The Indianapolis journal., 1899-02-08
TOWNSHIP REFORM IN HOUSE.
Majority of Members, 1t Seems, VIII
Support the Bills.

NAAJOEANy Oh mGmDGFSs seems VIII
Support the Bills.
Now that the Senate has practically de-
clared that 1t favors local government re-
form measures the scene of battle will be
in the House. Some of the members of the
lower body are opposed to the bills and
are going to offer amendments; but the ma
jority. it seems, are going to
support the bills. Mr.. William H.
Akin. one of the strong members of the
majority of the House, has come out un-
qualihedly for the reform bills. Said he: Il
think there is great need of a enforcement
of the tax levying and tax expending powers
In our county and township systems. Such
not vested in one official one official
body in any other State. l think there is
necessity-great necessity-for the passage
of the reform bills and they will have my
vote
Representative Edwar S. Roberts, of JEFF
ferson county. one of the bright young ma
Jority members of the lower body, says:
THE reform bills are right, fundamentally
right, in principle, and l am going to vote
for them told my people at the very out
set that / would vote for the bills and they
understand my attitude
Representative William II. Rifenburg, Of
Lake county, a substantial member of the
House majority, who two or three weeks
ago called a meeting of his home people to
discuss the bills spent last Sunday at home
and he says that he found that the senti-
ment, which was Overwhelming for the bills
when he was at home before, is now even
stronger and is gat strength all the
time. He is enthusss &c for the bills
Representative Morgan Caraway, farmer
n t1ne FariY, ,afrn OF
the reform bills is all right The people are
very generally demanding that they pass
The expenses of my county alone would
have been less in two years by $500, 900 had
the county reform bill been the law. There
are few Objectionable features to the bills
but they can be cured by amendment and
the bills must pass"
Representative Holcomb of Decatur coun-
ty, says: THE reform bills are all right in
my opinion and shall vote for them"
Edward Guilty, the miner representative
from Clay county, is very strongly in favor
of the bills. Il think they are right, that
they will usher in much needed reform
methods and ! shall vote for them," he said.
Representative Orlando Somers, of
Howard county, who is an eX-county COM
missioner, says: THE pI nciple involved in
both OF the bills Is all right. The fact that
new offices are created is being used as a
Scarecrow by enemies of the bills to work
up a sentiment against the bills, but any
body who takes the pains TO consider them
will find that they are right in principle.
] am in favor of some amendments and
think the bills will pass"
Ex-Lieutenant Governor Mortimer Nye
says that in his opinion it is of the utmost
Importance that some legislation making
substantial reforms in county and township
government be passed THE present sys-
TENS, said he. admit of what is worse
than extravaganza criminal waste-of the
public funds. 1t places a premium brib-
FRY and often trustees and county officers
are bribed without really knowing it. Not
long ago a township trustee whom every
body considered an honest man and who was
very confident of his own honesty said in the
course of a conversation with me that no
body could bribe him. He had just bought
nine Websters Unabridged Dictionaries for
the schools, and the agent he said, just
gave me one 1t would have been cruel to
have told him he had been bribed so
said nothing. And that is the way the pres
ent system operates. We need a check on
these officers and need it badly.''