors of the .world war and their widows and orphans are given the same privileges extended by state laws to veterans of the civil war by the bill of Representatives Grayson and Southard, which was passed, 81 to 0. Favorable action was taken on Representative McMaster’s bill permitting the city of Indianapolis to appropriate not more than $30,000 for entertaining the - campment. of the G. A. R. thi lr( jjy The bill of Represntative Vestof Fairmount, fixing the salariq rfe _ compensation of clerical assf of county auditors in various es of counties, was passed, 69 a ° a The scale of compensation ' the follows: In counties less thad al--000, SSOO dollars annually; him--10,000 to 20,000, $750; fron® of 000 to 30,000, $1,250; from “es—to 60,000, $1,500. Additional tax levies for conj o f tion of the Burns drainage teke at Gary are authorised in a b. Representative Harris - to 0. • Representative Givan’s bill no mitting payment of assistanitlsh Marion county assessor on a al) of 300 days per year, flat rate of SI,OOO was passe torg to 0. L Wholesale dealers would be compelled to sell to cooperative societies at .the regular wholesale rate to retailers by the bill of Representative Clark McKinley, of Muncie, Passed 73 to 0. The duties of township trustees m connection with the administration of dirt roads are specifically stated in bill of Representative Fifield, passed 73 to 0. The bill is a companion to the county unit road bill. Folowing passage of these bills the house adjourned until 10 a. m. tomorrow. Kenneth Brown and Leßoy Anderson underwent operations at the hospital Monday. Edith Cochran. of Remington underwent an operation today.