The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-02-21
House Committee Reports
Out Proctor Regulation
Bill SO Amended Its Faith
er Was Shocked.
HE SAYS BREWERIES
ALTER THE MEASURE
Republican Minority Is Also
Split Up Over the Bill and
a Lovely Mixup Is Now in
Sight.
palladium SpeciaD

palladium Specially
indianapolis, Feb. 21.--What prom
ises to be the bitterest fight of the
session and which may clog all bus
mess in the house started Tuesday
when the house committee upon pub
lie morals brought in a majority re-
port signed by all the Democratic
members greatly amending Proctor's
regulative and restrictive bill. The
revision is downward in all cases and
is said to be perfectly satisfactory to
the brewery interests of the state.
Representatives Seidensticker and
Wise will lead the fight in behalf OF
the report, while Representatives
Merriman and McGinis, Democrats
from dry territory will lead fight to
have the amendments made by the
housec ommittee eliminated, and the
left the senate. The Republicans are
divided and will probably add to the
gaiety of the affair by standing on the
outside and throwing rocks at every
proposition in the hopes Of getting the
Democrats even worse divided than
they are now although that seems Inn
probable. So bitter is the fight in
its initial stages that Senators Proc
tor and Fleming spent great por-
tion Of the day Tuesday on the house
side getting their forces lined up for
the fight and Proctor announced that
if the house cut the license fee and
lowered the Limitation mark there
would be no regulative and restrictive
liquor legislation this session as he
would either withdraw the bill from
consideration or kill it when 1t comes
the house amendments. Proctor as
serts the brewery interests are play.
ing two-faced game and that he will
not be party to it nor suffer his
measure to be a plaything in their
hands.
SnO"S S1dHu OI the 0ICWCVvSBs
He claims the amendments written
into his bill by the house committee
were written by the brewery inter.
ests. The house committee is equally
positive that Proctor is laboring under
great mental excitement. 1t says the
a regulatory measure but not one as
severe as Proctor's, and in order to
get any bill passed there had to be
some "tapering off of the Proctor
bill
The measure governing the sale OF
liquor was reported out of the house
committee upon public morals Tues
day in such an altered shape that it's
author scarcely recognized it, al
though he put nearly all the day in
the house trying to find some marks
of identification. The limitation OF
saloons had been changed to one for
! each 500 population instead of one
thousand. The license fee had been
lowered and instead of $3.50 and $500,
as provided in the bill as it left the
senate. There is provision made in
the house amendments for a gradual
ed license fee. Cities of the first and
second class to pay $500; cities OF the
third, fourth and fifth classes to pay
$500; towns to pay $3.50; saloons in
townships to pay $3.50.
To School Fund.
Another provision written in the
bill is that the license fee must go
into the county school funds. which
gives the dry townships the benefit OF
the licenses collected. Another pro-
vision makes it necessary for the ap.
plicant for a license to prove that he
is either the absolute and sole owner
of the building in which he is to op-
crate the saloon or the sole lessee OF
the property. No man can get IL
cense who is not naturalized unless
he shall have resided in the county
ten years. The applicant for a Ii
cense must prove he has not been con-
victed twice during the four years I'm
| mediately preceding his application OF
any violation of the liquor law. This
is made for the benefit of the dry ter.
ritory where saloons may not have ex-
listed for two years. That the fight in
the house over this bill will be even
more severe than it was in the sen.
ate there is NOT the least doubt and
there is grave doubt of its ever get.
ting through the house in any salts.
factory form.
The rumor that the Republican mi.
nority will propose and vote solidly
for 81 900 license fee is not true az
there are some Republicans who are
as much against high license as the
Democrats Neither party is unit
on the BILL The Democrats refused
Continued on Page Six-l