The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-27
ROAD AND SCHOOL LAWS
REFORM EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE IN
SESSION AGAIN.
some Valuable Suggestions Made
The Movement Grows in
Popularity.

A meeting of the executive committee of
the county and township government com
mission was held at the Commercial Club
last night The committee was in session
until nearly midnight and adjourned to
meet again tomorrow evening. All the
members were present except Judge Hack
ney, and Messrs. Goar and Murphy. There
was long discussion over various phases
of the work the subcommittee have under
consideration
Among the propositions considered with
reference to new laws were the questions
whether the building of roads should be
divorced entirely from the township and
placed under the control of the county
alone; whether all outdoor relief of the
poor should be abandoned by the county
and left entirely in the control of the town
ship and what should be done with regard
to new school laws. Early in the discussion
it developed that there was a lack of exact
information in regard to the road question
and the assistance Of the poor The COM
mitteemen were of one mind on the neces-
sity of revising the road laws so as to
prevent the waste Of $1,500,000 every year,
but how best to accomplish this was the
question. A committe on roads to look up
this question was authorized. It's duty will
be to advise the whole committee of the re-
suits of its investigation.
THE SCHOOL LAWS.
A subcommittee on poor laws was also au-
thorized with like powers. Chairman For
tune, of the committee, did not name the
two committees. 1t is his desire to name
men of special knowledge along those lines.
A subcommittee consisting of D. K. Goss,
superintendent of the Indianapolis public
schools; d. M. Geeting. state superintendent
of public instructions, and S. A. Artman,
of Boone county, legislator-elect, were made
the subschool committee.
Mr.. Fortune announced the appointment of
j. B. Conner, l.. B. Swift and r. M. Seeds
as the committee to collect and disseminate
lhioTmatlon concerning the work of the COM
mission. There was discussion of the best
methods of reaching the public. This sub
ject was left to the subcommittee.
Representative j. M. Huff, of Washington,
was elected permanent chairman of the eX-
ecutive committee. Headquarters will be
opened al the StatehouSe at once, and the
campaign of the committee will begin to-
morrow. Tt is announced that there is to be
no let-up until something is accomplished.
Members of the Legislature are taking to
the idea of the commission and some have
already offered written suggestions. Last
Ter, of Pleasant Lake, representative from
Steuben and Lagrange counties. 1T is not
true, he wrote, that people need to be
state that reform legislation was subject
in which his constituents were greatly in
terested. He was himself a township trustee
Tor eight years and said he was convinced
reform was necessary in township manage
ment. He pledged his hearty support to the
commission.
JUDGE HACKNEY'S SUGGESTION
A suggestion was received from Judge
Hackney, who regretted that he could not
be present. 1t was his idea that it would
be well to inform speakers at the farmers
Institutes as to the purposes and progress
of the commission, SO that the subject
might be discussed by the farmers The
necessary action was taken to carry out
this idea John w. Kern, of this city, in a
written communication, called attention to
the fact that New York has a statute pro-
Viding for a revision of county contracts
that might be of value. His letter was re-
ferred to the committee on the question of
State board of revision and appeal
A. b. Irwin, cashier of the Farmers Bank
of Rushville, suggested it would be wise for
the commission to consider the subject of
town government
Several valuable suggestions were made
in a letter from Sylvester Thompson editor
of the Petersburg Press, who, among other
things, suggested that county superintend-
entS should be elected by the people directly
he thought, would remedy the evils of the
present system under which township
trustees are able to dictate the issuance Of
licenses to competent teachers. There was
full and free discussion of all subjects that
came up, and the committee adjourned feel
ing that each time 1T met many points were
cleared up. Difficulties apparently over
mastering seem to solve themselves under a
full discussion, and the committee is grow
ing more confident of being able to present
some measures that will meet with universal