The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-01-27
MINORITY REPORT
AGAINST MERCHANT
MEASURE IS MADE.
Democrats on County and
Township Committee Will
Recommend Defeat of Com
merciaI interests Bill.
COUNTY OFFICERS ARE
| ALSO OPPOSING BILL
So Bold Have These Lobby
lists Become That the Lieu
tenant Governor Ordered
Them Off the Floor.
palladium Bureau.
INDIANAPOLIS, Jan. ~.

Gratis on the senate committee on
county and township business, decid-
ed last night that they would sign a
minority report against the merchants
bill for a uniform system of bookkeep-
ing in county offices and for a state
inspection of the accounts of such Of
fees. All the other members OF the
committee signified their intention to
sign a report favoring the passage Of
the bill, and just why the two demo-
cratic members of the committee re-
fuse to sign such a report is not
form had plank favoring the pas
sage of such law and Governor Mar
shall made such a recommendation in
his message to the legislature, SO it
looks strange that the democratic
members of the committee would
stand out against it.
County Officers Oppose.
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 1t is opposed by many
of the county officers and they are
lobbying against it with all their force
and strength. County clerks, sheriffs,
recorders. auditors and others are
here from all over the state nearly
all the time arguing with the mem
bers of the legislature in opposition
to the bill. So bold have these lobby
lists become, in fact, that Lieutenant
Governor Hall was obliged yesterday
ITO order everybody off the floor Of the
senate who was not me mber. an
employe or working newspaper
man. Lobbyists had taken possession
of the floor and had become nuis-
ance. And it was fact, too, that
nearly all of the lobbyists have been
working against the merchants bill for
uniform bookkeeping and clean meth
DDS in county offices and on one side
or the other of the numerous court
fights that have been in progress. But
when Lieutenant Governor Hall order
ed them off the floor there was a
scatterment and they have not been
back.
Bland Fathers Bill.
| The merchants bill was introduced
in the senate by Senator Bland SEN
ator 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.
Senator Fleming, Of Fort Wayne,
introduced an innocent looking little
bill of about dozen lines the other
day that is arousing some comment.
The bill provides that any corpora
ton Incorporated under the laws of In.
diana may increase or decrease the
number of shares of its capital stock
on a vote of two-thirds of it's stock.
holders. This looks fair enough on
it's face, but here is the point: The
law at the present time says that a
corporation may increase or decrease
its capital stock only on vote of
four-fifths Of its stockholders and a
majority of its directors, and then on
ly after the company has purchased
the stock of those stockholders who
object to such increase. This strin
gent provision is in the law to proven,
majority stockholders from freezing
out the minority fellows.
/ Fleming Bill "oueer."
It is said by those who have looked
into the matter that under the Elem
ing bill two-thirds of the stockholders
in a corporation could increase the
capital stock OF corporation wheth
er the rest of them like 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.
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 tell i.
the men are wanted to fill the place oil
strikers. This will be amended also
so as to provide that advertisements
sent out by employment agencies
shall give the same information.
Against Loan Sharks
4 strong effort is being made at
this session of the legislature to enact
a law that will put the loan sharks
out Of business. These leeches who
have for years sucked the very life
out of many a poor unfortunate have
always been able here ofore to head
off any LEGISLATION on the subject. b.1,
there seems determination this time
to do something with them. At the
request Of the Indiana Manufacturers
Bureau Senator Mccullough has in
ltrcduced a bin which provides tina;
no assignment of future wages snail
be valid unless the assignment is
agreed to b. the employer of the per