The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-02-21
Scent Increase Over Rate
Announced by Governor.
Provided in Measures.
MEDICAL BILL TARGET
Legislature Goes AfieId to
Rule Communities.
BY Frank j. Prince


to % cents for each 500 Of assessed
valuation if all appropriation meas
ures considered by the Legislature
are passed.
With two weeks in which to trans
act business, the Senate and House
Of Representatives met at 10 a. m.
today.
Appropriation measures started
on their way, entail an increase of
5 cents above the 2S-cent tax levy an
nounced with gusto and bombast by
Governor Jackson and the Repub-
lican State committee before/the cleo
ton last November.
Regular appropriations will call
for an additional cent OF levy, the
Vincennes memorial exposition will
take mills, the fund for improving
the institutions of higher education
are to get the benefit of 2-cent levy
effective next year, while the fight
against the European corn borer will
cost one-half cent on each 500 of
assessed valuation. One cent is to be
for a new State library.
"Too Much" New
"Too much is the way
many legislators express themselves
privately on the s275,0OO allowed for
eradication of the corn borer and
Japanese beetle. These members,
however. were swept along in the
maelstrom of speed. The bill was
passed by the House in less than
thirty minutes after it had been in
troduced.
But one voice, that Of Representa-
tive Oscar Ahlgren of Lake County,
was raised against it. and he de-
clared the amount excessive.
The real strength of the farm bloc
will be seen in the vote on the lux
ury tax bill. which is to be reported
out favorably by the House Ways
and Means Committee.
The proposed tax on cigars and
cigarets is far from being popular
and many amendments will be in
troduced to change it. Regarded as
log rolling" measure to be vot-
ed for in return for support on the
2-cent levy instead OF 3, for the uni
versities and normal schoo's-the
farm bloc and it's friends are di-
vided on the advisability of further
taxation, and have little hope of
getting it passed.
Close Medical Vote
The medical bill with its injunc-
ton feature will cause a battle in
the Senate this week. Strength Of
the measure seems to be on the
wane with all the groups Of healers
combined against the medical men.
If passed at all the vote will be very
close, as it was in the lower body,
where a bare constitutional major
ity put it over.
Some members of the Assembly
seem to think that an election is
binding contract and have gone so
far as to intimate that county treas
urers now in office and those elect
ed have a right to the interest on
Barrett law funds.
This Legislature has gone far
afield in seeking to regulate in
dividual communities. A bill in the
House provides the board of works
Of Anderson shall be composed of
the five council members-three now
serve--is a case in point.
The bill has the support of State
chairman Clyde Walb and Secretary
Harry Fenton in an effort to help
Ray Gibbons. Madison County Repub-
lican chairman and employe of the
Public Service Commission, who has
not missed a session OF the Legis-
lature since it started, complete his
hold on the city administration in
Anderson.
Bills in Harris Pocket
Utility regulation has been the
most talked of and least acted on
legislation of the session. Two bills
have come from the Senate with its
approval but they nestle snugly and
serenely in the pocket of Representa-
tive j. Glenn Harris, chairman of
Judiciary "a.
The Nejdl bill allowing appeals
from decisions of the Public
Service Commission and the Harlan
bill giving the commission super
vision of operating expenses of the
utilities have not been reported out
by Harris committee, because Har-
ris hasn't submitted them.
When Howell Ellis was appointed
to the commission to fill the place
of Samuel r. Artman, the Times
stated that J. Reid Mccain was
named secretary of the commission
at the request of Harris in return for
what Harris might do in the Legis-