Rensselaer Journal, Volume 12, Number 40, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 March 1903 — PROCEEDINGS OF THE LEGISLATURE [ARTICLE]

PROCEEDINGS OF THE LEGISLATURE

Measures Under Consideration in the Capitol at Indianapolis. HURRY THROUGH THEIR WORK Members of Both Houses Ignore the Law and Send Bills to Third Reading Before They Have Been Printed —Governor Vetoes Salary Measure. Not in ten years has the general'assembly proceeded more recklessly at the end of the session. The members shouted “aye” without knowing what a bill contained and apparently without thinking of the effect their votes bad on the welfare of, the people. The presiding officers seemed to be affected with the mad spirit of haste, and all went rushing along with the end In view of getting the bills through both branches in time for the governor. In the house the speaker forced a veterinary bill just from the senate past second reading to engrossment, without allowing anybody to offer an amendment on second reading. There was no printed bill in the house. Representative Bamberger stood and shouted for recognition several seconds. He desired opportunity to offer an amendment, and he protested that no printed bill was on the desk and he could not offer an amendment without it. He begged that the bill be not forced past second reading, for it would take a two-thirds vote to amend

on third reading if there were any objections. He appealed from the speaker. “The chair declines to recognize the appeal,” said Speaker Marshall, and away the house went pellmell, passing other bills or advancing them. This galloping through Its business in the fag end of the session is believed to explain why it is that the statutes are so filled with inaccuracies, conflicting sections and sometimes vicious provisions. In the senate bills were rushed through with little attention paid to their contents. There were so many bills to consider and so many senators anxious to squeeze in before adjournment that they did not want to take time in discussing bills in which they are not vitally interested. If a senator announced that the bill he called up was local in character it practically amounted to the withdrawal of all objections. The law siys a bill should be read through when on third reading, yet this rule was not observed, and only the title of the bill was read. f Durbin Vetoes Salary Bill. Gov. Durbin vetoed giving increased salaries to judges in Marion, Vigo, Vanderburg and Allen counties, except Judge Rasch of Evansville. He said the bill was wrong in principle. One of the reasons for the veto was the exclusion from the provisions of the hill of the court over which Judge Rasch of Evansville presides. On thi3 subject, the governor wrote to the house: "In making provisions for I.he increase of salaries in certain counties the bill purposely excludes one judge, thus permitting petty personalities to enter into an act of the gravest public concern.” The governor said (hat every assembly seemed to want to increase the salaries ot judges and to increase the number ot Judges. lle said that the size of the general appropriation bill was an admonition to the legislature to take great care in the raising of salaries. Appropriations. The house will non concur in the senate amendments to the general appropriation bill, and the leaders expect a lively tight by a Joint conference committee. The speaker will appoint Representatives Sayre and Stookey to represent the house, should the house non-concur. The senate cut out all the street improvement claims. Senator Goodwine said the claims were cut out because it was believed that they should be settled by the court of claims rather than the state. The Republican senators caucused and decided to allow all the Indiana University claims except that for fire-proof stacks in the new library. They refused to put back the appropriation of $20,000 to rebuild the chapel and gymnasium at the Plainfield Reform School. The senate cut out about $60,000 from the appropriation bill. Among the items stricken from the university’s budget were $3,897 for furniture and laboratory equipment for the new science hall, $8,127 for a heating plant for science hall, $5,000 for fire-proof stacks for books and $2,435.68 for street improvements

clftlma. The claim of the commimUm of eight members appointed by the governor to codify the mining laws, amounting to less than S3OO, was disallowed. The provision making mandatory the printing of 8,000 copies of the state geologist’s report was stricken out. An attempt was made to cut .Geologist Blatchley’s salary from $2,500 to $2,400, but as his salary Is The only item left in was $20,000 for a new heating and lighting plant. About $15,000 was saved by knocking out all the street 'improvement fixed by statute, the senate’s action will count for nothing, it is said. The $20,000 appropriation asked by the Plainfield reformatory for remodeling the chapel and building a gymnasium was disallowed, as was a $5,000 appropriation for a private stairway from the office of the secretary of state to the state bouse basement. The item oi $2,600 for file boxes for clerk of the supreme court, auditor and attorney general, was cut out. The appellate court was allowed stenographers at a salary of $720 each. The house refused any allowances. The senate made provision that the SSOO allowed each supreme court judge for stenographic work, shall be paid on the order of the court to the one actually doing the work. Many of the appropriations will be available in two sums, half on June 1, 1903, and half on November 1 or December 1, 1903. No Protection for Governor. There will be no anti-anarchist legislation this session of the legislature. Senator Parks' bill, providing the death penalty for the murderer of thegovernor of the state or anyone entitled to succeed him in office, and imprisonment for not more than twentyone years for any attempt on the life of the governor, is still in the judiciary committee No. 1, of which Parks is chairman.

Senator Parks said that his committee was divided on the bill, and that for this reason, he did not care to make a report on it. It is a noteworthy fact that notwithstanding the agitation of the quesion of legislation against anarchists, growing out of the assassination of President McKinley, proposed legislation by the national congress failed. Defeat Miss Gallaher’s Bill. The smiles of Miss Letitia Gallaher of Evansville failed at the crucial moment, for the senate defeated, by a vote of 24 to 23, the bill to permit the school board of Evansville to divert a part of its school funds for the education of deaf children. The bill became famous chiefly because the wishes of a beautiful young woman were its principal backing. Miss Gallaher is a teacher in a deaf school in Evansville, now maintained by private subscriptions, and for which a part of the school fund was desired. County Advertising.

The bill of Representative Adair t.o allow printing of advertising of county officials in the newspapers of the two leading political parties, which passed the house under a suspension of the rules, was rushed over to the senate and a unanimous report in favor of it made. Independent papers are opposed to the biH. In Marion county it is estimated that the bill would cost tho people $5,000 a year. A similar bill, by Senator Powell, was killed some time ago, but a lobby of newspaper proprietors from over the stale is still in the fight for the measure.

Railroad Commission. The senate discussed Senator Wolcott’s railroad commission bill. Senator Lawler opposed the bill, and said that it sought to empower I he commission with judicial powers, and that the scope of the commission was entirely too broad. Senator Parks spoke against the bill, and Senator Gray for it. He denied the intimation that he was at heart' against the bill, and had offered his amendments and that be made his speech Monday in the hope of defeating it. .He argued that the passage of the bill would be a valuable warning to railroads that they must stop their discriminations. Senator Wolcott argued that be cause the railroads were lined up against the bill showed that it was intended to place some needed restriction upon the roads. Senator Fleming said it was a significant fact that the lawyers were against the bill and the lousiness men and shippers were in favor of it. He said the bill waa greatly needed. Senator Ball said the bill was altogether Impractical. He denied that an occasional shortage of cars resulted from connivance of railroad owners and said that nine-tenths of the roads of this state are amenable to the interstate commerce law, and may thereby be prevented from discrimination. The vote to postpone indefinitely was carried.

Contest Expenses.

The elections committee reported the cost of the Hamilton-Schloot contest as The committee recommended that Schloot be allowed mileage and pay from January 8 to February 5, and that Hamilton also be allowed mileage.