The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-03-28
KNOTTY TASKS
STILL RE MAIN
FOR GOVERNOR
Must Consider State Tax
Board, Highway Commis-
sion, Board of Education
and Other Departments.
MAKES GOOD START


start on the business Of re-orsanizing
the state government to comply with
laws enacted by the last legislature
and also to meet his own ideas of
what the state government should be.
But many important phases of his
task still remain, and, it is presumed
by the political observers, that he will
continue his duties in this connection
during the present week. The state
tax board, one of the knottiest prob
lens he will have to tackle must be
considered as well as the state high
way commission, the state board of
education and a number of other de-
partments.
In the reorganization work he did
last week the governor seemed to get
along very successfully. No criticism
was heard of his appointment of Maur
ice Douglas and George Barnard as
members Of the public service COM
nilsson or of the reappointment of
John w. McCardle on this commission.
Nor is it hardly likely that his action
in obtaining the resignation of Miles
Schaeffer, head of the state insurance
department will provoke criticism. Mr..
McCray's removal of Schaeffer recalls
the attacks that were made on this
appointment when James P. Goodrich
was governor. Many business men of
Indianapolis who were interested in
the insurance question protested the
appointment Of Schaeffer and worked
hard to bring about the appointment
of Thomas McMurray, of Indianapolis.
McMurray was highly recommended
as one of the most efficient insurance
men in the state.
Considers Women.
Governor McCray has already dem
onstrated that he does not intend to
overlook the women of the state. And
in taking care of positions that can
be adequately occupied by women he
enjoys an advantageous position be-
cause his secretary Is woman-Miss
Adah Bush. While it is not under
stood by any means that Miss Bush is
debating the appointment of women
by the go-ernor, it is true that she is
In a position to give him information
directly and also to make him familiar
with many sources of information.
Women who were appointed to posi-
tons last week were: Mrs. Samuel
M. Ralston, wife of the former gov
ernor, member of the board of trus-
tees of the Indiana Girls school; Mrs.
Carina c. Warrington OF FIT. Wayne,
member of the board for the Indiana
School for Feeble Minded Youths and
Mrs. Caroline Blackston Morrison of
Lafayette on the board of the state
soldiers home at Lafayette. 1t is said
also that the governor may appoint a
woman on the state board of educa.
tion.
Nor has the present administration
been slow to demonstrate that it in
tends to look pretty carefully over the
agricultural interests. The governor
,l~
those who have the management of
farms for state institutions and has
announced his intention of erecting a
building at the state fair ground that
would house the year round certain ex-
perimental work of the Purdue uni
versity agricultural experiment sta.
tion. 1t also has been announced that
Purdue university will operate an ex
perimental farm of eighty acres in
Washington county. This farm will
be under the direct supervision of the
Purdue experiment station. Agricul.
turistS can see much wisdom in this
move. With experimental farms of
this size in different parts of the state
much of advantage could be learned
as to local soil qualities and best
methods for soil yield. One of the
surprising facts of the last session OF
the legislature was that some of the
farmer members who were old in the
BUSINESS had come around to the side
of scientific farming and were in ia
vor of appropriating generous sums
for agricultural improvement.
Arouses Discussion.
The decision Of Governor McCray
to call a conference for the special
consideration of proposed constitutional
lott inc ~
caused considerable discussion and
has led to surmise as to whether Z
movement to oppose these amend
mentS is to be started. The reQueS,
for conference was made by Alfred
F. Potts, who is secretary of the Tax
payers league, of Indianapolis. This
league, which was organized severa
months ago, has been taking the stand
that conservative measures should be
used in the matter of taxes and thai
there is danger of getting the tax rates
to a point where they will be undul!
burdensome.
The proposed constitutional amend
ments relating to taxation were the
cause OF hard fight during the -js
lative session although the fight wa:
made quietly and not much wa:
known of it by the public. The figh
against the amendments was directed
largely by business men in lndianap
oils who are extremely fearful of an.
"monkeying" with the tax question
and who believe that since the new
tax law of the state is finally in opera
ton after much tTouble,the subjec
should rest. One of the proposed
amendments would enable the legisla
ture to establish system of taxation
Generally It is understood that poWel
Of this kind is desired so that there
may be classification of property fo
taxation with varying rates on differ
ent kinds of property. But the fear i:
that when it comes to the classified
ton of property and the establishment
G varying rates there will be an end
less amount of controversy and man!
law suits. The last legislature enact
Continued on Page Two)