The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-02-18
LAFUzE BILL
ON ROADS IS
TO Be PUSHED
May Amend Wayne County
Solon's Measure to Make it
Conform with Governor S
Proposed Program.
HIGH LEvIES meet AXE

ture is familiar by this time with the
manner in which the big axe has been
falling on all bills that are designed
to take the taxpayers money out of
the public treasury but the best ex-
ample Of the retrenchment policy
came when the inhibition was applied
to measure that was very highly re-
garded by the governor himself
1t has been known for long time
that the governor has had ideas about
the manner in which the improved
county highways should be maintain
ed. To put it plainly he has been
or the present method which puts
the maintenance into the hands of a
county highway superintendent in
each county and provides the money
by means Of county levies.
So the governor worked out in his
mind bill which would have provided
for a state levy for maintenance. a
patrol system, virtual civil service for
the county highway superintendents
or commissioners as they would have
been called under the governors bill
and a great many other improvements
III tiC syoCChl ludI "CiC oSoiiSo W
the governor.
Studies Things Over.
Then the governor got to studying
it ever and some of the watch-dogs
of the treasury talked to him about
it. and now it is said that the COVER
nor's favorite bill is headed for the
waste basket at least as far as this
session of the legislature is concern
ed. And what is more it is said now
that the governor will not favor a
levy of more than six or seven cents
on 500 for the state highway COM
mission. He found that under his
new system of road maintenance it
would have been necessary to make a
state road levy of about 10 cents. This
did not fit in at all with his ideas OF
keeping down the state levies. a-
1t was said today that the Lafuze
hill which was passed by the house
yesterday. will now be pushed forward
and by enacting it into law with GER
tain amendments that are to be made
an attempt will be made to do some
Of the things that were contemplated
in the governors proposed bill.
ea.e. Provisions Of Bill.
The Lafuze dill provides that the
term Of the county road superintend-
ent shall be four years instead of two;
for an allowance of 10 cents mile
to superintendents that use their own
conveyances in their work: requires
the superintendent to file a budget
with the county commissioners. &c
days before the time for making the
annual levies, and would require the
county road superintendent to attend
for one week the annual road school
D,,rI y,y,fx -01116 Dl
enable county commissioners to in
crease the salaries of county road
superintendent.
1t is said that the governor feels
that this bill may be worked into
very desirable form and that many i'm
provements may be accomplished
without necessity of increasing the
state road levy.
Holds Down Levies.
AS an example of the manner in
which the governor has determined
that levies shall be held down, his
experience with the proposed levy for
the common schools has been cited
1t was noticed this week that he made
two statements. on this question. In
the first one he indicated that he
would not favor levy as high as
seven cents for the common schools
and his second statement was to the
effect that he would not favor levy
greater than seven cents. 1t is said
.hat the governor did not make his
second statement until he had been
visited by LEGISLATORS and others who
told him of the poor conditions of the
schools in some parts of the state
and urged on him the importance oi
increasing the deficiency funds for
such schools.
The governor as we'll as certain OF
his advisers it is said. believe that now
that the close of the session is draw
i-g near. it is time to put their foot
down hard on tax levy increases
They realize that it is always near the
close of the session when such in
creaees slip through. But in their de
termination for economy this session
the governor and his advisers it seems
are we'll backed up by the Legislature
and particularly by the house. The
house is now referred to as being
hard boiled" on the matter of taA
levies and appropriations.
House Yields Axe.
The TEMPERAMENT of the house was
pretty we'll shown recently when there
came to i bill from the senate which
would have authorized school boards
IF the state to provide school lunches
for pupils The bill went through the
senate easilv but when it reached the
house it died so quickly that certain
Indianapolis women who were boost
ing the measure were hardly aware o.
what was going on. The bill did not
carry a state levy but it opened the
way for the expenditure OF more of the
taxpayers money, so the house would
not stand for II 1t is said now that
the only hope the Indianapolis womer
have Of getting such a measure
through the house is to make it apply
% Marion county only and that is just
what they arc getting ready to do.
Incidentally the governor has beer
having very good luck in getting his
hills through both branches OF the leg
islature. The opinion was expressed
todav that his budget hill which pass
I'd tho senate would go through the
house and that the administration tax
Continued on Page Three)