Jasper County Democrat, Volume 21, Number 85, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 January 1919 — SOLONS PLAN TO RAISE SALARIES [ARTICLE]

SOLONS PLAN TO RAISE SALARIES

Increased Cost of Living Given As Reason. GET $6 A DAY FOR SERVICES Conservation Measure, Advocated by Gov. Goodrich, Introduced in Legislature—Would Unify Control of Natural Resources. ' Indianapolis, Jan. 2 ’. —There is a quiet movement on foot among members of the Seyenty-first general assemmbly to put the pay of the mejnbers of the legislature on a basis that will be more commensurate with the cost of living at present-day prices. The constitution of the state would prevent any increase in pay of the members from taking effect at this session of the assembly, but a law enacted at this time might apply at the next session, at least to the house members and to the newly elected senators. It is doubtful if it could be made to apply to the holdover senators, since the constitution provides that increases in pay may not be voted by the legislators to themselves. Those persons in each ■'house, who are discussing the matter, are doing it very quietly because they realize thaj If public Sentiment were to be aroused they might do the legislature much harm generally by their proposals and rather than cause an outbreak against the members of that character, those interested f& that they say is a fair Increase in legislative salaries, declare they would much rather shoulder the additional expense of the session and say nothing further about it. One proposhi Is that some sort of expense money be voted to each member to help him cope with the high cost of living during the session. Many legislators say they cannot begin to “come Out even” on the $6 a day allowed by law. The constitution probably would

Admit of expense money being granted each legislator. The conservation commission bill, advocated by Governor Goodrich and other administration leaders, was introduced in the legislature. The original of the bill left out Important restrictions under such heads as entomology and fish and game protection and these restrictions now are' in effect under the various state •departments, which would be united under a central control by the conservation bill. When the administration leaders discovered that they were weakening certain of the statutes of the state by the proposed amalgamation they hastened to change the original draft of the conservation bill id include practically all.the laws that now govern any of the state departments, which would be taken over under tbe terms of the proposed bill. It is proposed to change the present hunting and fishing license laws of the state to such an extent that every one will be compelled to purchase a fishing license, evujt if he fishes in his own county, just like hunters now are required to have licenses. It is believed that with this addition, enough revenue will come from the department of fish, and game alone to pay practically the entire cost of the administration of the conservation bill.

Representative David Rothrock, who is a professor at Indiana university, Is prepared to introduce a bill that is said to be backed by many members of the organization of the state and by other teachers and educators’ organizations, which will increase the qualifications for county superintendents of schools to a point far in advance of the present requirements and will attempt to take the county superintendent’s job out of politics. The measure provides that no person shall be eligible to the office of county superintendent unless a graduate of a standard college or standard normal school, maintaining a four years' course, and shall have completed and obtained college or normal school credits for not less than twenty semester hours of professional work for the training of teachers. The measure also would compel the applicapt to have not less than three years’ successful experience in public school work, and it further provides for the Issuance of county superintendent’s qualification certificates by the state board of education, as a pre-requisite to obtaining a county superintendency.

Section 3 of the bill provides that "In electing county superintendents of schools, the township trustees shall consider only the qualifications of the respective candidates and shall make their choice exclusively on merit, regardless of the political affiliations of the respective candidates.” The measure also provides that A all county superintendents in office at the time when this act shall take effect shall continue to serve for the term for which they were elected, unless removed for cause, and shall be eligible for re-election. This section apparently is written into the bill to obviate attacks on the measure by county superintendents now in office, who could not fulfill the requirements of the proposed bill. The proposed bill would take effect May 1, 1919, if enacted in its present form. * It says no word on the question of increased salaries for county superintendents, although it is understood such a measure may be Introduced in the assembly, os usually is the case.