Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 80, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 March 1909 — NEW LAWS OF INDIANA [ARTICLE]

NEW LAWS OF INDIANA

Enacted by the Sixty-Sixth General Assembly.

PRESENTED IN A NUTSHELL

Here Are Set Out In Brief Term* the Measures Enacted by the Late Legislature For the Further Government of the People of Indiana—Most Notable of These Laws Is the One For ■ System of Uniform Accounting In Public Offices and For the Inspection of All Public Accounts.

The sixty-sixth session of the General Assembly of Indiana trimmed legislation down to a closer point than any session of recent years. The number of bills enacted Into law Is more than a hundred less than were enacted two years ago. Not only were there fewer laws enacted, but the great majority of these are brief In expression, hence the forthcoming volume of reports promises to be greatly reduced In bulk in comparison with that of two years ago. While there were more than a thousand bills Introduced, not two hundred of these passed the gauntlet.

Perhaps the most important of the new laws is that providing for a uniform system of accounting in all publio affairs and for the creation of a board of inspection of officers charged with the receipt or disbursement of public- funds. This law is designed to check embezzlements and misappropriations of public moneys. The big fight of the session was over the movement to repeal the local option law having the county as a unit and substituting therefor a law making the township and ward the unit. The repeal movement was defeated. Over the governor’s veto a bill was passed permitting the playing of professional baseball on Sunday. This measure was also the Bubject of a determined fight. The anti-cigarette law enacted two years ago was repealed in so far as it applies to adults. The three-mile gravel road law*, which has been the cause of much complaint throughout the state, was also repealed, as was the law giving the governor the power of appointment of police boards in thirteen of the cities of the state. Under the new law the mayors will control the police boards. This law also provides that city officials may be re-elected. The general appropriations bill passed in the closing hours of the session carried a total of $8,180,378.54 for the expenses of the state for the next two years. The following bills have received the governor’s signature and will become laws upon their formal promulgation :

SENATE BILLS.

The Public Accounting Act. 2. Bland. The merchants' public accounting bill, providing for a uniform system of bookkeeping in public offices where public funds are received and disbursed, and for state inspection. This act creating a department of inspection and supervision of public offices, provides for the appointment by the governor of a state examiner at $4,000 a year, and two deputy examiners at $3,000 a year each, a clerk of said department to be appointed by the state examiner, at a salary of $2,000 a year. The governor, auditor of state and the state examiner shall constitute the state board of accounts and shall install a system of accounting uniform for every public office, all officers to make reports annually in accordance with such syst. in, the substance of such reports to be published in an annual statement of comparative statistics us a public document at state expense. The state examiner shall appoint a sufficient number of “field examiners" to administer the provisions of this act, the same to serve for $lO a day for actual working days, the appointments to be based on competitive examiantions for fitness. All public officers and state institutions shall be subjected to an examination at least once each year, the same to be made without notice, the examiners being authorized to issue subpoenas sor 11 witnesses and to administer oaths. If such examination discloses malfeasance, misfeasance or nonfeasance in office, the attorney general shall prosecute for the recovery of any funds misappropriated. Interference with the examiner in the discharge of his duty shall subject the offender to a Q)ie of from SIOO to SI,OOO and shair forfeit his office. The law also ‘ prorides for the keeping of separate fee and salary books, which shall always be open to public inspection. Provision is also made for the keeping of separate fine books and the prompt report of all fines or forfeitures belong- - tag to the Btate. Warrant officers are 1 also closely hedged about and the proper certification of all warrants insured. Fine or imprisonment is provided against any attempt to bribe or Influence the examiner. The expense of examination is to be met by the

county, township, city, schotd or school city or institution examined. The uniform system of accounting thus provided for Is to be Installed as far as possible at the beginning of the next fiscal year. 238. Cox. Repealing the anti-cigar-ette law and providing penalties for sales of cigarettes or cigarette papers to minors. The bill provides that fqr the first offense of selling cigarettes to minors the seller, upon conviction, shall be fined from $25 to SIOO. The fine upon second conviction, it is provided, shairbe from SIOO to SSOO. The bill contains no emergency dansef, and will not become effective until the' acts of 1909 have been published, the publications are distributed among the county clerks and the proclamation declaring the laws in effect is issued. This will not be before May 1, it is believed.

