The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-02-03
DISCUSS BILL
GIVING CITIES
new CONTROL
Senator McConaha Expected
to Lead Fight for Measure
Giving Municipalities Power
to Establish Home Rule.
STATE POLICE BILL UP
BY PALLADITM CORRESPONDENT

statewide ponce system, and the other
on bill to give cities the power to
establish the commission or the COM
mission manager form of government
Senator McConaha of Richmond,
where there is decided sentiment for
home rule, is expected to lead in the
fight for the latter bill both in COM
mittee and when it reaches the floor
Of the senate.
1--WE have had a rather sad expert
ence with our present form of govern
ment," he said, "and tine people of
Richmond are anxious for change"
In several other cities resolutions
have been adopted favoring the city
manager legislation
The bill for statewide police
force has been widely indorsed by
farmers organizations, chambers of
commerce and other organizations of
the kind, but has the opposition of
great many union labor organiza-
tions.
Farmers Favor.
1t was thought at first that the
farmers of the state might oppose the
bill because of the appropriation it
must carry, but the outlook for the
support of the farmers seemed more
hopeful today. 1t was agreed that
after the hearing tonight it would be
possible to determine about how the
opposition to the measure will line
up. A bill introduced by Senator
Rats. and which it was taken was
intended as a blow at the proposed
statewide police system, has already
been killed. 1t provided for the op-
pointment of deputy sheriffs in cases
of emergency
While it might appear to some that
the survival in the house yesterday of
the bill to abolish the public service
commission indicated that the bill has
chance to get through the house the
situation is exactly the opposite say
those who wish to see the commission
saved. Impartial inquiry indicates
that they proba bly, are right.
Popularity Counts.
The adoption of the favorable COM
mittee report in the house yesterday
was due almost entirely it seems to
the personal popularity of some of the
men who are backing the bill, partic-
ularly Representatives Bedgood and
Smith who with others introduced the
measure. 1t was said by one man who
looked into the matter that Smith and
Bedgood were successful in getting
seven or eight men to vote for the
measure who on final roll call will
vote against it.
Since the vote for the favora BILE COM
mittee report was SO to as it is ap-
parent that the switching of less than
seven or eight votes will kill the
measure when the time comes. Just
why the proponents of the measure
wished the bill to go to second read
ing is not known unless it was that
tbnx- r;ch ,;cI hn hc,,S
of the service commission as much as
possible.
Measure to Bill.
One of the speakers on the floor
said that the attack that had been
made on the commission law previous
ly was to give notice that the commits
sion must be made up of a higher
class of men. Of course most anything
may happen in legislature but after
the developments yesterday it seems
to be pretty good bet that the bill
will not finally pass the house. There
has been an idea all along that it
might get through the house but that
it would certainly fail in the senate.
There was considerable talk today
about the revival Of primary election
legislation but it emanated mostly
from those who wish to retain the di-
rect primary. They intimated in their
conversations that they feel sure
enough of their position to try to put
through the Alldredge bill in the SEN
ate and even to attempt to make fur
ther amendments to the Alldredge bill
which in their opinion will strengthen
the operation of the direct primary.
Talk on Primary.
1t had been pretty generally conclud-
ed that efforts to amend the primary
law had passed for good and that may
be true Nevertheless there was more
discussion about the direct primary
today than there had been for several
days past. The fact that several news
papers out in the state have referred
to the recent primary fight and have
spoken favorably of the primary sys-
tenn may have had something to do
with it.
The Rats bill for a budget system
which was introduced in the senate
Yesterday was also a favored topic OF
discussion today and not all of the
comments were favorable. Remarks
were heard that the state board of
charities should have charge of the
preparation of the budget each two
wears instead of the chief examiner
of the state board of accounts as the
Rats bill provides.
Against Eschbac11.
A great deal of this kind of talk was
attributed to personal feeling against
Jesse Eschbach chief examiner of the
state board of accounts who has been
unrelenting in his efforts TO trace down
delinquent county officials. Friends of
Mr.. Eschbach were saying today that
he would be entirely capable as budget
commissioner
There is little doubt that there will
be bitter fight over the question If
an effort is made to change the bill
in this respect when, it comes up on
the floor of the senate. 1t is presumed
that the measure as it was introduced
had the imprimatur of Governor Nc
Cray since Senator Rats was a mem
Der of the commission that Governor
Continued on Page Three)