Jasper County Democrat, Volume 3, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 January 1901 — The Indiana Legislature. [ARTICLE]

The Indiana Legislature.

The first bill passed by the Indiana general assembly was that appropriating $105,000 to pay the expenses of the session. A move is already on foot to repeal the county and township reform laws, tlie greatest reform wrought in Indiana legislation fori years. Senator Eben Wolcott was appointed on the following committees: Elections. Roads, Banks, l Legislative Appointment, Executive Appointment. Public Buildings. The attorney general will recommend that the time of making the annual report of township trustees be charged to calendar y&ar, instead of fiscal, as now provided. Representative Beckman of this district, is on the following house committees: Building and Loan, Indiana Reformatory. Swamp Lands, and Congressional Appor- ! tionment. Senator Wolcott has introduced a bill that will cause his name to go down into history as a benefactor of mankind, and that is I “exempting Spanish war veterans I from working out road taxes.” I Now. why in the name of common I sense shouldn’t a big, stout, ablebodied young man work out road 'taxes the same as the poor old I broken-down farmer? This new soldier load may be the straw that I will break the camel's back. Senator Wolcott has also introduced a bill requiring non-resi-J dents to pay alicen.se of $25 for ! hunting ducks and geese in this [State. Also a bill dividing the gravel roads of a county up into turnpike districts, etc., and one i amending the fish law. A bill introduced by Senator Charles requires a petition to be signed by fifty freeholders for tiling with the county commissioners when aid ton Hiilrond is proposed. The commissioners are required, before ordering an election, to inquire carefully into tne utility of the road. Not more than 1 per cent, can be voted, nor more than ; $4,000 for a single mile. The Democratic members of the [Legislature probably will make a caucus measure of the fee and [salary bill and stand as a suit I against increases in salaries anywhere along the line. This 'would 1 mean the doom- of the fee and salI ary bill, as many Republican memliers are ready to join with the Democrats in voting against it. Representative John A. Trout, democrat; of Clay county, will introduce the following bills: Providing that the compulsory school age shall be changed from six to fourteen, inclusive, to seven to sixteen, inclusive; abolishing the county truant officer and providing that the township trustees shall be truant officers. Providing for trial within twenty-four hours of all persons arrested in civil cases and brought before justices of the peace, mayors and police Boards, except when Sunday inter-

venes, when forty-eight hours is allowed. Punishing vagrancy by $25 fine. Providing that divorced people cannot marry within two years. Thero seems to be no doubt but there will be a determined effort made to repeal the county and township reform laws, and to head off any such move The Democrat earnestly requests every taxpayer who fa\o~s the retention of these most wholesome laws upon our statute books, laws which have saved hundreds of thousands of dollars to the people of Indiana and reduc ’d county taxes one-half in our own county, to write personal letters to their senator and representative urging them - to work and use their influence against such repeal. The enemies of the law, the spoilsmen, will try to make these servants of yours believe that the people are clamoring for a repeal of these laws, and unless you let yourselves be heard in the manner we have suggested their repeal is likely to be accomplished. Write to your representatives at once and get up petitions and send in remonstrating against their repeal. Start the Twentieth century right by subscribing for The Democrat. Remember it gives all the county news and you can get it one year and the Indiana State Sm'inel one year for only ONE DOLLAR.