The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1917-04-06
Want DRY STATE
Petitions Signed by 100000 to
Be Given Legislature.
BILL IN HOUSE MONDAY
Third Reading of Measure Early Next
Week-BilIs 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 bin
ready for third reading In the house
on Monday and with approximately
10000 names signed 10 petitions ask
ing the legislature to vote Indiana dry.
ready 10 be presented, a favorable set
ting was arranged for the dry forces
of the state. The house committee on
public morals reported fayorably 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 "A public
hearing in which there was n 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 6.
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 in May, and cleo
ton dates I'm other cities 10 the first
Tuesday after the third Monday in
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 firers expenses by the mine
owners. Both operators and miners
will be heard Thursday night at a
meeting TO be held at the state house.
A senate committee made an I'M
favorable report on bill which pro-
posed to abolish the Office OF town.
ship assessor and transfer the duties
TO township trustees.
Representative Jameson's bill, au-
thorizing health officers 10 order vaca-
ton Of insanitary and uninhabitable
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 in 1915. The COM
mittee on education. by unanimous ac-
ton. merged the bills submitted by
Representative y. T. Miller and Frank
Gentry, providing for free school
books The bills were almost identical.
and after making q few minor changes
I'm the wording the bills were combined
and will be known as the Miller and
Gentry bill, which will be reported
back 10 the house today with recon-
mendation for its passage.
Senator WofsOn of indianapolis.
chairman of the senate committee on
natural resources, has called public
meeting of his comm ttee TO be held
In the senate chamber Tuesday night,
when the conservation bill will be dis
cussed The bill seeks TO consolidate
all 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 state affairs and said
Indiana was fortunate in having n
governor who favored such economy.
Governor Goodrich has Il number OF
bills before the legislature 10 abolish
numerous state offices and positions.
all of which he says can be done with
out injury to the service and at a 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 womans
suffrage bill 1t was the intention to
hold this public hearing next Monday
night, but il was delayed in 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
A.
with reference TO the manner In which
delegates to the convention shall be-
selected. The bill Us Ii stood would
have the delegates elected from the
state senatorial districts. The amend
ment changed this and Will have then
elected from state representative dis
5 tricts.