The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1907-02-15
Change to be Made in Classifi-
cation of Cities, but Rich
mOnd Remains Same.
STILL A FOURTH RATER"
CITY WOULD LOSE SEVERAL OF
FICERS IF CITIES AND TOWNS
LAW is .CHANGED - MERRILL
AND CONVERSE HOPEFUL
(By Demas S. Coe.)


Converse was still lingering about the
edges of the general assembly today,
and so was President Merrill of the
board of works. Both have seen and
branches relative to the cities and
towns law and they feel that there is
fair chance that it will never be re-
pealed despite the effort being made
to do this very thing.
However, here is the plan of the
''wreckers": To rearrange the basis for
the classification of the cities of the
state, and by directly abolishing the
board of works the city Judge and city
controller in cities of the fourth and
fifth classes, the bill that is being pre-
pared by the subcommittee from the
cities and town committee of the
house would cut these officers out in
about fourteen cities of the state. The
bill that the subcommittee is drafting
is supposed to be the '.codification" of
the numerous bills introduced into the
legislature. looking to the amendment
of the present cities and towns law.
According to the new bill the first
two classes will remain the same, In
dianapolis being in the first class, hay
ing a population of more than 100000.
and Evansville and Ft. Wayne having
populations between $4,000 and 100-
900, still remaining in the second
class.
Drop into Lower Classes.
The population for the third-class
cities is changed so as to include only
two cities. South Bend and Terre
Hautc, or cities having population as
shown by the, 1900 census of between
$4,000 aud 10000. This change in the
basis OF classification cuts New Alba /
ny, Anderson and Muncie out of this /
class and places them in what is the |
new fourth class the cities of which /
have a population of from $4,000 to
$4,000 Others remaining in this /
class are Lafayette, LoganSport, Mari /
on and Richmond.
Cut out of this class and placed in
the fifth class under the new bill are /
the cities of Elkhart, Elwood, Ham
mond Jeffersonville, Kokomo, Michi +
gan City and Vincennes, which join
the ranks of the large number of cities
already in that class. Under this bill
the fifth class cities have population
under 15 900.
The fifth class cities have never had
a board of works, city controller or a
city Judge and the bill considered
leave this as it was; hence Elkhart, Ell
wood, Hammond. Jeffersonville, Koko-
mo, Michigan City and Vincennes,
dropping to the fifth class. would lose
these officials. The new bill also cuts
these offices out of what would be, un-
Al, =: f1,A a1n rifi
In addition to the fifth class cities
above mentioned. these offices will be
cut out from Lafayette, Logansport,
Marion. Richmond New Albany, An
derson and Muncie This would make
fourteen in all.
Indiana women had narrow escape
In the senate this morning from being
permitted to vote and hold office in
cities and towns. BY the narrow mar
gin of "a TO % the bill by Senator
Cavins. which extends to women this
privilege was defeated but there was
vast amount of time used and great
deal of oratory spilled before the :
members of the senate opposed to tn
bill. managed TO defeat it. Mrs. Hell
en- NJ Gouger. of Lafayette. champion
oI tDc movement vi tllS StdNt,
was present and she occupied seat ,
of vantage at the head of the row in
which Senator Cavins is located. She
listened to the oratory with great in
terest and her face was wreathed in (
smiles when words of encouragement
were uttered and shadowed with
frowns when opponents said sharp
words about such legislation. Sena-
|
finger, Benz and others delivered force
ful arguments in behalf of the bill. de-
claring that it was right and just that I
women be given the privilege of vot- :
ing on local affairs. Senator Mating :
ly led the opposition and he grew elo- ?
quent as he warmed TO his subject I
The president of the United States"
he said occupies no higher position !
than does the woman at home. and :
they are lowered when they mix in the
swirl of the political sea" !
Senator John Benz, the veteran.
whose explanations of the stand he +
takes on question, also aroused inter-
est because of the genuine sincerity
and candor of the senator and also be-
cause he speaks with such a delightful
German accent, made the star speech :
of the debate. Without attempting
the impossible in giving his speech in
dialect. the senator's remarks were
something along this line: Il favor
this bill because il was the women who
elected me to this body | come from
n district that has republican major.
ity OF 329. yet /. a democrat, carried ii
by 105. / will tell you how / did IL. e
got the name OF every republican p
who had wife with democratic tend.
vncies and l visited her | told her Il
:,