The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1922-12-27
ADVOCATES
POLITICAL.
E:CONOMY Y
Would Have Judge Of Circuit
Court Appoint Certain
Officials

william A. Hill, Hammond manu-
facturer and Joint representative
from Lake and Porter counties. ia
vors a short ballot. Not only short
but short and snappy.
To begin with Representative
Hill has In mind a constitutional
amendment making the Offices OF
prosecuting attorney and county
surveyor appointive instead OF cleo
tive. Under the new arrangement
the prosecuting attorney would be
appointed by the Judge of the cir
cult court and the surveyor by the
board of county commissioners. II
that works out satisfactorily, Re
preventative Hill sees no reason
why all officers OF the court should
not be appointed by the court. This
includes the sheriff and the clerk.
II Mr.. Hills theory Is enacted
into law the Judge OF the circuit
court, which Is the senior court, will
appoint the clerk, sheriff and pro-
secutor, and the salaries of these
officers will be fixed by the county
council, while the surveyor viii be
begin with, however, MIR. Nill is
satisfied to try the experi9& Int on
the prosecuting attorney and sur
veyor alone. Owing TO the "a It
that such a change must be made
by an amendment to the consts>u
tion. Mr.. Hill realized that il would
not be an easy matter.
This is part OF a plan of political
economy which Representative Hill
has in mind. He believes that It s
essential that the waste be elinli-
mated from our government all
along the line. Mr.. Hill declared
to a reporter that the farmers
plight is such that unless econom
ioal reform can be accomplished
Immediately the country's prosper
ty VIII suffer. Taxes must be
lowered. The farmers dollar. Mr..
Hill said, is worth about 65 cents
OF the city mans dollar.
"The Republican party IN this
legislature must practice economy
or it will not be reelected" said
Mr.. Irill The burden OF taxes is
too great. For that reason l am
not in favor of the expenditure OF
$4,000, 900 for the purchase OF the
Dunes park. For the same rea-
son I favor tax on gasoline. the
revenue from this tax to be used
in the building and repair OF
roads
Representative Hill has another
proposed amendment TO the consti-
tuition whereby the governor shall
take office between sessions OF the
Legislature instead OF during a ses-
sion. At present the governor takes
office while the Legislature is meet
ing and Mr.. Hill believes that the
chief executive should have time to
acquaint himself with the affairs of
the state.
Another bill which Mr.. Hill may
introduce provides that the damages
to property owners for the widening
period OF ten years.
Regarding the public utilities
commission. Mr.. Hill made the fol-
lowing statement:
Theoretically 1t would seem that
the public utilities should be con
trolled by the communities in which
they operate but for practical pur-
poses it is not advisable because
they are made a political football
in every local campaign. In theo-
ry ! am not in favor OF commissions
which take the control away from
the community but I believe the
public utility commission is the les
ser of two evils. 1t is possible that
there should be some amendments
to the law governing the public
utility commissions but largely,
believe. the policy of the governor
and the character of men he ap-
points to the commission shape its
usefulness
Mr.. Hill sees need OF the reintro-
duction OF the proposed constitu-
tional amendment raising the quail
ifications for admittauce to the
practice OF law in the state and
also a reform In the practice OF
criminal law. He believes that there
should be some curb on the tactics
Of the tricky" lawyer. Only by
the cooperation of bench and bar
can there be a check placed on the
increasing lawlesness, he declared