The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-09

the auditor the gross amount collected by
] him FOR the preceding month; and the por-
I ton of said amount so collected. that is
! county funds, shall be available for the use
OF the county and may be drawn upon for
| the purpose of paying any item of appro-
prI Ti,I LOT such year, OF any part thereon.
just before the noon recess Senator Wood
moved to strike out Section 3. on the
ground that it is unconstitutional. II pro-
vides that
The board of county commissioners,
subject TO the approval of the county coun-
ell. and not otherwise, shall have power 10
authorize by contract telegraph, telephone.
gas, street car or railroad companies to use
any public highway in the county and
erect necessary structures therein. and 10
prescribe IN such contract the consideration
TO be paid by the company and the terms
ana conditions of such use. Such contract
snall be by the board submitted TO the coun-
" council and by it approved before the
same shall take effect If the highway be
graveled or macadamized by a company en-
Titled TO receive toll thereon. the consent of
Such company shall be necessary TO the
lidtty Of such contract"
| SENATOR DRUNIMOND'S ARGUMENT.
Senator Drummond. in speaking against
the section, said the courts had repeatedly
held that the county could not fix the COM
pensation for concessions granted 10 COM
panies desiring rights of way over public
highways, for the reason that. aside from
the Michigan road, the contiguous property
S'fAANA1
the center of the roadway Senator Shea, in
supporting the BILL said that the section re-
ferred to was intended to afford relief to
property owners who, at present. are i'm
posed upon by county commissioners grant
ing valuable franchises and easements on
public roads without any consideration be-
Ing given either TO the property owners or
the county. He announced that he had an
amendment to offer which would leave the
matter or compensation to be settled alto
gether between the company asking the
concession and the owner of the property
to be used In the end the amendment was
lost
Senator Gilbert offered a minor amend
ment to Section 81 allowing the county
commissioners to authorize other persons to
purchase necessary supplies. 1t was carried.
Senator Legeman moved to amend Section
81 so as to allow two out of the three COM
mlSSlonerS to order the purchase of neces-
sary supplies and, after lively debate in
which Senator Wood alleged that the I'M
amended section would permit one stubborn
member to block the efforts of the other
two, the amendment was adopted.
OTHER AMENDMENTS OFFERED.
Senator Kell offered an amendment pro-
viding that, if the operation of the law
made it necessary to employ additional
help in the auditors office a deputy should
be hired at a salary not to exceed $500, to
be paid out of the county funds on the
order of the council. Senator Horner Of
fered similar amendment grading the
counties into seven classes, according to the
population and specifying the pay in each
case, ranging from $500 in the lowest class
to $1,200 in the highest. Senator Hogate
sent up another providing that if the opera
ton of the law made it necessary to do so
the auditors salary should be increased by
5000, and the council be empowered to pay
Z that amount out of the county funds.
All three OF the amendments were lost
after a hot discussion. in which Senator
Drummond delivered an mpassioned speech,
saying, among other things, that if the SEN
ators wished to kill the bill they should do
the manly thing and show their hands so
that the minority side of the chamber could
help them do it. He charged that the
amendments were only offered in order TO
drive all the county auditors into becoming
friends of the Republican party. He said
that the Democrats, or at least a number
of them, had agreed to vote for the passage
CT the bill, it had been drawn up by the
reform commission, with the understanding
that in doing so they were simply following
out the pledges made In platforms of both
parties. He charged that the numerous
amendments offered had been sent in by
mercantile houses, which were interested
in their incorporation into the bill. and that
they had not to his knowledge been ratified
by the reform commission which drew up
His hints as to the possibility that the in
fluence of lobby had been felt in the Sen
the latter replied that his motives were
simply to afford relief to county auditors
who were now oVerworked and could not
out of their salaries.
Senator New poured oil on the troubled
waters by offering a substitute amendment
providing that, If the operation of the law
made it necessary to employ additional help
in the auditors Offices extra compensation
should be allowed him up to 5000 a year at
the discretion of the county council
After all the other sections of the bill had
been passed over without change of any
Importance, Senator Johnson of Jay, moved
to strike out all of Section 43. which is the |
civil service provision of the bill and which
says: In all cases involving the expendi-
ture of money for public works or repair
on public works, the county council shall
have the power, where no statute expressly
provides otherwise, to direct that all such |
public works or repair on public works shall |
be executed by the direct employment of all !
labor by the supervising officers, at such |
wages as shall be fixed by the said council. |
PriVided, that the employment of such labor |
shall be under rules to be established by |
the c9H a@ fd Pr0Hqn s H9F Iabdr
ment to be given in order of merit marks |
from an eligible list; and of unskilled labor |
by a system of registration, preference to |
be given to those at the head of such list, |
the test for registration being moral char |
acter and physical ability to do the work |
required. In all the above it is to be under |
stood that no preference is to be given in /
employment for political religious or per-
sonal reasons.
SENATOR SHEA OBJECTS.
Senator Shea. Democrat. objected to the
striking out of the provision, for the reason |
his protest was not backed by any consid- |
cradle following. Senators Reyes and Corr, |
between them, succeeded in having that |
part of Section 81 stricken out which pro-
vides that 1.-The county commissioners shall |
have no power to pay or cause to be paid |
out of the county treasury for any services
rendered to any such poor by any physician; |
they shall have no power to pay or cause to
be paid. any compensation whatever, |
either by way of salary, per diem or other |
wise, to any township assessor for his serY- |
to the bill, and it passed to engrossment, |
with the provision that 800 copies should be |
printed, as amended, and that a committee, |
consisting Of Senators New, Brooks and |
Shea should superintend the engrossment |
of it.
New bills were introduced and referred as
No. SS5 BY Senator Corr: TO permit !
county assessors to be eligible to re-elec- /
ton; finance.
No. 3S6. BY Senator Cregor: Requiring all |
state penal, educational and benevolent in |
situations TO turn into the state treasury all |
moneys earned by them; benevolent nstitu- !
tons
No. $751; BY Senator Early: Allowing the |
people to vote on the acceptance of the con- |
stitutional amendments passed by the Gen
eral Assemblies of 1897 and 1899; judiciary |
No. 3S8 BY Senator Horner: Regulating |
the fees and salaries of county officers fees |
and salaries.
No $50. BY Senator Lambert: Regulating /