Evening Republican, Volume 23, Number 180, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 July 1920 — ADJOURNMENT SEEMS NEAR [ARTICLE]

ADJOURNMENT SEEMS NEAR

REPUBLICAN ASSEMBLYMEN PROPHESY THAT SPECIAL SESSION WILL END SOON. _ Indianapolis, July members of the Indiana general assembly prophesied an early adjournment of the special session at the close of its fourteenth day today. One more day, they said, should be sufficient to complete the enactment of the emergency legislation, which remains unsettled and they believe a sine die adjournment was possible tomorrow night. Their prophesies werfe made with some reservations, however. There are still two intricate tax bills upon which final action 'must be taken and also the war memorial project. Hope was expressed that conferences early tomorrow morning would result in satisfactory agreement .being reached on all of the propositions. There was little business of importance transacted by either house at the morning and afternoon sessions today. The day was given oVer to conferences and informal discussions ’ concerning the final disposition of the emergency legislation still pending. Home Rule Bill. •Conferees from the house and senate met and discussed the home rule tax bill which would give to local authorities the power . over bond issues and tax levies which is now held by the state tax board. No final action was taken but the committee expects to complete a report tomorrow to present to the legislators. The tax bills passed by the house and senate to deal with the invalidated horizontal increases in 1919 assessments were. sent to a conference committee composed of Senator Williata E. English of Indianapolis, Thomas Grant of Crown Point, and Ray M. Southworth, of West Lafayette, and Representatives Hany B. Tuthill of Michigan City, Edgar T. Laughlin Of Odon and O. E. Dunn, of Spencer. 'This committee will meet at 9 a. m., tomorrow to prepare a report. Conference Meetings. A meeting also will be held early tomorrow by the conference committee to consider the amendments made by the senate to the war memorial bill. There is said to be strong sentiment in the senate to insist upon more liberal provisions for the war memorial than those contained in the house bill which Provided for appropriation of $2,00,000 together with ground in Indianapolis occupied by the state blind asylum and St. Clair park. The senate passed a bill donating the same ground but providing for an appropriation of $3,500,000. The senate is also disposed to allow Mari op _ county and the city of. Indianapoiis to participate in the building of the memorial to the extent of probably $5,000,000. The differences‘between the house and the senate sentiment will probably be smoothed out in the conference

committee. Fix Fuel Prices. ** Both the house and the senate tp>day concurred in a conference committee report which placed in the hands of the state board of accounts the authority to' fix fuel prices, which a house bill would have conferred upon a new commission and which the senate would have given to the public service commission. Senators Edward P. Ebner, of Seymour, and Joseph M. Cravens of Madison, democratic leaders, opposed concurrence in the committee’s report. . Democrats Oppose. Senator Ebner declared that the state' board of accounts had no machinery to handle the fusl question and that placing the power in the hands of this board “was making a farce out of the bill.” Senator Cravens said Governor James P. Goodrich controb the state board of accounts and calling attention to the governor’s interests in the mining industry declared this unfitted him to exercise the power which the bill would bestow upon the board /to investigate and regulate fuel prices. The senate voted to concur in the report 28 to 10, all of the democratic members voting in the negative. Both houses will meet at 10 a. m., tomorrow when they hope to receive reports from the various conference committees. Representative. Charles A. Phelps, of Fort Wayne, introduced a resolution calling for a survey by the conservation department of streams in the state with a view to developing inland waterways. The house adopted the resolution. < ■■ . — • J