The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-01-23
FIFTEEN BILLS
WIN APPROVAL
IN COMMITTEE
AK Falls on Nine Measures
in House; yellow Dog
Contract Hit.

The gulllotlne fell on nine meas
ures in the Indiana house this
morning, while fifteen won approval
Of committees, concurred in by the
house at large. and were advanced
to second reading.
Among those killed on the block
Of indefinite postponement were bills
to reduce the legal contract inter-
est rate from 8 to 6 per cent a year;
exempt the federal government
from gasoline taxes in Indiana; au-
thorize payment of expenses of a
house committee junket to the H.
diana state prison; increase the pay
OF grand and petit jurors, and re-
quire the licensing of book and
magazine distributors in small cities.
Committee reports favoring pass
age We're adopted on bills levyilg
a tax of 5 cents a pound on oleo-
margarine, making Arrnistice day
a legal holiday, prohibiting prose-
cutting attorneys from prosecuting
divorce actions, and others.
Teacher Bill Saved
A bill excluding cities of 5000
and less population from provisions
of the teacher tenure law was
recommended for indefinite post
ponement in a majority report.
The minority, favoring passage,
succeeded, however, in saving the
bill for further consideration at
1890 a. m, Wednesday.
Indianapolis flood prevention and
airport bills were advanced to sec
ond reading, the house requiring
the long flood prevention measure
be printed, although indianapolis
representatives had sought to avoid
this, in the interest of economy.
An important step in the fight
of labor against the notorious "yel-
low dog contract in Indiana was
taken with adoption OF report
from the house committee on labor
for passage of the bill making such
agreements illegal.
The measure was introduced by
Representative John M. Masselink
(Dem., Vigo), who is chairman of
the labor committee. 1t not only is
sponsored by the State Federation of
Labor but is one of the labor planks
in the Democratic state platform.
Bond to Cover Pay Rolls
Another workers measure report
ed out fayorably would require per-
sons or corporations operating mines
under lease to post bonds equal to
twice the amount of the weekly pay
roll unless they own property in ex-
cess of this amount.
recommendation that the bill
placing a Scent sales tax on each
pound of oleomargarine be passed
will be embodied in the report of
the house committee on agriculture.
Members of this body declared that
the tax would protect Hoosier farm
ers against the business inroads
made by the sale of this product,
some of the ingredients of oleomar-
garine being imported.
Death yerdicts were decreed at
the ways and means committees
meeting late Thursday for two
measures directly affecting Indian
apoliS, one of them calling for the
removal of the Indiana women's
prison from its site at Randolph and
New York streets to a rural site and
carrying demand for a $4,000
appropriation. Representative Albert
F. Walsman (Den., Marion) led a
minority report on the prison bill.
The second measure concerning
Indianapolis authorized a $150,00O
appropriation for the use of Stout
field, Mars Hill, and is sought in
order to allow the national guard
TO receive six new airplanes from
the federal government.
Reports Arc Delayed
The reports were not submitted
today, however.
Walsman and Representative Earl
Crawford dem, Union and Wayne)
and majority caucus leader, joined
in leading the attack on the Brough-
ton resolution authorizing expenses
for the committee on affairs Of the
state prison for an inspection trip.
"These trips usually are farce"
Walsman said. 1.-THE probers are
'wined and dined' until they forget
what they're investigating. That's
the way things were when the Allen
county commissioners inspected the
county poor farm and found con-
ditions worse than in the middle
ages. They 'wllitewashed' it in their
report"
Crawford declared he was opposed
to setting any precedent for expen-
sive junkets by any group at the
state expense.
School Bill Opposed
The committee voted six to five
for passage of the amended Haines-
Evans uniform poll tax law which
provided a levy of $3.50 for all men
and women between 81 and so years.
The measure now provides that two
f1fths of TIN revenue go to the state
general fund and the remaining
three-fifths to the school fund.
Other bills given short sfrift by
the committee were the school bill
Of Representative Fabius w. Gwin
dem, Martin and Dubois, which
fixed the state instead of the city
or township as a school taxation
unit, and an amendatory measure
permitting county treasurers to open
temporary tax collection Offices in
incorporated towns with salaries OF
$500 for deputies.