Jasper County Democrat, Volume 7, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 February 1905 — RELIEF BILLS ARE VETOED. [ARTICLE]

RELIEF BILLS ARE VETOED.

“Against Public Policy and Are Unconstitutional/* Says Governor Hanly In Vetoing Them.

Three of the bills to reimburse public officials for funds lost in bank failures, which had passed both branches of the legislature, were sent to the governor Monday, and Wednesday he returned the bills, with his veto. One bill introduced by Representative Mountz, asked for the reimbursement of about $7,000 to seven trustees in DeKalb county; a second bill, introduced by Represented Jesse Wilson, for the reimbursement to the extent of . approximately SB,OOO to five trustees in Jasper county, and the third bill, introduced by Representative Salisbury, for the reimbursement to the extent of about $7,000 to George W. Willenar, treasurer of Stuben county. Governor Hanly gives as his reasons for vetoing the bills that such measures are against public policy, and would be unconstitutional, if enacted. The vetoes were concurred in by the House, only eight members voting for the passage of the bills over his veto. The bill for the relief of Treas-

urer Nichols’ bondsmen, as well as those of several other officials of other counties, are still pending in the Senate, but the action of the governor on the above practically disposes of all such bills, and they will no doubt be “killed” or indefinitely postponed there without ever reaching the governor. While much sympathy is expressed here for several of the township trustees who lost township funds in the McCoy bank, yet the fact remains that they cannot be legally reimbursed by taxing the people again. We are told by a prominent citizen of one of the townships affected that he thought if the trustee would give his service account for the past year that the balance would be made up by subscription among the more prominent taxpayers of his township. This gentleman also said that he understood the feeling was the same in some of the other townships affected. This, it would appear, is the only way that the trustees can be reimbursed in any way.