The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-01-16

sent the cotton mills. wooden mills.
canning plants and the Fendrich cigar
factory-manufacturers of the Charles
DENLY cigar. This factory employs
i 500 people, forty percent Of whom
are boys and girls, and it will claim
the passage of the bill will drive it
out OF the state. 1t wants the law
now existing to remain. This law
makes the age limit Of factory chill
dren fourteen years.
Child Labor Bill.
The child labor bill is not an excep-
ton; 1t is an example. Practically
every bill proposed by labor will re-
ceive determined opposition by the
corporations effected. The railroad
companies have presented an unbrok-
en- front to all the bills proposed by
the railroad brotherhoods. Mine ope-
rators are on the ground to fight leg
islation proposed by the miners. Manu-
facturers' associations are going to
oppose progressive liability bills by
making a counter demonstration Of
bills lust as good" Traction interests
are watching the legislative calendars
with an eye for any bill that will
bring them into the realm of actual
public service corporations. The
Bell telephone people, now identified
with the Morgan interests, are wait
ing the psychological moment to
plump bill into the legislative hop
per that will enable them to gobble
up the pseudo-independent lines in
Indianapolis, and thereby cut the
throat of every Independent company
in the state. Already it's agents are
reaching the conscience and judgment
Of susceptible legislators by the cafe
and theater party route. The paving
material concerns are very anxious to
get some amendments to the law faith
cred by Representative Thornton in
the last legislature.
Is Strongest Lobby.
Topping them all for size, influence
and organization, is the county and
township officers lobby. Township
assessors have been asked to come
across with $3.50 each and township
trustees with S., making fund of
about $4,000 for Legislative purpos-
es." This lobby will be the backbone
and nucleus of all the Hobbies, because
OF it's strength and apparently good
intent. Votes it secures will be traded
for votes secured by other Hobbies and
the combination will be hard to beat.
OF course, those in this lobby will in
dignantly deny this statement, but the
roll calls of the next six weeks will
show the interlacing of interests. Men
who do not now intend to vote against
meritorious measures will be found in
the Nay" column later on and when
asked for explanations will tell their
constituents they traded in order to
help out the boys at home"
1t may not be significant that the
first bill slaughtered in the senate
was the Powers bill providing for the
election Of county superintendent by
the people instead of by the township
trustees. The reason was, it was done
in order to keep that office free from
politics. Yet every one knows there
is more politics in the election OF
county superintendent by trustees
than there is in national convention
of the Daughters Of the American
Revolution. There is no machine in
county politics equal to the machine
which is built up around the town
ship trustees and school teachers
Many of the senators who voted to
kill the bill We're undoubtedly sincere
in their contention, but it was notice
able that among those leading the
fight were the senators who are ad
vocating bills that will abolish town
ship and county advisory boards and