Jasper County Democrat, Volume 19, Number 91, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 February 1917 — PROHIBITION BILL PASSED BY SENATE [ARTICLE]

PROHIBITION BILL PASSED BY SENATE

.Vote on Measure Was ThirtyEight to Eleven. SENT BACK TO THE HOUSE Upper Branch of Legislature Made Some Amendments in Bill and It Is Sent to Lower Body for Concurrence. Indianapolis.—The Indiana senate passed the Wright state-wide prohibition bill by a vote of 38 to 11. The following senators voted for the .passage of the bill: Armstrong. Beardsley, Bracken,Chambers. Culbertson. Dobyns, Dorrell, Elsner. English. Fleming. Gemmill. Grant. Hagerty. Hemphill, Hudgins, Humphreys, Jackson. James. Laney. Lanz, McComiha. McCray, McKinley, Maston. Mercer. Metzger, Negley. Norman, Porter. Reidelbach, Retherford, Robinson. Signs. Simmons, Smith, Spann. Summers. White. Those voting no were: Bird, Erskine, Hazen. Hlrseb. Kinder. Kolsetn, Nejdl. Reser, Thornfon. VanAuken. Wolfson. The senate made some amendments to the bill and it was sent back to the house for concurrence in the amendments. It was said the house would accept the'changes. The house passed the bill before it went to the senate. The prohibition act will take effect April 2. BUS, and it is .very sweeping in its prohibitory features. There was much debate and oratory on the prohibition bill. Many hours were consumed in that manner in the senate, where most of the interest was centered. The galleries and the side lines on the senate floor were crowded as never before, with supporters and opponents bf the prohibition measure, and they applauded frequently when their speakers made telling points. Lieutenant Governor Bush was obliged to warn the crowd several times that their conduct must not he repeated. So great was the jam in the senate chamber that three women fainted and had to be removed.

Speeches in support of the prohibition bill were made-by Senators Simmons, White, McCray. Dorrell and others, while speeches for the opposition were made by Senators Culbertson. VanAuken and several others. Lieutenant Governor Bush refused to entertain a motion to shut off debate, and allowed wide latitude. Friends of the bill insisted that the amendments placed in the bill by the senate were harmless. They said if it turned out that they were harmful the law could be amended and fixed tip two years hence. In fact, the supporters of the bill expressed satisfaction that the senate did not do more to the bill than it did. • The senate by a vote of 27 to 1!) defeated Senator Beardsley’s bill to provide that all motor license fees shall be retained by the county in which they originate. The present law provides that one-third of the total amount paid by all counties in the state to the secretary of state shall be divided equally among all of he counties, one-third shall be divided on the basis of the number of miles of gravel road in each county, and one-third of the amount paid by each county shall be returned to It. ( , I One of the bills known as a Governor Goodrich measure was killed in the senate. The bill, introduced by Senator Neglgy, provided easier means of impeaching public officers. The senate vote to kill the bill was 28 to 18. Representative Hyland’s bill which adds six months penalty to the present laws against carrying concealed weapons was passed by the house. An attempt was made to exempt commercial travelers, but it failed.

The bill of Representative Dynes which would squelch effectively the operations of fortune fellers, clairvoyants, star gazers and bands pf roving gipsies which infest every city and rural community in the state was passed by the house. The bill provides a tine and imprisonment for such persons. At—the request of the state fire marshal a bill has been introduced to prohibit the sale of fireworks after January 1, 1918. The Cravens bill providing for the establishment of county libraries and the extension of certain privileges by city libraries to entire eoimties and providing for methods of taxation, was passed without a dissenting vote in the house. Representative Johnson has introduced a bill to return to the old system of sheriff’s fees. Under the bill the sheriff would get 25. cents for each person locked in jail and the same fee for releasing each prisoner. The'fee for boarding prisoners would be increased from 40 cents to 60 cents a day. A bill to legalize labor unions, picketing and other union ac-

ilvities so lotions they do not violate the law has been Introduced In the house. The bill to call a constlfutfonaljconvention was signed by Governor Goodrich. Several amendments made in the Wright statewide prohibition bill by the senate before it was made ready for final reading and passage today. One of these amendments Includes wholesale and retail druggists and veterinarians among those who are prohibited from dealing in spiritous and vinous liquors. Only grain alcohol will be permitted for medicinal use under the amendments of the bill. Another amendment permits the use of vinous liquor for sacramental purposes by churches. This provision .was not contained in the bill as it was passed by the house. Among the important new bills are the following: To regulate distances from stockyards. that serum manufacturing plants may be established, and making other regulations and privisions. To amend laws relating to county highway superintendents to give such officers police power over gravel and macadam roads' and stipulating that county commissioners shall have supervision of certain bridge and culvert expenditures. To legalize bunting and fishing on Sunday In Indiana. To provide for state building inspection department, with chief inspector at $2,000 and four assistants at $1,500 annually. To make it a misdemeanor to trespass on railway property and fixing fine of $5 to SIOO or 30 days’ imprisonment. To empower counties to establish public hospitals; maintain training schools' for nurses; issue bonds for snch> hospitals and provide for care of tubercular persons; making election to determine hospital erection mandatory on petition of 200 freeholders. To compel railroads and interurbans to cut weeds along their rights of way. To authorize common councils and town boards to recognize liability, under the workmans’ compensation act, for injury or death to policemen or firemen injured in the course of their duties. { . - Among the bills passed, by the house are the following: . H. B. 76 (Houghton)—Authorizing joint town and township schools and: providing means of defraying expenses. H. B. 99 (Durham) —Authorizing private banks to act as public depositories through the filing of bond by seven' Stockholders worth double the amount secured. H. B. 153 (Swain) —Fixing the liability of a bank to its depositor for payment of forged or raised checks. H. B. 164 (Vesey)—To exempt members of the Amish Mennonlte church from making oath or affirmation in application for a marriage license. Among the bills passed by the senate are the following; S. B. 53 (Green) —Repealing the law prohibiting the killing of rabbits with ferrets. S._B. 71 (Green) Giving mileage at the rate of 10 cents a mile to physicians attending insanity inquests. The senate passed the bill to call a constitutional convention. The vote was 34. to 14.