The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-01-23
As Starter, a House Commit
tee, Including Ratliff, Made
Inspection OF the School for
Girls.
APPORTIONMENT BILL
WAS THEN INTRODUCED
Petition From Old Soldiers and
Widows Asks Increased
Pensions, Stating Lincoln
Promised This Relief.
Palladium Bureau,

Indianapolis, Jan. Is.
The schools of the state came in for
4 large share of the attention of the
legislature yesterday. In the first
place house committee consisting of
Representative Mickey, Ratliff, Gard
ner, Behymer. Hill, Galbraitha and
Merriman paid visit to the Girls
School, west of this city, yesterday
noon, at determinations of the superin-
tendent. The legislative party ate
dinner at the institution and there
was little talk about what the school
will need this year in the way OF ap-
preparations.
Then Representative Babcock OF La
grange and Steuben counties introduce
ed in the house bill which he be-
lieves will make the apportionment of
school funds among the counties on
more equitable basis and at the same
time save money for the state. The
bill proposes to dispense with the TAX
ing of school enumerations as it is
now done and to have the records
showing the average actual daily at
tendance made the basis for appor-
tioning the funds. This, he argues,
would be the topper method for MAX
ing the distribution.
It Encourages Attendance.
In stating his reasons for the
change Babcock says:
ut places a premium on and en-
courages attendance at school.
1T will save the state from $751;
900 to 500. 900 annually, that is now
paid for taking the school enumer-
alton.
1.-The present system of taking the
enumeration is wholly unreliable"
Two bills, each designed to change
the school text book system, were in
troduced in the senate. One by Sena-
tor Cox is to authorize any school cor
poration to select it's own text books.
The Kane bill empowers high schools
to select their own text books.
Provides Uniform System.
BY the terms of the Cox bill the
law which provides that a uniform
system of text books shall be used for
period of ten years would be re-
pealed The books selected by the
schools themselves would be for a
period Of not to exceed six years. The
bills went to the committee on edu-
cation. 1t is expected that they will
stir up a great fight, as there is a
widespread sentiment in the state in
favor Of uniform text books.
Senator Crumpacker, of Laporte
and st. Joseph counties. introduced a
billsat the request of the real fisher
men of the state, yesterday. 1t is to
prohibit the use of the trot line in
any.of the lakes of the state. He says
fishermen told him that it is moth
ing unusual to find man working
both a gill net and trot line in the
water at the same time. He hopes to
stop the practice.
A Humorous Incident.
One of the humorous incidents OF
the session was the receipt yesterday
by Senator Bowser of petitions .sig n
ed by 125 veterans and widows OF
veterans in Porter county. 1t asked
that the general assembly pass a law
which would grant additional pensions
to the signers inasmuch as Abraham
Lincoln had promised that veterans
and widows OF veterans would always
be taken care of. 1t was stated also
that the prices of food stuffs is adj
vancing. Senator Bowser introduced
the odd petition by request and it was
referred to the committee on military
affairs. Bowser also introduced pc
tition from Porter county farmers in
stitute indorsing the agricultural
ing for laws to regulate the tubercu
lin test to cattle.
Speaker Honan served notice or
the members of the house before ad
journment yesterday that they will bs
expected to play ball'' from now ON
When the time came to adjourn a mo
tion was made to adjourn until Mon
~ day afternoon. Some member object
ed, saying that he thought the mem
bers ought to stay right on the job
He wanted to meet again today.
Honan Wedges Action.
There is more to this session thar
the mere introduction of bills" sait
Speaker Honan. THE main work i:
done in committees and | hope tina
between now and Monday committee:
will get busy so they can report OF
their bills. This is more importan
than the introduction of new bills
Honan says he is going to try t,
prevent flood of bills in the house
and that his effort will be to kill of
the unimportant frivolous measure
to save time for something more i'm
portant.
The senate killed a bill by Senate
King. which sought to make bindin
all verbal contracts for the sale o
real estate. 1t was meant to give rea