The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-02-27
House Creates Surprise by
Passing Babcock Bill
to Third Reading.
ACT IS UNLOCKED FOR
Agents Working Against Measure
Hold Caucus and Decide to Try
for Amendment.
Special to Lake County Times).

Spec1aI TO Lake county T1meS).
indianapolis, Feb 27.-The passage |
of the Babcock bill in the house with
only one substantial amendment shows
how completely the house and the SEN
ate have exchanged places with refer
ence to getting things done effective
ly And in the face of the predictions,
it is to laugh.
At the opening of the session, 1T was
tcuted that the senate would be the
tractable body and the house, with it's
narrow republican majority the intract-
able body. No trouble was anticipated
in the senate and all sorts of trouble
was anticipated in the house
But the tables seemed to have been
turned owing to circumstances that are
not exactly explainable. The house, in
the main has proved the tractable body
especially on the important measures
and the senate has turned the deaf
ear or the partly deaf ear to many Of
the larger measures.
For example the house reinforced
the private banking bill after the sen
ate had passed 1t through in a weak
ened form; the house passed the insti-
tutional reform bill, providing for four
members, bipartisan en- all of the in
stitutions OF the state, and the senate
Immediately took the very heart out
Of the measure by inserting three in
stead Of four members on the boards,
@ situation that obtains largely, any
how; the house passed the shippers
bill through without a murmur and
the senate is expected tC balk on this
measure.
House Springs Surprise.
And now, wonder of wonders, the
house passed the Babcock insurance
bin 20 third reading with no sub
stantial amendment other than that Of
leaving the department in the state
auditors office, and amendment which
the friends of the measure agreed to.
The senate took big fall out of the
same bill when it was considered last
week. In the senate the bill was
known as the Farber bill, and the SEN
ate shot 1t full of holes. Particularly
was the senate sentiment strong for
the provision that agency companies
should be permitted, and an amend
ment permitting them was passed by
a large majority.
The same fight on this agency pro-
vision was made en- the floor of the
house, yesterday afternoon. and when
the sentiment of the house was in ia
vor of cutting out the agency com
panies altogether.
All in all the house has done the
things that the republican leaders have
wanted done on many measures, and
the sc-called tractable senate has done
what the leaders did not want done.
And SC the prophesied condition re-
n a
scheme Of things.
The Indiana insurance men are
worried about the advancement of the
insurance bill to third reading. They
held a caucus at the Deniscn last night
and decided to make the effort on the
third reading to amend the Babcock bill
in way that will make it substantially
the same as the Farber bill They will
probably have a hard time to accom-
plish their object, however. owing to
the fact that on third reading in the
house it takes a two third vote to
amend.
Forehnnded with Depository Bill.
The house is more forehanded than
the senate in getting action on the
public depository bill. also. They
thrashed over the depository bill there
while the senate was still in the throes
OF ditch bill discussion, discussion
which the house had week ago. There
has been no discussion Of the public
depository question in the senate as
vet, at all. and it is pre- bable that the
senate will have to take the house bill
when 1t comes over.
The republican members Of the sen
ate almost made party blunder yes
terdav over the ditch bill This meas
ure is one that has aroused all OF
northern Indiana and in the last cam
paign was an issue.
It developed in the senate discussion
that the bill prepared by Tyndall. {
democratic member. was in many re.
spects a better measure than the Parks
bill. republican measure. Without
thinking OF the significance of this ac-
ton from q political standpoint. tht
members voted TO substitute the Tyn-
dali bill for the Parks bill. Immediate.
ly. however, the republican member.
saw the error OF their ways. an(
moved to reconsider the vote whereof,
the substitution was made This wa.
carried. and the republican member.
caucussed last night on the ditch bill
question.
Tonight the night sessions of the sen
ate are to begin. The house may de
eide to start in Immediately. In an,
events the house will come to it abou
the last of the week
THE LAKE COUNTr TIMES vvouI,
rather give something for nothing
than get something for nothing. L
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