171. Stotsenburg. Giving right to cities of the third class to haye controller, board of public works and city judge at the option of the city council, making Terre Haute and South Bend citifes of the second class, and Elwood and Jeffersonville cities of the fifth class. 60. Wood. Legalizing acts of county commissioners in making contracts with tax ferrets without specific appropriations by county councils, applicable- only to contracts made prior to 1906, with amendment to provide that it shall not apply to such work in the future. 227. Pelzer. Declaring that any person, firm or corporation issuing insurance contracts or collecting premiums thereon shall be termed a life insurance agent or agency, except when the collectors are banks or trust companies. 129. Royse. To prohibit construction of "spite” fences, providing that all fences maliciously constructed and more than six feet high shall be deemed a nuisance, and may be proceeded against under the law relating to nuisances. 62. Grube. Provides for a naval branch of the state militia, making Culver Military academy a part of the military and naval force of the state so that it may receive contributions from the federal government. 111. McCallum. Amending law which provides that second county bond issue for a specific purpose shall not exceed 5 per cent of the first issue, to make the maximum 10 per cent, applicable to toad building. 244. Harlan. Authorizing colleges and other schools now incorporated as stock companies to reorganize with self-perpetuating boards of control, having particular reference to Butler college. 447. Wood. To correct a defect in the title the Stahl house bill, providing that mutual insurance companies must have $1,000,000 in assured business before being permitted to operate.

166. Fleming. Providing for the increase or decrease in capital stock of any corporation where shares are not j more than SIOO each on vote of three- 1 fourths of the stockholders. 40. Harlan. Providing that vacancies on regular JUry panel shall be filled by the jury commissioners from the regular jury box and not by the court or the bailiff. 64. Clark. Providing allowances for witnesses in criminal cases, summoned from other states, and for the payment of expenses of officers in returning fugitives. 320. Wood. Permitting life insurance companies to write sickness and accident insurance, and giving auditor of,state additional authority over casualty companies. 254. Royse. Empowering Indiana State Normal School to sell Parson’s field, the school’s athletic grounds, to the city of Terre Haute for park purposes. 294. Springer. Reducing the amount of surety bonds which banks accepting public deposits shall furnish -to onehalf the amount for which the banks bid. 440. McDowell. To permit Vincennes to issue bonds to the extent of 2 per cent to build sewers, when a majority of freeholders favor it. 286. Higgins. Providing for sal of property owned by state for use of national guard no longer of value to the national guard. 135. Cox. Requiring an Inventory to be made and creditors given* five days’ notice before bulk sale of merchandise is made. 38. Fleming. To authorize the state board of medical registration to restore physicians’ licenses where revoked for cause. 137. Orube. Compelling city councils in cities of the fifth class to advertise for bids on light, water and heat contracts. 334. Proctor. Permitting railroads In course of construction to connect with street railways and interchange traffic. 54. Pearson. Empowering members of legislature to perform duties of notaries public under certain conditions. 350. Hanna of Hendricks. Appropriating $5,000 to prinfr reports of In* dlana Vicksburg park commission. 199. Wood. Providing 10 to 15 s#r cent reserve for building and loan companies instead of 5 per cent. 273. Beal. Providing for the election of school trustees by the people In Terre Haute. y -, v 98. Wood. Providing for an alumnus on the board of trustees of Purdue university. 230. Long. To legalise the sale of rertain gravel road bonds in Jackson «unty.

194. Kimmei. Providing that children or their parents shall decide when change of attendance from one school corporation to another Is necessary, and providing tuition for transferred pupils Bhall be paid by the district instead of being distributed through the offices of auditor of state and stgte superintendent. 16. McCullough. Repealing metropolitan police law, taking power of appointment of police commissioners from the governor and placing it In the hands of mayors. 67. Stotsenburg. Authorizing toll roads to allow electric lines to use their roads for a right of way, with consent of 75 per cent of the stockholders of such roads. 49. McCullough. Providing that all ballots and tally sheets filed by election boards with county clerks must be kept on file sixty days following election. 214. Royse. Amending charter of St. Mary’s of the Woods academy to enable the school to confer degrees and to own additional real estate. 87. Kistler. Providing school cities may issue bonds to refund indebtedness contracted by civil cities for school purposes. 96. Stotsenburg. Providing that in divorce proceedings the woman may have her name restored without special procedure. 321. Wood. Regulating the methods of extending the field of operations by companies organized to insure boilers.

