South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-02-22
FLAW To
BAR AMENDMENTS
To CONSTITUTION
Proposed Changes in Indiana'S
Basic Law Not Entered Prop
erIy on Senate Journal Is
Lawyers View.

INDIANAPOLIS. Feb. 22.-There is
no such thing as a "Stotsenburg
amendment to the Indiana constitu-
ton according to opinions expressed
today by several Indiana lawyers.
They declare the D amendments
which were before the 1913 legisla-
ture and are being considered 10y the
present assembly, were not properly
entered on the senate journal two
years ago and now the amendments
cannot be submitted to the people
Judge W. II. EickhOrn of Button,
first discovered the alleged weakness
in the record of the Stotsenberg
amendment. All the attorneys who
have looked into the question agree
with the Button jurist. Rep. Mason
j. Niblack, who two years ago pre-
vented an improper entry i'm the
amendments on the house side, said
today if the amendments become a
part of the state constitution they
must be started all over again.
The bobble, as explained by Judge
EickhOrn, occurred when the amend
mentS went back to the senate after
the house had made some changes in
them. The conference report on the
proposed changes was not properly
the attorneys declare.
The legal opinions on the Stotsen-
berg amendments were called to the
attention of the senate today by Sen.
BallOu, but no action was taken on
the matter.
Convention to Front.
In both houses today the constitu-
tiOnal convention question came TO
the front. Sen. Ballou and Rep. John
j. Jones introduced bills providing for
a referendum vote on the question Of
holding such a convention the vote to
be advisory. In the senate ii is un-
derstoOd there viii be no opposition
to the measure.
With a bare quorum present, the
house started business today. The
Reeves bill changing the present law
so as to punish fake" advertisers
more severely was passed p to two.
Several minor bills were passed dur
ing the morning session.
Sen. Hirsch introduced a resolution
asking congress to pass a uniform law
regulating the hours of labor TO be
required in various lines of manufac-
ture in the state. Hirsch explained
that some manufacturers were inn
posed upon because of different laws
in different states and that labor
unions of the country were adVOcat-
ing uniform laws on this subject The
IeSOiullOH Was ItltIItu 10 lilt senate
committee on judiciary a.
Pass Fleming Bill.
The senate passed the Fleming bill
preventing the judge of the juvenile
court in Indianap polls from practicing
law during his term of Office, 81 70
none. The BallOu bill making coun-
ties instead of the state pay sheriffs
for taking prisoners from jails 10 the
state prison was passed 81 TO one.
In, hn "a d.
irg that truancy officers shall meet
once a year was passed by a unani-
nous vote of "a. The Myers bill pro-
Vding that three or more lodges may
incorporate TO purchase and maintain
lodge property was passed SO TO none.
A petition for prohibition, signed by
449 women and $50 men OF Wayne
county was received. The petitions
for suffrage presented by the Wom-
ems Christian Temperance union was
signed by more than 1000 men and
women.
When the house and senate ad-
tourned Saturday afternoon the dem
ocratic leaders were confronted with
the serious problem Of dispOsing OF
more than 400 bills and resolutions
within the next two weeks. This
great pile OF unfinished business in
cludes all of the platform measures
OF the democratic party. Whether
any OF the latter viii find their way
into acts OF 1915 appears extremely
doubtful.
The measures Of overshadowing
public interest pending follows:
The bills for a workmen's compen-
satiOn law. TO which both the demo-
Gratis and republicans are pledged.
The bill TO improve the working
conditions OF women and to shorten
their hours Of labor
The Jones statewide primary plan.
The anti-saloon statewide prohibi-
ton bill.
The bill presented by the legislative
council Of Indiana Women for limited
suffrage.
The StotsenbuTg constitutional
amendments.
The Waltz bin 10 permit the rail-
roads TO charge two and half cents
a mile for passenger fare
The bills for amendment N the
present registration law
Sen. VanNuys democratic floor
leader in the senate predicted at the
opening Of the session last week that
the platform measures would be we'll
under way in the senate before the
adjournment yesterday. Owing 10 the
protracted discussion OF the StOtsen-
burg amendments and 10 the routine
grind very little progress was made
IN the senate on the democratic plat
form measures
MACK, y. Touched by her