The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-01-06
GATHER FOR
OPENING OF
LEGISLATURE
$50 Members Are Awaiting
Sessions Opening GaveI
on Thursday.
81 DAYS OF DEBATE
Many Issues Must Be Dis
posed of Before Gathering
Is Finally Dismissed.

Their pockets bullying with pre-
scriptionS for the cure of Indiana's
governmental, economic and social
ills, $50 legislators started gathering
here today for the opening of the
legislature Thursday.
Thursday mornings gavel will
bring forward no corrective propos-
ais. but next week will unlooSe a
flood of bills into the channel that
leads to the greyhound volume of
the ACTS of 1881"
Some of the measures on which A
Democratic house and Republic
an senate must come to some sort
of agreement before they are sent
to Governor Harry c.. Leslie's desk
are:
Bills to eliminate or reduce the
state levy on property, either by
substitution of an income tax, re-
tail sales tax; tobacco, amusement.
malt and luxury tax; a doubled auto
license fee; a tax on IS per cent of
the face value of intangibles-any
of these, or combination Of them.
Bone Dry Law is Target
Mea SureS for the repeal or modifica-
ton of the Wright bone dry law;
for referendum on the prohibition
question.
Bills, recommended by the state
crime commission, which would
create state department of pub
lie safety embracing the state police
and the criminal bureau; provide
for the election of judges on
separate non-partiSan ballot: give
the supreme court right to prescribe
qualifications for admission to the
bar; place prosecutors on salary
basis and eliminate the fee system;
create a judicial council to study
the practice of Indiana courts with
view to improvements; permit
courts to refuse separate trials to
gangsterS indicted together and
others.
Proposals to remedy the bankrupt
conditions of southern Indiana
schools without, the Governor in
sists, raising the general property
tax.
Reapportionment of the state into
twelve instead Of the present thir-
teen districts-the bugaboo of the
coming legislature, on which Demo-
cratic leaders and the Republican
Governor would attempt agreement,
but for an obdurate Republican state
chairman.
Discuss Receivers Fees
Resolutions for Investigations in
Guiding, probably, the highway
commission, the conservation de-
partlnent and the fire marshals of
flee.
Proposals for election of public
service commissioners instead Of
their appointment by the Governor;
utility regulatory bills, several in
tended to facilitate the purchase
and operation of public utilities by
municipalities without public SER
vice commission control.
Measures which would give the
state banking department broad
powers in the handling of bank re-
ceiverships in the hope of saving
for creditors the heavy fees which
now go to the receivers.
While bus operators are whisper
ing into the legislators right ear
their protests against higher license
fees, his wife's hair dresser will be
at his left, imploring passage CT the
cosmetologists licensing measure
fLot hoe E,oo,, h,,AotaJ 4I,roY,rI, 70
cent sessions. just as persistent,
BARRIERS want to be licensed. SO do
real estate dealers.
Budget Must Be Passed
Dyed-in- the wool politicians will
strain their voices, pro and con,
when the Indiana League of Won1-
en- Voters registration bill comes up
again, consigned to the desk of the
same chief executive who pocket
vetoed it two years ago. Political
dangers of the primary repeal bill
that would substitute a delegate
convention will be weighed eau
tiously.
Once again the galleries will
watch Senator James j. Nejdl stride
down the aisle to champion the
Eagles old age pension measure,
this time, its proponents believe, with
good hope of success.
And then, to provide the oil for
the states governmental machin-
cry must come the biennial budget
bill. For this purpose, the 1929 ses-
sion voted $55,508,822 for the two
year period. Budget requests and
bills contemplating the expenditure
of added millions will force the new
total far above this unless pruning