The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1909-01-27

Indianapolis, Ind, Jan. Ex-senator
Ranke OF Fort Wayne and Benz of
English, the only two democrats on the
senate committee on county and town
ship business, decided last night that
they would sign a minority report
against the merchants bill for a uni
form system of bookkeeping in county
offices and for inspection of the ac-
counts Of such Offices All the other
members of the committee signified
their intention to sign a report favor
ing the passage of the bill. and just
why the two democratic members of
the committee refuse to sign such a
report is not known. The democratic
state platform had a plank favoring
the passage of such law and Cover
nor Marshall made such a recommended
tion in his message to the Legislature,
so 1T looks strange that the democratic
members would stand out against it.
County Officials Against 1t.
Although the bill has the almost
unanimous support of the merchants Of
the state and of the commercial clubs
and business organizations in all the
cities It is opposed by many OF the
county officers an dthey are lobbying
against it with all their force and
corders, auditors and others are here
from all over the state nearly all the
time arguing with members of the leg
islature in opposition to the bill. So
bold have these lobbyists become, in
fact, that Lieutenant Governor Hall
was obliged yesterday to order every
body off the floor of the senate who
was not a member, an employe or a
working newspaper man. Lobbyists
had taken possession of the floor and
had become a nuisance. And it was a
fact, too. that nearly all of the lobby
lists had been working against the
1 merchants bill for uniform bookkeep-
ing nd clean methods in county offices
an don one side or the other of the
numerous court fights that have been
in progress. But when Lieutenant Gov
ernor Hall ordered them off the floor
there was a scattering and they have
not been back.
The merchants bill was introduced in
the senate by Senator Bland. Senator
king OF Peru also introduced a bill
along the same lines, but when the
committee met he announced that he
would waive his bill and sign a re-
port for the passage Of the Bland bill.
Mr.. Fleming's Freexe-Out Bill.
| Senator Fleming Of Fort Wayne in
troduced an innocent looking little bill
of about a dozen lines that is arousing
some comment. The bill provides that
any corporation incorporated under the
laws Of Indiana may increase or de-
crease the number of share of its capt.
tai stock on a vote of two-thirds of its
stockholders. This looks fair enough
| On 70 fr1% &C. TxH,-
law at the present time says that a
corporation may increase or decrease
its capital stock only on vote of four
ffths Of its stockholders and a majori-
\ ty of its directors, and then only after
the company has purchased the stock
Of thees stockholders who object to
such increase. This stringent provi-
sion is in the law to prevent majority
stockholders from freezing out the
minority fellows.
1t is said by those who have looked
into the matter that under the Fleming
bill two-thirds of the stockholders in
a corporation could increase the capital
stock of the corporation whether the
rest of the mike 1t or not. and thus. it
is said, the big fellows could freeze
out the little ones. Several of the
members are looking cross-eyed at the
| Fleming bill.
Bill For the Union Men.
The house committee on labor de-
cided to report favorably on the bill
requiring that whenever an advertise
ment Is printed Offering employment
to men the advertisement shall state
IL men are wanted to fill the place of
strikers. This will be amended also
| so as to provide that advertisements
sent out by employment agencies shall
give the same information.
After the Loan Sharks.
A strong effort is being made at this
session of the legislature to enact a
law that will put the loan sharks out