The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-01-31
ASSEMBLY TO
GET DOWN TO
BRASS TACKS
Legislature Begins Active
Stage of Session - Senti-
ment Favors Early Adjourn
ment-Discuss Home Rule.
QUESTIONS ARE LISTED
BY PALLADIUM CORRESPONDENT

BY PALLADIUM CORRESPONDENT
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind, Jan. 81
With its work this week the legisla-
ture may be said to be beginning the
active stage of the session. Usually
/. the first half of the so days is devoted
to the introduction of important meas
ures and the killing of bills OF less i'm
portance.
1t is true in this session as in pre-.
vious sessions that many of the most
consequential measures have not been
prepared until the middle of the ses-
sion.
AS an example the bill to straighten
out the tax law has only recently been
introduced, and the preparation of the
governors budget bill, the bill for the
removal of the state reformatory and
the measure for the disposition of the
state fair ground have just been COM
pleted and all will be introduced this
week.
Fix Appropriations.
The coming week which by the way
will see the legislature pass its half
way mark should bring about the COM
pletion of work on the general apprO-
priation bill. The bill after passing
the senate should get to the conference
committee early in the week and
should easily be disposed of by Friday.
incidentally it might be said that
the most conservative members of the
legislature seem certain in their pre-
diction that the Cravens amendment
to give the governor power 20 dismiss
members of boards and commissions
will die in conference committee. The
specific appropriation bill also should
be introduced this week and probably
action on it in the house will be COM
pleted before the end of the week.
important Tasks.
AS matter of fact the important
tasks that this Legislature had to meet
were the fixing of the general and
specific appropriations, the straighten-
ing out of the general tax law provis-
ions and the fixing of tax levies for
various state departments-the three
levies that arouse the most discussion
being those for the state highway COM
mission, the common schools, and the
three educational institutions.
The status of bills for the appro-
priations have been noted above. The
question of the levy for the common
schools has not-reaehed the house but
the issue is being thrashed out by
committees of educations and legisla-
tors.
1t is believed that the bill when it
is introduced in the house will call for
a levy of 10 cents. The amount de-
sired by the state board of education
and others was 20 cents. The Lake
county crowd has been leading the
fight for the lower levy for reasons
which will be discussed later in this
letter.
Proposes Road Levy
4 bill for 20 cent road levy for the
state highway commission has been
introduced by Representative Amber
son. chairman of the house roads COM
mittee The bill for a fivecent levy
for the state institutions has been pre-
sented by Representative Fifield and
probably will come up for discussion in
the house soon.
The educational institutions desire
seven-cent levy but it is generally be-
Iieved they will be satisfied with the
five-cent levy. The matter of sepa-
rate levy for the Purdue Agricultural
experiment station is already on its
way, discussion in the house this week
having resulted in a compromise on
three-eiehths of cent levy. The first
request was for a one cent levy and
as the bill was introduced it carried
G one-half cent levy.
Not TO Waste Time.
1t can be seen rather easily that
when this week has passed somewhat
more than one-half of the work on
important bills will have been coin
pleted. And If the temper of most of
the Legislators as they express them
selves in private conversation is any
indication, the assembly in its last
days is not going to waste much time
On unimportant bills The fact that in
the two houses something like 25 bills
were put OF sleep by various methods
curing the last week is significant.
In fact the sentiment among the
leaders of the Legislature is such that
considera BILE talk of early adjournment
is heard. 1t is true that in every ses-
sion CT the legislature for the last 20
years there has been talk of early
adjournment. But in this session it
appears that there is no reason why
early adjournment can be brought
about if the legislature so desires.
May Adjourn Early.
In every other session of the leg ;s,a-
ture fer great many years the talk of
cary adjournment has been hooted at
ty out side observers because they saw
that it was an Impossible accomplish
ment Such is not the case in this
session. Some Republicans believe it
would be an excellent thing to adjourn
two weeks early. Such action they
lay would counteract to a great eX-
tent the expenses of the special SEES
sion last summer and would be good
thing for the party as well as for the
people.
II is believed that the great bulk of
the bills under consideration have been
introduced. In the house the introduc
Ton OF bills up to this time falls about
$50 behind the usual record for this
time in the session, The senate also
is behind in the number introduced.
May Rush Work.
This situation OF course is another
reason why the remaining work of the
session may be completed quickly. At
the end of last week only 159 bills had
been introduced in the senate and
eco in the house. During the last
week 62 bills were presented in the
house and t3 in the senate.
1t is hardly likely that as many will
be presented this week and the num-