Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-07-27


Ing the report of the joint conference
committee provides for the following:
That a coal and food commission
be created to consist Of the members
Of the state board of accounts who
are TO serve without additional pay
That the members Of the state
board OF accounts shall serve as mem
bers Of that committee until March
81, 1921, unless specific legislation
extends the life of the coal commit
tee
The committee shall have the power
to fix the price Of coal mined In
Indiana
The committee shall have the right
to hold hearings to establish the
price of coal.
That all companies owning coal
mines shall obtain a license to mine
coal and pay a fee.
That all wholesalers and retailers
in coal shall register with the board
and pay a license fee.
That coal mines shall pay a certain
tonnage fee.
That the state board Of accounts
shall make investigations to detep-
mine II there is any boarding of food
and to recommend legislation against
hoarding for the next legislature.
When the bill passed the senate 10
carried with it the amendment that the
public service commission should be
given the power to act as the coal COM
mission.
The conferees' report took that power
away from the public service commits
sion and substituted the state board Of
accounts.
The senate by an amendment by Sen.
ator WolfSon struck out the clause of
the bill providing that the commission
when it deemed such action advisable
could seize and operate any mine.
Senator Wolfson at the time he intro
duced his motion said he was opposed
10 government ownership and that this
was a step toward that.
The conference committee also ap-
proved Of the action OF the senate in
supporting the Wolfson amendment and
permitted the amendment to stand.
LOWER HOUSE
GIVES APPROVAL.
The lower house agreed with the con-
ferees In their stand on giving the com-
mission such sweeping powers.
AS the bill stands following the adop-
ton Of the conferees report, the coal COM
mission is essentially 4 rate fixing COM
mission, Of which Indiana has so many.
The conferees' report did not change VI
tslIE-the bill as amended by the senate
with the exception Of making the state
board Of accounts the complete member
ship Of the coal and food committee.
The principal relief that can be OBJ
tained by the plan as approved by the
lower house and which now awaits the
approval OF the senate, is for the COM
mission TO fix. the price Of coal.
The bill gives the commission power
to engage counsel to defend its actions
In court If suits are brought against the
commission.
The commission is given the power to
engage necessary clerks, assistants and
others needed to carry on the work Of
the commission and to fix their compen-
sation although it is provided that tha
members OF the commission themselves
shall not receive additional pay for their
services as members Of the commission,
One Of the most spirited discussions re-
suited in the lower house when engrossed
senate bill No 4O2 was called up for sec
ond reading and for amendments or for
engrossment.
The bill as passed by the senate provid-
ed for the payment of the per diem com
pensation for preliminary engineering
services performed in the construction or
repair OF highways.
AMENDMENTS
START DISCUSSIONS.
Representative Mendenhall started a
vigorous discussion when he introduced
three amendments to the senate bill IN
der the gutse OF one amendment
The amendments provided that the
county surveyor, viewers, rodmen, en-
gineer and others connected with the
making preliminary estimates of fling
petitions for the improvements of roads,
shall be paid their per diem and compen-
sation instead of waiting a long period
of time before the bonds actually are
sold for the road improvements.
Mendenhall's amendment also provided
that this pay should be allowed for
Services performed either heretofore or
hereafter under and by virtue of the pro-
visions of any Of the laws of this STATE
providing for the construction or repair
of highways"
Both these amendments were adopted,
but when an effort was made by the Men
denhall followers to get a suspension of
rules to advance for third reading and
for passage this failed.
Representative Mendenhall attempted
to defend his amendments and admitted
he had not written them himself but
that he had obtained advice which he
relied on.
Representative Givans, Marion, at
tempted to have motion made to strike
cut the enacting clause, but that was
tabled.
CALLS MEASURE
bad AND VICIOUS"
81 am opposed to the amendments be-
cause 1t is a bad and vicious NATTER
said Representative Givans.
Representative Davies branded the hill
as "class and special legislation" and
contended that the enacting clause should
be stricken out.
Representative Barker insisted the bin
was a fair bill because it paid county
Continued on Page Nine)