Jasper County Democrat, Volume 19, Number 97, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 March 1917 — NEWS NOTES OF LEGISLATURE [ARTICLE]

NEWS NOTES OF LEGISLATURE

The bill to permit the granting of liquor licenses for a fractional part of a year after April 1 next, has passed both branches of the legislature and if signed by the governor will become a law. This is a very unwise measure in the opinion of The Democrat.

The bill permitting fourth and fifth class cities to combine the offices of clerk and treasurer, where the city council so decree, has been signed by the governor and, as it carries an emergency clause, is now a law. Rensselaer is in the class of cities affected, but as candidates will be nominated at the primary next Tuesday for both clerk and treasurer, it is difficult to understand just how the matter of consolidating these offices could be brought about. That is, which candidate, either clerk or treasurer, would be eliminated either before or after the election and xhow it could be done against the* wishes or consent of the. parties should the city council decide to consolidate the two offices. Another of Governor Goodrich’s pet measures, known as the excise tax bill, providing for a special tax on corporations, was defeated in the senate Thursday by a vote of 29 to 18. '