Jasper County Democrat, Volume 19, Number 89, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 February 1917 — NEWS NOTES OF LEGISLATURE [ARTICLE]

NEWS NOTES OF LEGISLATURE

Representative Wood's bill relating\o drainage was passed Thursday by a vote of 36 to 0. Senate bill No. 27 providing for the retaining of auto license fees in the counties where collected was killed, as it should have been. Some very vicious bills are being introduced, among which is house bill 377 (a like bill has also been introduced in the senate) changing the time again for electing township trustees and assessors and extending the term of the present incumbants to 1920. A bill has also been introduced for the restoration of the old method of fees for county sheriffs, known as the “in and out” fees. The present allowance of 40 cents per day for boarding prisoners is increased to 60 cents. It is said that in the more populous counties this measure would make the office of sheriff the most attractive one in the gift of the county and would mean an increase of thousands of dollars in a sheriff’s salary.

Evidently there are a number of members of the lower house of the legislature who have at least reached about the 'same view as The Democrat on this encasing and care of Indiana battle flags, as the Gentry bill to appropriate more for use by the Indiana battle flag commission for this purpose was reiported out of the committee for indefinite postponement which means that it is “killed” for this session—and the house has adopted the committee’s report. Indiana will have a constitutional convention. The senate Wednesday afternoon passed house bill 59, known as the McGonagle bill, by a vote of 34 to 14. The bill now goes to the governor for signature. It provides for the election of delegates on non-partisan itickets, September 18, 1917, to meet at the '■fate house, Indianapolis, January 1918, for the purpose of framing a new basic law for the state. There will be elected 115 delegates, one from each legislative district of the state and fifteen at large.

The Republican candidate for state senator in a special election to be held February 6 in the district composed of Lagrange, Noble and Steuben counties, has evidently “seen which way the wind is blowing.” The convention that nominated him made no reference whatever to the more important questions to be considered by the legislature and the candidate himself was densely silent on state-wide prohibition. But on Thursday he hastened to climb upon the water wagon and is now radically in favor of the proposed law.