The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-09
THE COUNTY REFORM BILL
AFTER LONG DISCUSSION SENATE
ALSO ADVANCES 1T.
Goes to- EngrOssment without Much
Damage Senator's Shiver
Through a Session.

| entire day yesterday, and at 4 o'clock, after
4 the senator's had shivered in overcoats and
! hats for two hours the bill was finally
| passed to engrossment without having been
| damaged to any great extent by amend
| ments.
In opening the discussion. Senator New
| said he desired to briefly set forth the ne
| cessity for the passage of the BILL He said
! the bill had been drafted in response to the
emergency declared in the platforms of both
| great political parties in the last campaign,
and that the work of formulating the bill
had been done by Republicans, Democrats.
mugwumps and, at least, one Populist. 1t
| was, therefore not a party measure, in
| any respect, and should be passed in re
Spouse to crying need of reform from all
| quarters
DISCUSSED BY SECTIONS.
As was the case with the township BILL it
| was decided to discuss the county measure
| by sections the first two of which escaped
unscathed without an amendment being Of
| fered. Section was slightly amended. on
| Senator Kel's motion to provide that the
salaries of the county councilmen shall not
| be paid in advance of the serv-
ices TO be rendered. Senator Os-
| borne asked to have the section
| amended so as to give a uniform salary of
SO to each councilman, but the motion was
lost. The section provides that in county
where there are three councilmen at large
| each member of the council shall be entitled
to receive for his services salary of $40 per
annum. in county where there are six
councilmen at large, a salary of SIS per an
mum, and in a county where there are
nine at large a salary of $40 per an
mum, payable annually out of the
county treasury In explaining the
section, Senator New said that the salaries
were graded only because, In the larger
counties, the work would be more exact
ing and require more frequent trips to the
countyseat. The section he said, did not
aim to allow the councilmen anything more
than expense money and therefore, the
councilmen who would be required to make
the most trips should be reimbursed for
necessary expenses incurred.
Senator Horner offered an amendment to
allow in addition to the above salaries,
mileage at the rate of ) cents a mile to each
senator. but it was not adopted. In passing
to Section L. Senator Nusbaum moved to
strike out the word lucrative" in the
sentence which provides that no person
shall hold the office of councilman in such
council while holding any lucrative state
county, township or municipal office. He
claimed that it would not be proper to al
low any man holding any other office to
serve as county councilman. The amend
ment was adopted, was Senator Balls
providing that councimen must be quail
ned voters and resident freeholders.''
senator Kell, in discussing Section 5,
said he thought it proper TO restrict the
term of office 70 two years, but Senator
New explained that the purpose of the bill
was to make the election of county council
men come on years when there would be
nrpCi6anfiDl election fO~o
the provision had been inserted that an
election of county councilmen shall take
place at the general November election in
1900 and in 1902, and every four years there
after.
CONCERNING NEWSPAPER NOTICES.
Quite discussion arose ever the section
providing that the county auditor shall mail
a notice of the meeting to the address of
each councilman at least one week prior to
the day of meeting, and also publish such
notice one time in each of the two leading
newspapers of general circulation printed
and published at the county seat, respect
lively, representing the two political parties
casting the highest number of votes in such
county at the last preceding general cleo
ton, at least one week before the meeting
Senator Nusbaum asked that the publication
of the notice of meeting should not be re-
stricted to two newspapers in the county
seat, as in many of the counties, the papers
OF lne WIDEST circulation are not published
at the county seat. Senator New explained
that the advertising itself amounted to moth
ing but 1t was desired 10 make the system
of advertising the meetings uniform in all
the counties, so that all the people would
know where to look for the notices Senator
Ball was also opposed to giving the advertis-
ing to the county ceat papers, and charac-
terized the provision of the act as a news
paper graft" In the end the amendment
was lost.
In Section Senator KeIl secured the adop-
ton OF amendment nTOVidinU that
citizen shall be accorded a hearing by the
council on the subject of tax levies. Senator
DTummOnd secured the insertion of the
words ''or neglect" after the word "disa-
bility,' in the sentence of Section 49, provid-
ing that the council shall have power to
expel any of its own members for violation
of official duty, and to declare the seat Of
any member vacant by reason of his disa-
bility to perform the duties of his office.
following amendment to Section 20:
The power of fixing the rate of taxation
in each township for the purpose of raising
FUNDS Tor the payment of the expense of
making the tax assessment for such town.
ship shall be vested exclusively in the cOun-
ty council. and neither the board of coun-
ty commissioners nor any other officer
shall have the power to fix the rate for any
such purpose whatever. Before the Thurs
day following the first Monday in August
in each year each township assessor shall
prepare an estimate, itemized with as great
particularly as possible. of the amount of
money required for his office for the ensuing
calendar year. Such estimate shall en-
brace in items separate from each other
each of the matters required by Section is
or this act IN the case of estimates by coun-
ty officers"
PENALTY AMENDMENT ADOPTED.
Senator DrummOnds amendment to Sec
ton "A was adopted, as follows: ''Any coun-
ty auditor who shall knowingly and will
fully violate the provisions OF this or the
preceding section shall be deemed guilty of
a misdemeanor, and upon conviction shall
be fined in any sum not exceeding 8, 900, to
which may be added imprisonment in the
county jail for term not exceeding six
months
Senator Hogate's attempt to allow the
county auditor extra help to do the work
imposed by the proposed law brought on a
lively debate, several senators speaking for
ana against the plan. The amendment read
as follows; The board of county commits
slonefs may, IL the work of the auditor
once requires, authorize the auditor to en-
ploy an additional deputy or clerk at a sal
airy not to exceed 81 600 per annum, said ad-
dltonal deputy or clerk to be paid out of
the county treasury but such employment
snail be subject TO the appropriation of the
county council"
ment, said the bill was designed to reform
the administration of county government
and not to Increase salaries; and that If
the amendment We're adopted, he doubted if
ne could conscientiously support the bill
AFTER quite 2 wrangle, in which the repre-
ent We're consulted. Senator New offered the
following substitute amendments The
county cour ell may, in it's discretion. make
suitable allowance to the county auditor for
the additional work imposed upon him by
the provisions of this act -