Evening star., 1925-01-02
AUTOAND ECONOMY
STATES PROBLEMS
Legislatures, About to Meet,
Face Task of Cutting
Expenditures.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
CHICAGO, January ECONOMY and
automobiles furnish the real prob
lens of Il Midwestern legislatures,
which convene in January. Ten of
them have economy programs, high
way Improvement is another wide
spread subject and five States have
proposals to tax gasoline sales.
Texas woman governor, Mrs. NJ. A.
Ferguson, has a program of economy
throughout State affairs, including
elimination of overlapping work of
several boards and commissions. The
legislature faces a movement to put
motor transportation companies under
the State Railroad Commission. High
way Improvement is proposed.
Oklahoma has an economy program,
and proposal TO establish preferen-
tial or run-off primaries.
Gas Tax Proposed.
Nebraska's proposals include econ
omy and a . cents a gallon gasoline
tax.
Economy is one of Missouri's legls-
latiYe WatchWords. Other proposals
a re for workmen's compensation and
restriction of the sale of firearms.
Ohio proposes tax revision, and also
has a gasoline tax bill. 1t has a pro-
posed budget of S43 100000 for high
~ay Improvement during the next two
years, and a movement to license all
motor drivers.
Consolidation of II State depart
nents into one department of agri-
culture is favored by Gov.-eIect Carl
s. Gunderson, in South Dakota. Other
measures are greater security for
bank depositors, child welfare, re-
vival of capital punishment and re-
vision of the primary law to decrease
the time lapses between successive
steps.
One of the nations leading lumber
States, Wisconsin, has a reforeStation
plan through constitutional amend
ment. Tax revision is also planned.
Religion In Schools Asked.
In North Dakota weekday religious
classes are proposed in the public
schools for all who care to attend.
Repeal of the anti-cigarette law and
tax revision are other subjects.
A State budget system is offered in
Minnesota. Along with a proposal to
reduce automobile taxation is meas
ure to tax gasoline. Other expected
bills are for closing the polls at Z
pm. instead of 9, and restoring the
legislature to partisan lines, instead
of the nonpartisan basis of the past
several years.
Iowa has a 2-cents-a-gallon gaso-
line tax measure, and a bill to make
Bible reading in the schools compul.
sorry.
A constitutional amendment for
State income tax is up in Indiana. A
proposed educational change is to put
schools in charge of county instead
of township boards.
VETS in Illinois Bill
Illinois has tax reduction and a
State consta bulary measure. Vets
say they will attempt to pass a bill
permitting the sale Of 2.75 per cent
beer, and that they are stronger in
the Legislature than heretofore, while
drys deny any increase in wet
strength. Coroner Wolff of Chicago
sponsors a bill to examine applicants
for automobile licenses and to deprive
intoxicated drivers of licenses.
Kansas has tax revision, State
highway construction, a State budget
system and abilition or revision of the
Industrial court. Consolida tion with
the public utilities commission is one
of the proposals for the industrial
court.
A 2-cent gasoline tax is up in
Michigan, along with a program to
raise S20,000,000 annually for high
ways 1t is proposed also in taxing
automobiles to differentiate between
heavy and light cars. There is bill
for the adoption of capital punish
ment.