Jasper County Democrat, Volume 21, Number 88, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 February 1919 — TAX REFORM BILL TO HOUSE SOON [ARTICLE]

TAX REFORM BILL TO HOUSE SOON

Amendments Will Be Accepted up to Tonight. STATE POLICE FORCE ASKED I Change In Divorce Law Providingi Freedom From Incurably Insane Urged by Senator Aldredge—z Dry Bill Amended. Indianapolis, Jan. 31. —Amendments In wpiting to the proposed tax reform measure before the state legislature will be accepted up until tonight, Representative Kimmel, chairman of the judiciary A committee of the house of representatives announced during a hearing on the bill. There will be no more public hearings on the bill and the committee will try to report the bill to the house next week. The meeting on Wednesday night was for the purpose of hearing representatives of hanks, trust companies and building ami. loan associations. Eben H. Wolcott of ■lndianapolis, chairman of the tux committee of the Indiana Bankers' association, presented resolutions adopted by bls committee which favor "tiny plan which will secure the greatest measure of return of property, of whichever kind, for assessment."

The house committee on public morals voted to report for passage the yVright dry bill, which seeks to amend the state-wide prohibition law in numerous ways, but the committee struck from the bill sections 1 and 15, according to Representative Frank E. Wright, who Is chairman of the com-* mittee and author of the bill. Members of the legislative committee of the National Horse Thief Detective association of Indiana, including William Colvert of Attica, H. E. Lochry, Franklin; J. M. Carter, Indianapolis ; E. J. Mendendall, Sheridan, and C. F. Martin, Jamestown, were at the statehouse with a bill they wish introduced in the general assembly to provide for a state police force to operate in all parts of the state and to have the same powers of arrest as Jocal police authorities. Amendment of the divorce law so as to provide that where one of the parties to.a marriage has been adjudged Incurably insane and has been confined in an institution for ten years or more, the other party shall be entitled to a divorce, wilt be proposed in a bill being drawn by Senator Alldredge. The ways and means committee of the house voted unanimously to report for passage to the house the bill legalize the expenditures of the Indiana state council of defense during the war period, and to appropriate S OS,000 for the expenses of the counduring that period. The committee voted to kill the bill Introduced by Representative Southard Tuesday morning, which sought to pension employees of state Institutions after they had been in the employ of the state 20 years.

The labor committee, Representative Day, chairman, decided to recommend for passage Representative Bidaman’s anti-injunction labor bill; Representative McKinley’s bill to provide for the guarding of gas valves and the supplying of gas masks tt> workmen to protect them from noxious gases; and another bill by Representative McKinley, providing that building inspectors see that buildings are constructed in compliance with laws protecting workmen in dangerous occupations. The insurance cqmmittee, Representative Miltenberger chairman, voted to recommend for passage the bill introduced by Representative Abrams to create a separate state insurance department after amending the bill to' cut the salary of the head of department to $4,000 Instead of $6,000 and changing the effective date from September 80, 1919, to September 30, 1920. This action makes the bill the same as it is in the senate where it has advanced to third reading. The committee on county and township business,. Representative Field, chairman, voted to recommend for passage Representative Dailey’s county civil engineer bill after cutting the salaries to be allowed such officials SOOO in the first three classes of counties and changing the salary to a per dien* of $7 for counties of fourth class. Judiciary committee B, Representative Vesey, chairman, decided to recommend the indefinite postponement of Representative Craig’s eugenic marriage bill. The house committee A on Judiciary voted for indefinite postponement of the Day bill, which would have mad* legal a verdict in civil cases by threefourths of the Jury.

The senate committee on roads decided to report favorably on senate bill 80. providing for licensing of automobiles according to horsepower and weight, and house bill 10, known as the patrol bill, permitting county road superintendents to name assistant superintendents to the number of not more than four to each 100 miles of roads, to »patrol highways and look after repairs. Such assistant superintendents are to get 35 cents an hour* for their labor while actually employed and 50 cents an hour when working; with a team. It was also decided td* make favorable report on senate 128, authorizing county commissioners to designate important public high-" ways for the erection of guide-posts at crossings for the benefit of travelers.