The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1920-08-13
TAX CURE BILL.
IS CALLED FRAUD
Evan q. Stotsenburg, Formerly State
Attorney-GeneraI, Sees Goodrich
Joker In Hastily Drafted
Measure.
MANY FLAWS ARE CITED

indianapolis, Ind-Evan B. Stots
enburg OF New Albany, formerly
state encouragement, took issue, in
statement given out today with
three important acts passed by the
recent. session of the legislature. Mr.
Stotsenburg. whose administration OF
the attorney-generals Office raised
him to high rank among Indiana at
torneys, has given particular study
to the Tuthill-Kiper curative meas
ure; the Johnson so-called home
rule bill and the coal control bill.
Il think the Tuthill-Kiper measure
Is fraud on the face of it," he said.
The evident purpose of it is to force
what vii be Equalization OF the &C
ton OF the state board of tax COM
missioners in applying horizontal in.
creases and which were declared IL
legal by the supreme court.
VIII Rcafflrm Assessments.
1.-THE plan that evidently will be
carried out will be this The tax
board will affirm its action In max
ing the increases. The assessments
will be then just where the board H.
legally placed them last August.
Thus affirmed they will go to the
local boards OF review and they will
be either forced to accept them, or
make up a new levy if they reject
them.
This last necessity is the club
held over, the local boards. 1t would
have been much more honest to have
equalized than legalized the action of
the board. Time will show that no
relief is given against the illegal and
unauthorized action Of the state
board
THE home-rule bill is little bet
ter, but is still open to objection. II
home rule is right on and after Janu-
airy l, 1921, why not now? Then there
is this inconsistency about it: The
county. council now makes all county
tax levies and passes upon and
authorizes, either directly or indi-
rectiy.f all county bonds issues So
far as these things are concerned the
law permits an appeal from the body
taking = the original action to tho
same body All these matters are
purely local and the officers having
charge of them are responsible to the
peoplesfor their acts. Let the appeal
be to the electorate at the polls.
Coal Control Bill Weak.
1.-THE coal control bill is no better.
Mr. Goodrich, or at least his family, is
largely. interested in this industry.
How . deeply interested has never
been told. II the coal measure is
constitutional then the administra-
tiOn is placed in the hands Of Mr..
Goodrich and his appointee, Jesse
Eschbach. Just how firm q control
the governor has over Mr.. Eschbach
is shown by their actions in the two
special sessions. Whenever Goodrich
needs7a speaker, Eschbach resigns
from x the State Board of Accounts
and when the special session is con-
Guided he is Immediately reappointed.
Il believe the following provisions
of the{measure will be held invalid:
The power TO fix prices; the power to
confseate either mines or coal: the
inqqisifion powers therein contained,
such as compelling the production of
books-a and papers, and the license
feess,to be charged operators and
dealers.
Il further predict that if the act is
held valid that its effect will be TO
drive coal out of the state and 20 pre-
vent coal from coming in"
Experts who have studied the taxa.
ton measures coincide with Mr..
Stotsenburg's views The fact that
the Tuthin- Kiper measure is causing
untold confusion throughout the state
causes no surprise here among those
familiar with its enactment. The
true story Of the taxation measure
has just been told
conferees Kept Prisoners.
After the senate and house had
deadlocked for days on a solution OF
the problem a little breakfast was
held in Indianapolis on Friday morn
ing. July so, attended by Senator
New, Governor Goodrich. State Chair
man F. NJ. Wasmuth and Warren T.
McCray. 1t was decided the session
must be ended that day
Accordingly the tax conferees to-
gether with Ed Jackson. candidate
for reelection as secretary -6 state;
u S Lesh, candidate for attorney
general. and Fred Sims of the tax
board are said TO have been ordered
locked up and not let out until they
reached an agreement
IL is recalled now that meals were
carried TO the conferees and that they
81 not appear until decision was
tfached There. locked in room.
prisoners OF the Goodrich administra-
lion those men were forced 10 an