Rensselaer Journal, Volume 12, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 March 1903 — PROCEEDINGS OF THE LEGISLATURE [ARTICLE]

PROCEEDINGS OF THE LEGISLATURE

Measures Under Consideration in the Capitol at Indianapolis. SENATOR MILBURN IS SEATED Doorkeeper Performs the Service at the Command of the Presiding Officer of the Upper House—Tangle Over the Salary Bill. In the senate the doorkeeper, at the direction of the presiding officer, seated Senator Milburn, who wished to stand up for the bill to increase the school levy from 11 to 16 cents. A substitute agreed on in the Republican caucus was brought in and adopted, by which local school authorities may increase the local levy from 35 to 50 cents, and thereby relieve the townships that have gone to the limit and still have short school terms.

Tries to Cut Salaries.

In the House when the Senate bill increasing the salary of the state tax commissioners to $3,000 was handed down, Representative Sayre attempted to deal a death blow to the recently enacted law increasing the salary of the supreme and appellate court judges to $6,000 and of the reporter of the supreme and appellate courts to $5,000. Representative Stutesman made the point of order that the amendment should not be considered, as it contained matter not germane to the tax commissioners’ bill. Sayre Insisted that it was not up to the speaker to determine whether the amendment as germane. While the Speaker was looking through his book of rules, Stutesman withdrew his point of order and moved that the amendment of Sayre be laid on the table. Sayre demanded the ayes and noes. The Speaker and Stutesman saw their mistake and there was a hurried conference. Representative Slack, Democratic leader, joined Stutesman. Marshall and Slack criticized Stutesman for withdrawing his point of order. Sayre evidently realized what was being done, as he demanded that the Speaker present the question at once. Stutesman then withdrew the motion to table. He explained that the judges’ salary bill had become a law, and the amendment of Sayre was not germane to the tax commissioners’ bill. The Speaker then announced that he would adjourn the question until he had opportunity to consider.

Coal Land Bill.

The Senate killed Senator Johnston’s bill to require foreign corporations that wish to develop Indiana coal lands to incorporate in this state. Many of the senators heretofore for the bill changed their views. The gas belt foreign corporations had the bill killed. They control coal lands and wish to develop them as soon as natural gas falls.

Judges’ Stenographers.

Warren G. Sayre and his associates on the House ways and means committee have relented, and the Supreme Court judges will be allowed their usual SSOO each annually for employment of stenographers. The ways and means committee, however, has decided to cut off this allowance for the Appellate Court judges, but the latter’s friends will try to beat Sayre on the floor.

The Supreme Court judges appeared before the committee and vigorously denied the charge that they take the allowance and then employ one stenographer for two or three men. They showed that they employ stenographers both at their homes and at the State House and pay out sometimes more than SSOO a year. Fee and Salary Bill. Members of the house committee, to which the Gard fee and salary bill has been referred, confess that they do not know what to do with it. They held a meeting lasting until after 12 o’clock midnight, but were unable to reach an agreement. Senator Gard and Representatives of the county officers urged that some kind of a report be made at once so the bill can be discussed on the floor. It was decided to cut off the allowance of 10 per cent of the collections of school fund interest for the auditors and to reduce the fees of the recorders from 50 to 25 per cent. Representative Bell admitted at the meeting that his plan for allowing the officers SIOO a thousand for the first 10,000 was not equitable and it will be abandoned. A member of the committee said that there is not a ghost of a show of the bill getting through as it did in the senate.

Rushing Work.

Both the house and senate are devoting most of the time to passing

bills, the purpose being to hurry them to the other branch and to .the governor before Friday, after which bills that go to the governor will stand little chance of becoming laws. In the senate a bill was passed creating a commission to codify the laws by the last of 1904, and report to the next general assembly. The secretary of state was made a member of the commission without salary. The bill to amend the law on 'vote selling to save the counties from paying a reward for each conviction was defeated decisively. Order Bill Printed. A resolution by Senator Wolcott was adopted requiring the immediate printing of the railroad commission bill. Many other bills reported from committees after the commission bill are already printed and a thorough investigation of the cause of the delay may be made. The house passed a bill creating a state board of optometry and the bill for a commission to investigate contract labor and report to the next general essembly. The bill to tax the surrender value of life insurance policies as personal property was killed on a committee report. Sale of Spectacles.

The house passed the bill to pro- * de specifications for the selling ot spectacles, and providing a statl board of examiners. The bill doeh not prohibit the sale of glasses by country merchants, but will put aft end to the business of street venders and peddlers. The house also passed the bill for the appointment of substitutes by Indianapolis justices of the peace, thus giving them the opportunity to take vacations.

The bill for a commission to look into prison contract labor conditions by Stechhan, was also passed. Advance Bills. Three interesting bills advanced tc third reading were Tarkington’s, for the support and education of helpless blind men; Statesman's, exempting municipal and state bonds from taxation, with an amendment to make it refer to bonds that are issued in the future; and Pepple’s, for a commission to codify Indiana laws. The education committee reported for killing the Stutesman bill for a state appropriation of $300,000 for memorial chairs in colleges. Representative Hugh Th. Miller submitted a minority report in favor of the bill and asked that it be laid on the desks of the members. This motion was carried. The Yencer bill for the taxation of fire insurance policies at their surrender value was killed by the insurance committee. Sees Mare’s Nest. L. E. Slack, the Democratic leader, discovered what he thought to be a mare’s nest in the Stansbury printing bill when it was handed down for second reading, just before adjournment. The bill had a provision that the county commissioners could reject any and all bids submitted, “or the board may, within ten days after the opening of said bids, let a contract to any other person for a less sum than the amount of the lowest bid received.” Slack said that this meant that anyone of the big printers could go before the board of commissioners after the successful bidder had “shown his hand” and bid a dollar or two lower and get the contract. Township Trustees’. In the senate Senator Gochenour’s bill, providing that township trustees shall be elected “by the vote outside the cities and towns located in the township from which they are to be elected, provoked the first discussion. The opponents of the bill declared that it disfranchised a great many voters in a number of counties, and Senator Strickler offered an amendment that would strike out the enacting clause. This was lost, and the roll call showed - 24 votes for and 24 votes against the bill. Thus it failed for lack of a constitutional majority, and will be called up again. To Move Deaf-Mute Institute. Senator Goodwine’s bill authorizing the creation of a board to sell the grounds of the Deaf-Mute institute and to locate it within five miles of Indianapolis was passed by a vote of 43 to 0. Senator Harrison tried to amend the bill so that the institute could be located twenty-five miles from Indianapolis. The bill provides that the governor, secretary of state, attorney general and two other citizens be appointed by the governor and compose the board. The bill carries with it an appropriation of $250,000 and sufficient money in addition can be taken from the treasury to pay for the needed lands and new buildings. Consolidated Counties. House bill 178, providing for making Clay and Putnam counties separate judicial districts, was a special order. Senator Wampler made a strong fight for the bill, and Senator Johnston against it. The opponents wefe afraid that in time one of the counties would be hitched to Hendricks, which is largely Republican, and the district would be presided over by a Republican judge. The bill was passed by a vote of 26 to 16.