Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-03-18
FIRST TILT IN
FIGHT OF HOME
RULERS ON
Initial Showing Made in Move to
Give Cities Power Over Public
Utilities.
CHICAGO LOSES CENSORSHIP
Amendment to Give City Own Con-
troll of Films Ordered ELM
mated in Senate.

variety of delegations were here to-
day in the interest of pending legts-
latfon affecting Illinois cities. IN
Guiding Chicago. After a luncheon at
hotel for marshallng of their
forces, the municipal delegates
went in a body to the capitol this
afternoon where the first showing
was to be made before the senate
public utilities committee in the
interest of home rule" for cities
, over public utilities
The Chicago delegation was head
ed by Chester E. Cleveland. special
assistant corporation counsel, VINO
is representing Mayor William Hale
Thompson.
City Attorney Robert Watson, of
AledO, president of the Illinois
municipal home rule league and
Mayor H. J. Rodgers of Jackson
Vile. chairman of the special legfs-
Iative committee, were managing
the campaign Of the $50 cities en-
braced in the league.
The city representatives also are
backing Senator Bars bill permit
ting cities to tax up 10 two per cent
without a referendum vote as a
financial strain on municipal treas
uries. The present statute permits
a tax levy of one and twO-tenths per
cent without vote of the people,
and of two per cent when author
lied by popular vote
Cost of elections, it is said. made
the present law unwieldy.
Censor for Chicago Lost.
! By a vote of u to II, the senate
today eliminated an amendment to
the Buck motion picture censorship
bill which gave Chicago what
amounted to home rule" relating
TO control of motion pictures.
The motion to strike out the
amendment was made by Senator
Essington of Streator.
The bill as amended was advanc-
ed to third reading.
After the ESsingtOn motion to
amend had carried, Senator Austin
of Chicago, in further attempt to
defeat the intent of the measure,
moved to strike out section 10 of the
bill which would prohibit local CEN
sorship after October l, by invali-
dating all censorship ordinances
after that date and preventing the
enactment of others The Austin
motion was lost % to IS.
Consideration of the bill provoked
warm debate by senators who at
tackled the principle of motion pic
ture censorship.
Passes Fund Bill.
BY a vote Of 138 to 0, the house
today passed the Smejkal bill ap-
propriating SLIGO 600 for deficiency
expenses of the charitable and
penal institutions. The measure
carrying an emergency clause, had
no opposition from the Democratic
side which succeeded last week in
defeating an emergency clause of
companion bill OF Senator Curtis.
<The bill is expected to have the
concurrence of the senate
The house passed 127 to 0, Repre-
sentative PAGES bill emitting per-
sons not now teaching to take adj
vantage of the teachers pension
fund if they have spent 25 years in
the teaching profession.
A joint senate resolution, intro
duced by Senator Daley, asking
the war department to permit the
Thirty-third division and the One
Hundred Forty-ninth field artillery,
Illinois troops, to parade as units
in Chicago before being disbanded,
was passed unanimously by the
house.
Representative Shurtleff asked
that the bill of Charles Curren !
increasing the salaries of circuit |
court judges be drawn back to sec
ond reading where it was amended |
to reduce the proposed salary
from $500 to $500 annually, and |
to eliminate the clause giving cir
cult court judges living expenses |
while serving on the appellate |
bench 1t went to third reading |
Bills of Representative Castle of t
Chicago giving soldiers and sailors |
preference on civil service rists |
were advanced to third reading !
amendments had been approved 20 /
include men in the naval reserve
and to exclude persons convicted by |
court martial OF refusing to do mill
tary duty on the ground of con-
scientious objections.