The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-02-06
RAIL ROAD THROUGH
SPENCER MEASURE
sE
House in Uproar when Ad-
ministration's Utilities
Bill Was Passed.
WAS NOT AMENDED
Senator Rats Bill to Exter-
inmate Rats Was Passed
by the Senate.
WAS NOT AMEND D

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind, Feb, 6-The
Public Utilities Commission bill. ia.
vored by Governor Ralston and Ma
tional Committeeman Taggart, was
passed by the House yesterday after
noon under suspension of the rules.
Although a pretense was made at
reading the measure section by Sec
ton, it was charged that several sec
tions were omitted, and that the bill
was passed without having actually
been read in accordance with parlia-
mentary procedure.
With the consent of the House the
Speaker ordered the bill read, intimat-
ing that amendments might be offered
by members after the reading was
completed. Half a dozen members
were waiting to introduce amend
ments, when Representative Cravens
called for suspension Of the rules.
The motion caused a turmoil, but
Speaker Cook, ignoring the effort OF
members to- make themselves heard,
ordered a roll call on the motion to
suspend the rules. Then the Demo
cratic machine showed it's worth, and
by a vote of IA to 20 the measure was
sent to engrossment and handed down
by the Speaker on third reading.
Vote Against Bill.
Representatives Ault and Brannan
both voted against the bill on final pas
sage, declaring that they would not
vote AYE" without full and complete
understanding of what they were vot-
ing for. But after the roll call was
ended, they changed their votes to
AYE" and minority leader Eschbach
consented when Speaker Cook an
nounced that the absent members de-
sired ito be recorded as voting AYE"
Thus the bill passed unanimously
100 to 0. The bill provides for a COM
mittee of five members at a salary of
$1,000 a year each. They shall have
full authority over the railroads, trac-
tions and public utility properties.
The bill is said to be the most dras-
tic of the kind in the country. 1t bears
the name Of Representative w. w.
Spencer, Taggart lieutenant. There
is similar bill in the Senate, intro
duced by Senator Shively.
Traction interests will insist on
amending the bill so that the present
Railroad Commission law will be left
in force to apply only to them, and the
railroads, but to be administered by
the new commission.
Apply For Positions.
Frank Haimbaugh, Muncie; Thomas
Duncan, Princeton; Charles Pollard,
Delphi and Judge Clark, Danville, are
among the early applicants for places
on the Public Utilities Commission.
Senator Rats bill, providing for the
determination Of rats, passed the Sen
ate this afternoon, after the author Of
the measure had borne the brunt of a
humorous discussion, and after he had
convinced his colleagues that the
measure was not such a laughing mat
ter after all.
In addition to the Rats bill the SEN
ate passed Senator Wite's bill prohib-
iting the use of public drinking cups.
The Democratic caucus appointed
committees to draft new registration
law and direct primary election
measure.
Senator Gearing, of Indianapolis, in
troduced a bill today to amend the
Sunday baseball law to provide for
Sunday theaters. Theatrical men
the state are lobbying for
the measure.
Senator Stotsenberg's bill to pro-
vide for the election or appointment
OF one woman as member Of the city