The Indianapolis journal., 1899-01-17

Bill Providing for This VIII Be Rec
Ommended for Passage.


Ommended for Passage.
The House committees last evening settled
down to work The committee on county
and township business considered a large
number Of bills The bill for the govern
ment Of townships as prepared by the COM
mission was considered at length. Two re-
ports will be made on the bill The majority
will recommend it's passage, and the major
ity report will be signed by Messrs. Huff,
Artman, Blankenship, Null and Ross. The
minority report will be signed by Messrs
Reser and Green, who say that their con-
stituents are against the bill almost unani~
mously.
The bill of MIR. Reece, providing for town.
ship trustees and assessors to receive 50 a
day and both to keep open office was in
definitely postponed. Mr.. Caraway's bill to
elect county commissioners by districts and
the bin of Mr.. Ross requiring that notes to
be collectable must bear the assessor s
stamp were considered and laid over.
Mr.. Burrier's bill to reduce the sub
sidy for railroad construction from 2
per cent. to one-half of 1 per, cent,
will be recommended. The bill of Mr.. May
to reduce the interest on loans from the
school fund from to per cent will be
viding that road supervisors shall be ap-
pointed by trustees and reducing the term
from four years to one, two reports will be
presented. the majority favoring the pass
age The bill by Mr. Vogel to elect road
supervisors by the direct vote of the people
will be indefinitely postponed The bill by
Mr.. King, which gives to the commissioners
authority to provide officers for the sheriff
INa lad Mr.
Herods bill changing the time Of election
of trustees to the spring and Mr. Madden's s
bill providing for an auditing board to ex-
anime the accounts of the township trustees
will be indefinitely postponed.
The committee on prisons had large del
egation present at its meeting The bill by
Mr.. Shideler has been considered before,
but was opposed by Mr.. Herrold and Mr..
Furness on account of the feature which
provides that the surplus of products from
the prison farm shall be sold in the open
market. They claimed that this would prove
too much competition for the farmers near
the prison, and out of courtesy to them
the bill was laid over for further conSidera-
ton at the last meeting. 1t was taken up
for final action last night. The bill as
drawn is the joint product of the Federa-
tion of Labor and the officers and others
concerned in the management of the pris-
on. The board of managers was represent
ed by X. S. Foster and e. II. Nebeker, of
Covington, and the Federation of Labor by
President Edgar Perkins, Secretary j. w.
Peters, Roscoe Barnett and Robert GroH.
Mrs. Anna L. Robinson, of Port Huron,
who is interested in prison management,
was also present. The entire evening was
devoted largely to informal talks by JhOSe
present, in which it was demonstrated that
the bill is a concession all around and is the
best measure that can be framed now and
accepted by all parties. Mr.. Baker closed
the remarks by making an appeal for the
men in the prison and saying that 1t IS IN
human to keep them there IN 1dleneSs. Mr.:
Herrold said that he might as we'll cut off
his right hand as sign the Dill, put Mr.
FurnesS said he was willing to make con-
cessions. The bill as drawn was advocated
by all present, and it was finally decided to
recommend its passage, Mr.. Herrold alone
voting against it. The bill provides that
400 of the convicts shall be put to york on
contract labor, and If the total number OF
convicts exceeds 500, then one-half OF them
are to be put to work on contracts. NO
contract is to run longer than Oct. l, 1904.
The authorities of the prison are author
ized to lease land near the prison where
other conVicts shall be put to work farm
ing and all work done is to be by hand
so far as possible. Any surplus OF products
over and above the needs OF the institution
is to be sold in the open market. The sum
of $125, 900 is appropriated to purchase tools
and machinery Representative Roberts, of
jefferson, appeared before the committee
and protested against the system on behalf
of saddle-tree makers OF Madison
The committee on education listened TO
Mr.. Osborne in support of his bill for the
election of county superintendents by the
direct vote of the people, and to Mr.. Reser
in the interest of his bill that township
trustees shall build high schools or pay the
tuition of those entitled to attend them.
His bill also provides for a minimum of six
months school in the year. These bills
will be further considered. The bill of Mr..
Cravens, of Washington, for the election
of county superintendent by the County
Commissioners will be indefinitely post
poned.
The judiciary committee considered minof
bills only, and the committee on reforma-
tory met to get acquainted only. as no bills
have been referred TO it thus far.