The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1907-01-29
WILL NOT CHANGE
METROPOLITAN LAW
The Present Police Statute 1t
Is Said, Will Remain Just
AS Ii Is.
ANTITRUST BILL TODAY
BIG OoINGs EXPECTED WHEN
SENATOR HAWKINS MEASURE
is CALLED FOR SPECIAL CON-
SIDERATION-OTH NOTES.
(By Demas S. Coe.)


to be practically settled, SO far as it is
possible to settle" anything before a
legislature considers matter, that
the metropolitan police law, operative
in Richmond and other cities, shall not
be repealed. The Legislators who
represent counties in which there are
cities affected by such a repeal, will,
it is asserted, stand against the Nc
Cullough bill. The legislators who
come from districts where there is no
interest one way or the other, will
likely not burden themselves with a
care that is not necessary, hence they
can be expected to duck" The
Richmond metropolitan police depart
ment, from Supt. Baily down, need
have no real apprehension at this
time, and unless something should de-
velop that is not now visible, the law
will stand. Senator Will Wood will
make desperate fight to have the sal
aries of the police department mem
bers increased, but he recognizes that
this is to bring about as fierce opposi-
ton in the general assembly as the
proposition to repeal the law creating
metropolitan forces. AS general
proposition, bill which carries with
it a proposed increase of salaries, is
viewed with alarm by legislators.
hence the police salary measure will
have it's knockers from the word go.
A strong effort will be made to inn
press upon the senate, where the bill
will first be considered. that it SIM
ply is a case of justice to increase the
salaries of police force members. Sen
ator Wood will present statistics TO
show that they are among the most
poorly paid employees OF municipalities
In Indiana.
There will be big doings tomorrow
afternoon when the Hawkins anti
trust bill will come up for special con-
sideration in the senate. The meas
ure without doubt. is the most strin-
gent of it's character that could be de-
vised, but according to Senator Haw
kins, its author, and Attorney-General
Bingham, its sponsor, il contains moth
ing that can be Objectionable to man
ufacturing companies or commercial
Iutely legitimate business. To COM
panies that have been evading the law
On technicalities will feel the pressure
Of the measure should it become law, 7
and wide latitude is to be conferred
upon the attorney-general and upon
every prosecutor in the state in pro-
ceeding against such concerns. The
opposition to the bill is not manifest 4
in an open way, but beneath the ap- /
parent pacific surface, there is an I'M
dercurrent of the strongest sort of op-
position. and this will be developed .
when the discussion opens.
n X y
The insurance companies had long
round today. The joint committee
On insurance. representing house and
senate. held special meeting which
lasted from 10 this morning until l
this afternoon. and at which repre-
sentatives of several life insurance
companies were permitted to recite
their grievances against proposed leg
islation that is now pending. The
principal feature of the inquiry today
was the admission of several life in
surances officers Undiana companies)
tha the special contracts were writ
ten in large numbers and that the div
idends paid policy holders who held
such special contracts, came from the
premiums paid by policy holders
whose contracts were of the ordinary
sort. The insurance men. however,
contended that as they viewed such
business methods. there was no advan-
tage taken of the policy holders who
SnpciaJ
The specials, one of them said, ARE
issued because of some service given
the company" This service il