South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-12-15
BILLS PROPOSED
FOR LEGISLATURE
DISCUSSED HERE
Chamber of Commerce Meet
ing Favors Passage of
Various Acts.


what they would hear regarding the
state health board as certain pref
udiceS prevailed IN that quarter He
advocated the bill for compulsory
vaccination of school children and
gave figures supporting his conten-
ton He also stood In favor OF a
bill for the proper heating of apart
ments and store buildings and for
the tuberculean test CT cattle. Or
Edgar Meyers moved that these
measures receive the hearty support
OF the organization. The move was
seconded and passed unanimously.
Housing Question Up.
Fred Keller spoke on the subject
! OF housing. He dwelt upon the loo
al problem OF the need OF housing
facilities and spoke OF the legisla-
ton passed In other states 10 curb
rent profiteering but which had not
accomplished its purpose. in that ii
discouraged bunding He recon-
mended constructive legislation and
provisions that would permanently
relieve the local situation for all
time. He stood opposed 10 any laws
regulating rent or that exempted
new buildings from taxation.
City Plan and Zoning" was next
| presented by William Happ. His
address tended TO explain the CITY
plan and coming measures. He said
the city plan bill as il stands If
passed will give the city the power
70 hire expert city planners who
| wiz anticipate the growth and the
congestion of the city and will guide
that growth in a scientific manner
TO avoid congestion and the unset
entific extension Of thee city limits
70
a city Will tend TO drive out enter
Drising industries, as the COugested
condition will not permit them to
locate in an efficient and LrOfitabl-
| position. The zoning bill viii re-
strict certain buildings 20 certain
places and thereby protect the resi-
Dental districts. He cited instances
where buildings Of a certain nature
have detracted half the value from
adjoining property He said the
| bills were in the interests Of the
1 home. property, health and the city.
/ Following Mr.. Happ. several men
gave their views and how the lack
/ of proper zoninB had affected their
1 own homes. The organization final
/ ly went on record "a favoring rea-
I sonable and rational legislation on
! the subjects discussed.
I - =. 0aLNeTL TOOK uD the Su DlECL
: Of Public Utilities and explained
/ the manner in which public utilities
/ were interviewer in the city welfare
! He warned the legislators 10 give
public utilities careful consideration
/ where legislation was concerned.
I saying AS YOU treat the utility YOU
/ treat the city"
Home Rule Bill.
r. r. Smith. of the Chicago. South
I Bend and Northern Indiana Railway
/ company. spoke on the subject OF
! Street Railways" He said that
/ legislation did not affect street rail-
ways SO much as IL was more Of q
/ local problem and that the situation
( here would not fit the situation in
another nearby city and that Irob-
/ lens arising could best be solved
! by the local citizens and the railway
| company. He showed where the
! greatest problem of the South Bend
system was its lack OF credit
THE Home Rule Bill" discussed
! by i. MOomaw, was explained in de-
/ tail from its origin 70 its present
/ growth. He pointed out the advan-
tages Of it which include the ability
= 20 fix the. respOnsi bility among
/ other things He gave as examples
/ the strides made by other cities
/ which had adopted this form of
/ government He dwelt both on the
commission and the commission
I manager form of government. and
/ showed where the passing of the bill
would give the city the option Of
! adopting it should its need ever be
! felt. Following a general discus
( sion q motion was passed TO put an
/ enabling act on the books Of Indi-
4 IL l. \ = . l.
/ cities Of the second class.
Supt Of Schools W W Borden
/ followed with an explanation OF the
! measures needed for the public
schools Of the city and advocated
/ measures that should be passed for
I the betterment Of the school and
! teacher system in the state The
! measures were all Endorsed by the
| assembly.
The track elevation proposition as
\ IL now stands was discussed by City
! Atty. Slick. He explained the man
/ ncr in which a reconciliation with
/ the Grand Trunk railroad officials
! had been effected. According TO the
| present plans, which are only ten
tative, the Grand Trunk VIII give
/ up their right of way on Division
I St as far west as the site of the
! present station, Wnlcn VIII De maze
I into a. large freight house. The
! tracks viii extend along the east
\ side of the river and will join
] single entrance on an elevation TO
/ the city. Legislation viii be neces-
sary 10 give the city the power 10
raise funds 20 pay the agreed sum
/ 10 the Grand Trunk railroad com
pany for giving up their right OF
/ way. This viii be cheaper in the
/ long run. according to Mr.. Slick,
/ than building two elevations. The
! body endorsed an enabling act pro-
viding for this.
/ DR.. J. c. Boone gave the details
! OF the investigation conducted 70
/ ascertain the need OF a county hos
/ pitaI He said that the CITY was now
! in need of about 400 more beds and
! proposed legislation providing for
I the building Of a hospital costing
/ approximately 100000. Dr. Bert
/ ling disagreed with the proposal
. and a heated discussion followed.
; which ended in the adoption OF the
act which if passed BY the state leg
islature will make both a county
and the extension Of the present
4 one possible.
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