The Indianapolis journal., 1898-11-23


Secretary-Adolph Rogers, New Castle.
Treasurer-C. ]. Murphy, Evansville.
son, who recalled efforts that had been
made two years ago to have a commission
appointed to investigate the question OF fe-
form in county and township government
and of the failure of that effort in the Gem
eral Assembly. He said that the present
form of township and county government
same as when the whole State of Indiana
was but little more than a. county ITSELF
and that the board of county commission
erS was an invention of that period 1ne
township trustee he regarded as being also
an invention as far behind the times as
could be imagined. He advocated the sepa-
ration of legislative and Administrative
functions from county and township OIL
Gals, pointing out the evils of a system that
permits the same persons to spend the
money that fix tax levies and collect it. He
thought it would be well to model township
and county governments after modern city
methods, such as the charters of Brooklyn
and Indianapolis.
Governor Mount was present. I When
called upon to express his views, he SAID
that he was in full sympathy with any
movement that would tend to give to the
people efficient laws which could be faith
fully, economically and honestly adminis-
tered.
THE GOVERNORS EXPRESSION.
ut is my deliberate judgment" he said,
that no movement before the people of this
State is of greater moment than the one that
engages your attention this morning. The
forthcoming Indiana statistical report, which
have seen, Informs me that in some coun-
ties the disbursements for expenses will
reach six times that of other counties. There
is reason for reform in the laws governing
county affairs. l believe county commits
sioaers and county officers are, as a rule,
honest men, but many unwise methods have
crept in
time the making of appropriations and the
payment of bills and letting of contracts
These county commissioners now combine
powers that are legislative, administrative
and judicial.
LAS to township government-for we need
to begin at the bottom-there is great need
Of reform Yesterday, in looking over
message Of one of my predecessors, found
where he sad that he had in mind three
townships in Indiana that had expended
$4,000 for township supplies, and that half
of this expense had been for worthless
articles. "A law that will allow township
trustees to do such things is dangerous
law"
The Governor called attention to the
abuses existing in the working of roads and
showed how little came in actual benefit
from the large amounts due from railroads,
because of the farming out OF this tax. lie
said, in conclusion, that the commission .1n was
about to undertake herculean task. 1
am" he said, 'in accord with this move
ment, and will do all in my power to ad-
vance the cause in which you are employed.
l believe that good will result from your
deliberations and your Efforts.
At the afternoon session Mr.. Fortune
moved that an executive committee OF not
less than twelve members be appointed TO
have the charge of the general work OF the
commission, including the drafting OF a
bill, establishment of headquarters, rails
ing of sufficient funds to meet expenses and
finally to present and work for the bill in
the Legislature John f. White, of this
CITY, a representative of the State Fedora
ton of Labor favored an amendment that
would provide for two executive commit
tees, but afterWard withdrew 1t when 1t was
explained that it was the intention to nave
the executive committee appoint divers
other subcommittee to nave charge or de-
tails of the work. Adolph Rogers presented
IN an able way the necessity for Subdivld-
ing the work, calling attention to numerous
branches of the law, each covering many
pages of the statutes, that would have to
be considered. He thought that every one
would admit there are abuses In the letting
of contracts for public printing and sta
tionery, no matter which party may be in
control. This was a subject worthy the en-
tire time and attention offa separate COM
mittee. as were many things in township
government, such as levylng taxes and
things of that sort, where tAe trustees have
more authority than even the county COM
missioners. There were abuses in the poor
laws, inadeQuacieS and things that should
be remeded There was too great a differ
ence between the management of affairs in
different counties. The building and con-
troll of highways, purchase of school sup
plies, borrowing money and multitude of
other topics might wll be left to subcom-
mitteeS.
GENERAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.
The motion for the appointment of a gen
eral executive committee carried. Presi-
dent Foulke suggested that each of the or
ganizations present appoint two members
to serve with the officers Of the commits
sion as members ex officio. After confer
ence the following were announced:
State Bar Association. ]. Hackney and
A. c. Harris.
State Board of Commerce-Augustus L.
Mason and j. E. Mccullough.
State Federation of Labor--E. A. Perkins
and John F. White.
FIX Officio-W William Fortune. chairman,
Adolph Rogers, G. j. Murphy and President
Foulke
Legislative-Senator C. s. Goar and Rep
resentative J. NJ. Huff.
There was a discussion of when the com.
mission should meet again. Some favored
two weeks hence. Judge Hackney thought
that the executive committee should be left
unhampered and allowed to call a meeting
when it should seem advisable Mr. For
tune came to the fore with a suggestion
that something should be accomplished at
once, and urged that the executive commit
tee should get together in the evening pre-
pared to work all night If necessary and
prepare as full a report as possible, to be
presented to another meeting of the COM
mission this morning His idea prevailed.
President Johnson of the School for Fee
ble-minded at Tort Wayne, was called on
for discussion Of laws governing the poor.
he gave some interesting statistics, showing
that the tax levies and moneys expended
are widely diverse in counties of like con-
ditions, mentioning the instance of one
county where the levy was one-third of
cent compared with 35 cents in a county
in which the conditions were very similar.
Leaving out all questions of honesty and
dishonesty, he said, the difference grew out
of the methods of administration great
evil grew out of indiscriminate outdoor re-
lief, the laws governing which he considered
inadequate, inasmuch as they were intended
Tor the extreme cases. Laws drafted to
meet extreme cases he regarded as baneful.
He urged that township trustees should be
restricted to giving purely temporary relief,
removing chronic pauperS to the county
asylums, as the present law provided. This
brought him to the necessity for reform in
Jail management as well as the county poor
asylums, many of which were not fit habi-
tatlonS for the meaneSt pauperS The jailS
ought to be simply places of detention, not
of incarceration or punishment. To relieve
extreme cases the officers might look to
private charity This, he said, was done
in parts of Europe.
MIR. MORSSS VIEWS.
S. b. Morss, editor of the Sentinel.
who, Mr.. Fortune said. had had an
important hand in drafting a new
form of government for the city of Indian
apolis, was asked to give his views. The
city government, prior to the new charter,
Mr.. Morss said, had practically broken
down on account of the diffusion of re-
sponsibility. The mayor, in addition to his
large executive duties was required to be
judge of the Police Court, when the Coun-
Gil, in addition to the legislative function,
which worked six months and had a hun
dred sessions started out only by laViug