The Indianapolis journal., 1898-11-23
ENTIRELY NEW LAW.
Executive Committee Will submit n
skeleton To-day.

Executive Committee Will submit
skeleton To-Day.
After debate lasting until nearly mid
night the executive. committee or twelve
formed by the county and township gov
ernment commission to outline plans of pro-
cedure adjourned having accomplished
much more than had been hoped for. AT the
outset the subject of debate was whether
it would be better to attempt a reformation
of local government from the ground up
or to simply attempt to remedy some of the
worst evils by patchwork amendments to
the present laws. Judge J.. 7. Hackney and
August L. Mason led The argument in favor
of complete revision. One or two who
had thought it perhaps wiser to only seek
to remedy existing laws were convinced
that the best plan will be to present laws
to the Legislature providing for complete
change in the system of both township and
county management. Judge Hackney en-
phasized the fact that public sentiment was
now aroused; that both political parties are
committed to reforms, and that perhaps 10
such opportunities will ever again occur as
the present time offered. 1t having been
decided that the sense of the executive COM
mittee was in favor of a new law governing
county and township matters the question
then resolved itself into the proposition,
w nat Shall DS llG SSllSIdl OuIllilC "a SnCAS-
ton of the new law?"
Township business was taken up first.
After much discussion it was voted as the
sense of the meeting:
THAT the legislative duties of levying
taxes and making appropriations shall be
committed to committee of three persons,
serving without pay, elected by the voters
of the township. Estimates of taxes and APP
propHiations to be made by the township
trustee and a day fixed for a hearing by
-. fxrfra IN
thereof All citizens and taxpayers shall
have the right. to appear and be heard at
such meeting"
Concerning county business it was voted
as being the sense of the executive COM
mittee -
taxes and making appropriations in the
county be vested in representative body OF
taxpayers serving without pay. That 1t be
the duty of the auditor to submit to an an
nual meeting of this body budget of the
required appropriations for the ensuing
year after public notice thereof, when the
tax rate shall be fixed and the appTOpr1a-
tions made. The administrative power of
the county to be vested in board of three
chosen by the people, their powers limited
to the expenditure of the money previously
appropriated by the representative body
first mentioned
The main idea advanced vas that the
management and control OF both county and
township business should be placed as near
to the taxpayers and voters possible, and
that legislative and executive functions
should be so separated that the same power
which levied taxes and made appropriations
should not be permitted to expend the mon
ey. There was no attempt whatever to go
into details last night. The sole effort was
to present skeleton plans to the commission
this morning that would form working
basis. From the attitude assumed Dy
speakers yesterday there is but little doubt
that the recommendations of the committee
will be adopted AT the meeting OF the COM
mission yesterday d. K. Goss advocated u
board of appeals and revision, TO which citi-
Zens might appeal from fraudulent or inn
prOvident contracts made by county boards,
in the most important cases, such as the
letting of contracts for jails or courthouses,
where large sums of money are involved.
Along this line of reform, the committee
last night adopted the following
I'VE recommend to the favorable consid-
Grafton of the commission the formation of
a state administrative board of revision and
appeal with the IoWer TO review the more
important contracts made by county boards
when so requested by citizens of the county
and TO revise modify or set aside the same
If found by them to be fraudulent or inn.
proyident Such board to be composed of
men of special qualifications for such work
and appoiated by the Governor
The cOipmittee has prepared an address to
the public setting forth the purposes of the
commission, inviting all members of the
Legislature to cooperate with II, and con-
Veying the information that written SuggeS-s
tions will be received from citizens who are
interested in local government reforms and
who have ideas that might be available.
Judge Hackney and William Fortune were
appointed a committee to arrange for
permanent headquarters for the commission
I'm the StatehOuSe. The chairman was au-
the collection and semination Of informa-
ton. He was also authorized to appoint a
finance committee of three to secure con-
trihutions toward the expenses OF the COM
tach TO the work of sending out literature
and some clerical assistance will be re-