The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1911-02-11
There still remains to be enacted laws

There still remains to be enacted laws
on numerous other subjects. !
For instance the platform promised I
legislation in favor of a weekly wage
law; to prohibit child labor; to require
better sanitary conditions in work
shops; voters registration law and
number of other measures which
have not yet been enacted. The week
ly wage bill has passed the house but
| it has not made any progress in the
senate. There is no telling when it will
come to the surface over there Moth
. ing at all has been done in regard to
better sanitary conditions in work
shops; the child labor bill is still in
the house. where 1t introduced.
and there has been a terrific fight
against it, participated in by both re-
publicans and democrats. Registration
7 bills have been introduced in the SEN
ate. but no progress has been made
with them. And the same Is true of
the other platform measures.
1t is pointed out that 1t is no wonder
iGovernor Marshall is riled up over the
situation. There are only three more
weeks of the session, and the amount
of work which remains to be done
makes it almost impossible for the
democrats to redeem all of their pledges
by the end of the session.
At the senate caucus yesterday all
of this was talked over. Several of the
senators were disposed to push things
along and try to make good with the
people Others did not seem to be so
much in earnest IN the matter. But it
seemed to be the concensus of opinion
that it was time to get busy and do
something besides wrangle and fuss
around over little things.
Senator Proctor is the democratic
senate caucus chairman, and he says
he is going to effect a better organiza
ton of the democratic forces of the
senate than have been seen up to this
time. What he wants, he says, is
compact organization that will push
things .along. He says he proposes
to require reports each day from the
democratic senators showing what
they are doing in the way of expedit-
ing business.
Whether Proctor can carry this load
or not is question. He is the caucus
chairman but not the floor leader of the
democrats in the senate Senator
Stotsenburg is the floor leader, and
usually it is the floor leader that di-
reefs the progress of affairs. Wheather
Stotsenburg Will fall in line and ac-
cept the leadership of Proctor is in
J some doubt although he will undoubt-
eddy be willing to join in the effort to
stir things up.
The situation in the house is prac-
ltically the same. The house, however,
has been doing much more business
than the senate 1t has put the APP
. preparations measures over and out o.
the way and they up to the
70 iS a ir
, over these measures. but this time
there was not. OF course, the house
, still has the saloon regulations bill to
wrestle with, but 1t is believed that It
viii pass that body about as it passed
the senate and that the fight in the
, house will be tame as compared with
the scrap in the senate.
But there has been a lack of cohesion
in the house that has worried some of
the democrats. and they are pointing
! now to the fact that the platform
!, pledges are being allowed to drag
, lalong Speaker veneman has done
everything in his power to hurry things
up. and houes committees have rush
ed their business also by killing many
of the bills and reporting others out
for passage. The speakers desk is
clogged with bills awaiting action by
the house In fact. the congestion is SC
great that the speaker is not able to
see how he can ever wade out of it.
Now suppose the house and the
senate both drag along and the end
of the session comes with a number OF
the platform measure still hanging fire
what will the governor do? Most
: lpeople here believe he Will imm ediate-
ly call an extra session OF the legisla-
lture to meet at once after the adjourn
|
he will then insist that the 1egislaure
: do business.
= I would be interesting. OF course, to
read the governors mind on this mat
{ ter but some of his friends are telling
around that this about what may be
expected from him. Either they know
{ what they are talking about or they
are presumng to speak for him with
out any authority.
s The house democrats are going te
d hold a caucus next Monday night also
y It may yet be decided to make it q
g joint caucus of the democrats of the
house and the senate, but this has MOI
yet been determined. The situation il
g so grave, it is pointed out. that gooe
many democrats believe it is time fol
i members Of both houses to get togethel
and agree on a plan by which they car
{ DO something. The point out that it i.
u up to til , party to make good.
u Senator ffullivan. of Marion county
g has been appointed as a stirring com
u mittee' of enc member to stir up TIL,
/ democrats senators and also the demo
/ cratic party measures and tina
. they do not lag any longer. He ais.
y will make a report at the caucus mex
70 Monday night
e Some of the democrats believe tina
since the word has ben passed aroun'
that Governor Marshall is dissatisfie'
y with the progress of the democratic
measures in the legislature the Nom
bers vii wake up and that most IL no
re all of the nlatforrn nromises will be re