Jasper County Democrat, Volume 5, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 March 1903 — LEGISLATIVE NOTES. [ARTICLE]

LEGISLATIVE NOTES.

The bill permitting the issue of bonds to complete the Keener gravel roads in this county passed the House Wednesday. The bill to allow an increased library tax levy in Rensselaer was also passed, by the senate. The Indiana legislature, controlled by the republicans, seems to be developing its strongest efforts and doing most effective work in creating new offioes and raising the salaries of officials.— Michigan City Dispatch (dem,) The county officer’s lobby at Indianapolis is full of fear that the Gard fee and salary bill will not pass. It may be remarked that this state of mind indicates a healthful outlook for the taxpayers.—Ft. .Wayne Sentinel (dem.) The Gard fee and salary bill as finally passed by the lower house cuts out any change in salary of the county auditors, clerks, sheriffs, etc., and only applies to recorders, who are to receive their present salary and 30 per cent, of all fees in excess of salary. The bill contains an emergency clause and will be effective after April 1. The “recorder’s fund” will be released and is at once transferred into the county fund. There is a good deal of opposition to the Gard bill to increase the salaries of the county officers. Warren Sayre of Wabash is making a good record in opposing the general increase of salaries. There has been a demand for an increase of salaries all along the line and a strong pressure has been brought upon the legislature to make the increase. The legislature will make a mistake for which the party will have to answer, if it passes the numerous bills to increase salaries of state and county officers.—Columbus Republican (rep.). The officeholders of Indiana are evidently of the opinion that trust tactics are a good thing. Almost every class of officeholders in the state, from road supervisor up, have been organized into a body with the sole and express purpose of getting an extra dip from the public till. The only difference between these raiders and the regulation hold-up man, is that the citizens are at liberty to use a gun in the protection of their property from a footpad, but there is no recourse for the taxpayers against the legalized boodlers who infest the state house at Indianapolis.— Wabash Times-Star.

A good bill is now pending before the legislature to require public officers to act against gamblers when information is furnished them. It is understood that the committee to which it was referred will report unanimously in its favor, notwithstanding the bitter opposition of the gambling fraternity. Just think of the impudence it requires for the gamblers to appear in the legislature to lobby against the bill! And yet there is a strong gamblers’ lobby to work against it. The gamblers have the assurance to claim they have rights that should not be interfered with and that the legislature should pass no law that will interfere with their timehonored prerogative of robbing the people—Columbus Republican (rep.)