The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1917-02-02
WANT DRY STATE
Petitions Signed by 100000 to
Be Given Legislature.
BILL IN HOUSE MONDAY
Third Reading Of Measure Early Next
Week-5iils to Change City Pri-
mary Election Dates Post
poned Indefinitely.

indianapolis. Jan. 20.-There was no
session OF either branch OF the Indiana
legislature today. both houses having
adjourned Friday until Monday.
With the statewide prohibition bill
ready for third reading In the house
on Monday and with approximately
100000 names signed TO petitions ask
Ing the legislature 60 vote Indiana dry,
ready To be presented. a favorable set
ting was arranged for the dry forces
of the state. The house committee ON
public morals reported favorably on
the bill and the report was adopted
without opposition.
Two bills changing city primary
election dates I'm Indiana from March
to May, August or September were In
definitely postponed by the house com
mittee on elections after n public
hearing In which there was practical
ly unanimous expression of opinion
that the march date should be permit
ted TO stand this year. Under the
present law all primaries will be held
March q.
The bill chiefly under consideration
was that written by Senator Kinder
of Gary, changing the Indianapolis
primary date TO the first Tuesday after
the third Monday I'm May, and cleo
| ton dates In other cities TO the first
Tuesday after the third Monday I'm
August. House bill No. 40. by Rep
resentative Alldredge Of Anderson,
proposed a change Of all elections to
the first Tuesday after the first Mon
day in September.
Spokesman for second-class cities
urged that they be included in the
provision applying TO Indianapolis.
Speakers from Indianapolis preferred
the March date, because the primary
campaign is far advanced. and
change of date would result i'm con-
fusion and unnecessary additional ex-
pense.
Indiana coal operators appeared be-
! fore the house committee on mines
and mining and asked for public
hearing on the bill 10 compel payment
Of shot firer's expenses by the mine
owners. Both operators and miners
will be heard Thursday night ut a
meeting TO be held at the state house.
A senate committee made an I'M
favorable report on n bill which pro-
posed to abolish the office of town
ship assessor and transfer the duties
TO township trustees.
Representative Jameson's bill, au-
thorlZing health officers To order vaca-
ton OF insanltary and uninhabltable
dwellings, received favorable action
by the house committee on cities and
towns. The measure has the support
Of Mrs. Albion Fellows Bacon of Ev-
ansville and is supplemental To the
housing law passed I'm 1915. The COM
mittee on education. by unanimous ac-
tlon, merged the bills submitted by
Representative n. Il. Miller and Frank
Gentry. providing for free school
books. The bills were almost Identical.
and after making few minor changes
I'm the wording the bills were combined
end Will be known as the Miller and
Gentry bill. which will be reported
back 90 the house today with recon-
mendntion for lts passage.
Senator Wolfson of indianapolis.
chairman OF the senate committee on
natural resources, has called public
meeting of his committee 10 be held
I'm the senate chamber Tuesday night,
when the conservation bill will be dis
cussed. The bill seeks Co consolidate
oil OF the departments dealing with the
states natural resources and estab-
fishes department for the purchase
Of state parks.
In his speech before the senate w
j. Bryan commended Governor Good
rich for his policy OF economy In the
management of snte affairs and said
Indiana was fortunate In having
governor who favored such economy.
Governor Goodrich has number Of
bills before the legislature TO abolish
numerous state offices and positions,
all of which he says can be done with
out injury To the service and AT Il great
saving TO the state.
Plans are being made for an open
meeting of the senate committee on
rights and privileges for the purpose
of hearing arguments on the woman's
suffrage bill. II was the intention To
hold this public hearing next Monday
night but it was delayed I'm order that
some persons might appear who could
not be there on that night. II Is be-
lieved that the committee will make "A
favorable report ON the bill
An amendment was made In the bill
to call constitutional convention
with reference to the manner I'm which
Delegates To the convention shall be
selected. The bill rs II stood would
have the delegates elected from the
state senatorial districts. The amend.
ment changed this aud will have them
elected from state representative dis.
tricts.