The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1907-01-10
THE INDIANA LEGISLATURE.
Important Session of the Law Makers
TO Begin january 10.

caucuses will be held Wednesday
night. 1t is thought Representative
Branch will lave no opposition in the
Republican caucus for speaker of the
House. Lieutenant Governor Hugh T.
Miller will preside over the Senate
chamber.
h Republican members of the
House will caucus in the House cham
Der at the State House on Wednesday
night. The Democratic members of
the lower house will hold their caucus
at h Grand Hotel on the same night.
The Republican members of the upper
house will hold their caucus in the
Senate chamber at the State House on
Wednesday night and the Democratic
members will hold their session at the
Grand Hotel.
Representative E. F. Branch, of
Martinsville, will in all probability be
elected speaker of the House. The
much exploited opposition 20 him has
not developed to anything serious and
even should several Republican mem
bers bolt the caucus on Wednesday
night and bring out another Republi-
can candidate it is thought sufficient
Democratic members could be OBJ
tanned to support Mr.. Branch. How
ever, this is unlocked for.
Already there is on hand an army of
applicants for positions in the Legisla-
tive chambers. The ''plunder COM
mittee" has been having a busy time
| n trying to satisfy everybody and
without doubt there will be a great
many disappointed ofice-seakers when
the Legislature convenes on Thurs
day.
Leo Fessler, of Indianapolis. will be
elected principal clerk of the Senate as
he has no opposition for the place. The
principal clerkship of the House, it is
thought, lies between Julian d. Ho-
gate, of Danville, and William HUFF
man, of Anderson.
On the Democratic side ii is thought
Senator L. Ert Slack will win the
Democratic caucus for minority leader
in the upper house.
However, he will have spirited op-
position for the honor and it is within
llC ldnSC VI DOocibllllf lndl 0CAdto
Carlwood, of Seymour, who has the
backing Of the Taggart element, may
win the prize.
In the House it is expected that Rev.
Cravens will be made minority leader.
Many visitors are expected to arrive
in the capital city during the week to
witness the opening of the State Leg
islature on Thursday morning.
1t is reported On reliable authority
that Governor j. Frank Hanly will
personally read his message to the
Legislature at the opening session.
The reading of the governors message
has, In the past, been generally done
by one of the clerks. If precedent is
followed no other business other than
the reading of the message and the or
ganization of both branches will occur
on the opening day.
The coming session will be n of
the most important in legislative an
nails in recent years. Some of the
measures which will occupy the atten-
ton of the legislators during the sixty
one day session are:
A two-cent fare railroad bill.
A public depositaries law.
A bill to regulate insurance cor
panies.
A measure to give to the State Rail-
road Commission more power. in or
der to enable the commission to EN-
force its rulings.
Strict supervision of all private
banks by the State authorities.
Legislation to reform primary cleo
tons.
Increase of the liquor license to
1000.
In the line of reform a half dozen
other measures of vast Importance are
under consideration.
In addition it has been announced
by President Perkins, of the Indiana
State Federation of Labor, that he
will personally attend the sessions of
the Legislature in order that the labor
ing bodies of the State shall be pro-
tected, both by retaining the present
labor legislation and securing the en-
actment of other labor measures. |
which, it is said, organized labor is
back of.
There has also been much talk of
repeating or amending the cities and
towns act passed by the last General
Assembly. 1t is asserted that the
terms of city officials which were made
four a should be changed back to
the old way, a term of two years.
The present session will have it's
hands full hen it comes to making
appropriations for the ~sAstenance of
the State institutions. Figures pre-
scented by the State institutions call
ing for appropriations for the next two
years greatly exceed those granted two
years ago. Furthermore, several State
institutions in the curse of construc-
ton are asking for allowances greatly
in excess of what was originally