128. Pearson. Providing that firms or Incorporations shall file with the county clerks the names of the incorporators. 249. McCarty. Authorizing medical department of Indiana university to operate a medical school in Indianapolis. 3. Clark. Amending primary law, requiring that place of precinct organization primaries shall be published. 45. King. Providing for consolidation of two or more cemetery corporations whose grounds are contiguous. 272. McCarty. Giving the auditor of state authority to revoke the license of defaulting life insurance agents. * 133. Bowser. Providing for the election of town trustees and town marshals in incorporated towns. 269. Orndorf. Establishing a free employment bureau in connection with the state bureau of statistics. 140. Parks. To legalize the proceedings of county commissioners in Clark county in a bond sale. 110. Long. Permitting road supervisors to remove roads from beds of streams without a petition. 438. Mattingly. To fix fees of county auditors and recorders in Vigo, Madison and Lake counties. 260. Lambert. Empowering council to appoint park board in cities of the third and fourth class. 342. Wcod. Increasing the limit state board of education may pay for common school text-books. 165“. Fleming. Providing that school trustees may sell bonds for the erection of schoolhouses.

9. Klstler. Limiting period during which taxes shall remain a lien against real estate to ten years. 220. Hawkins. Regulating employment agencies through the state bureau of statistics. 201. Mattingly. Legalizing special elections for highway Improvements and bonds Issued. 239. Cox. To provide for the regu latlon of maternity homes by the board of state charities. 75. Powers. Providing for drainage of land partly within and partly without city limits. 88. Kllng. To legalize the acts of notaries public whose commissions have expired. 391. Stotsenburg. Providing for firemen’s pension funds in cities of the third class. 31. Beal. To require equipment of switch engines with footboards and headlights. 287. Moore. Changing time when truant officer shall begin his duties each year. 218. Klstler. Regulating the building of macadamized roads on town ship lines. 304. Forkner. Providing that cities may convey property to cemetery as soclations. 329. Hawkins. Providing that 25 per cent of taxes may be paid In city warrants. 204. Brady. Appropriating $12,000 to provide for the preservation of battle flags. 116. Bowser. Extending period for hunting wild fowl from April 1 to April 15. 226. Pelzer. Prohibiting fraudulent advertising by life Insurance companies. 7. Higgins. Providing; for the r« funding of taxes wrongfully assessed. 256. Stotsenburg. Protecting pheasants for a period of six years. 188. Higgins. Fixing size of coal mine drill bit at 3% inches. 44. Kistler. Fixing requirements for locomotive h^gflllghts. 234. Patterson. To legalize incorporation of Cedar Grove. 293. Proctor. To provide for ash pans on all locomotives. 34. Bland. Legalizing the incorporation of Newberry. 271. Bowser. Legalizing incorporation of Munster. 375. Orndorf. Legalizing incorporation of Addrews. 104. Hawkins. To legalise incorporation of Pennville. 203. Bowser. To legalise incorporation of New Chicago.

183. Moore. Providing that when automobile approaches from rear drfw er of other Conveyance shall turn to the left to allow it to pass and providing penalty for automobile driver who operates machine while intoxicated. 300, Ranke. Fixing compensation of secretaries of county beardS of health at 3 cents for each inhabitant and of secretaries of city boards of health at 3% cents for each inhabitant 119. Clark. Fixing the minimum and maximum penalties for conviotion for highway robbery at from five to fourteen years 'imprisonment, instead of from two to fourteen years. 221. Fleming. Providing that .mechanics’ lien shall continue valid only one year from time it is filed, provided date when it shall become due is not stated. 195. Kimmei. Providing that statements for tuition from one school'corporation to another shall be sent and allowed by township trustee. 86. Kistler. Providing state treasurer shall accept certificates of deposits from county treasurers in payment for common school fund. 76. Stotsenburg. Providing that in criminal cases the defendant shall be given an opportunity to make the last presentation to the jury. 427. Hanna. Authorizing the state treasurer to require county treasurers to make advance payments of taxes due the state. 43. Kimmei. Changing amotrtftwhich shall be paid for transfer of children from one school corporation to another. 274. Tilderi. Providing for partition of real estate on demand of persons owning interest in fee simple and life estate. 192. Crum packer. To permit county commissioners to lease parts of courthouses for oqpupancy by city officials. 21. Pearson. Providing cities with population ranging from 6,000 to 15,000 may levy special tax for hospitals. 259. Kistler. Providing that all people of townships may use libraries of cities or incorporated towns. 101. Bland Providing that administrators may bring action for damages against mining companies. 382. Lambert. Making compulsory education of all blind children between ages of eight and fourteen. 295. Cox. Reducing the number of members of Indianapolis city council from twenty-one to nine.