Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 22, Number 37, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 January 1901 — INDIANA LAWMAKERS [ARTICLE]

INDIANA LAWMAKERS

Representative M., F. McCarty of Catroll County introduced in the Legislature on Tuesilay a bill which is supposed to be the effort of the minority in the way of obtaining antitrust legislation. It defines as ’’criminal usurpation of the governing powers to attempt to control or regulate the production Or sale of any commodity without a copyright from the State of Indiana.’.' A $10,600 fine and penitentiary sentence is provided for a violation. A bill also introduced by Senator Lambert of Columbus is to establish an Indiana village for epileptics. Senator Burns introduced a bill to do away with the. cigarette traffic in Indiana, providing a heavy fine and punishment for the sale and giving away of cigarettes. Representative Bishop of Morgan introduced a bill for the death penalty tor kidnaping children. Speaker Artman announced his committees Tuesday morning. The following are the chairmen: Elections, Minturn; ways and means. King; judiciary, Bonham; organization of courts, Sparks; banks, Scott; education, Clem; building and loans, Bishop; reformatory. Stout; prison, Erdlitz; swamp lands, Beckman; military affairs, Dudley; claims, Neal; trust lands, Stookey; fees and salaries. Manifold; sinking fund, Whitcomb; rights and privileges. Miller of Kosciusko; railroads, Kirkman; manufactures and commerce, Vestal; county and township business, Owen; agriculture, Matthews: benevolent and scientific institutions, Clem; temperance, Wesling; mileage and accounts, Davis of Wayne; corporations, Roberts of Jefferson; rivers and waters, Mueller; public expenditures, Miller of Ohio; federal relations, Perrett; city of Indianapolis, Ostermeyer; cities and towns, Bell; engrossed bills, Adamson; roads, Thomas; statistics. Jack; insurance, Morgan; printing, Rogers; reformatory institutions, Gillett; drains and dykes, Kelley; mines, Johnson; labor, Clarke; medicine, health and statistics, Van Fleet; inspection of the journal, Speaker; natural resources, Stutesman; phraseology of bills, Harris; congressional apportionment, Reagan; legislative apportionment. Jackways; telegraph and telephones, Pritchard; soldiers’ monument. NJarshall of Fountain; State soldiers’ homes, Carmichael; joint committees, public buildings, Burried; enrolled bills, Morton; State library, Mummert. The Legislature received a number of new bills on Wednesday and took action on several committee reports. Four bills passed the House and were sent to the Senate. One of these, by Mr. Bonham, provided for the appointment of two stenographers, one for the minority and the other for the majority side of the chamber, one additional page and an assistant postmaster at $5 a day. The other bills that passed the House legalize the incorporation of English and Gentryville and the acts of the Town Board of Etna Green, Kosciusko County. They were passed under suspension of the rules. Thirty-one new bills were introduced in the House. After a session lasting a little over an hour in the morning the Senate adjourned, to meet again in the afternoon. Twenty-five new bills were introduced, making a total of eighty-four bills thus far. Among the important, measures was one by Senator Conlogue creating a commission to pass on voting machines before they can be bought for use at Indiana elections. Senator Gard sent up a bill to do away with the camp nuisance, and Senatqf*lnman (minority leader) offered a measure to make it a felony to buy a vote. Charles E. Wilson appeared and read a notice from Gov. Durbin to the Senate that he has appointed Mr. Wilson his private secretary. In the Senate on Friday the bill to provide for the punishment at the Michigan City prison of criminals adjudged to suffer the death penalty was passed under a suspension of the rules. This bill corrects the omission in the law that changed the southern prison to a reformatory and failed to provide for the execution of criminals convicted south of the national road. The primary election bill, requiring the holding of party primary conventions in certain large counties, was favorably reported by the elections committee. Despite reports to the contrary, no steps have been taken in the direction of preparing a bill to punish wife beaters by whipping. Many members of the Legislature were practically stranded in Indianapolis because they came to the capital with only a few dollars and have not been able yet to appropriate money to pay themselves. Friday afternoon solons were going about borrowing money from their friends or wiring home for remittances to settle their personal ex penses. In the House on Thursday Speaker Artman knocked out the time-honored mileage graft by ordering a roll-call, each member responding to his name with a statement of the amount of mileage to which he is entitled. The Senate sent over the bill appropriating $105,000 to pay the expenses of the Legislature, with the clause stricken out allowing extra allowances. On motion of Mr. Kink, seconded by Mr. Neal, the amendment was promptly rejected, and Messrs. King, Neal and James were appointed a conference committee. Col. C. E. W ilson, the Governor's private secretary, read a message notifying the House of Gov. Mount s death. Messrs. Scott, Stutesman, King. Gauntt, Reser, Janies, Murphy, Waugh ami the Speaker were appointed a committee to draft appropriate resolutions. At 11:30 o’clock the House adjourned out of respect for ex-Gov. Mount. In the Senate many bills were introduced. The Senate took action similar to that of the House on the death of ex-Gov. Mount.