The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-07-22
VOTE NEAR ON
WRIGHT DRY
LAW REPEAL
House Action Is Expected
on Bill Not Later
Than Monday.
BLOW AT EDUCATION
Senate Measure ImperllS
Standards Set for
State Schools.
BLOW AT EDUCATION

Possibility of vote on Wright bone
dry law repeal by the house Of rep
resentatives not later than Monday,
a unanimous senate passage OF a
BIZ which cast aside all state ed
ncational standards, were highlights
of the legislatures session today
The Wright law attack gained
momentum when the Weiss repeal
and enforcement substitute bill was
forwarded to final reading for
passage.
Attempts of Representative ia
cob Weiss Dem), indianapolis, au-
thor of the repeater, to suspend con-
stitutional provisions and pass the
bill failed. Before advancement
of the measure, the house adopted
several amendments.
Agrees With Federal Law
One far-reaching amendment
changes definition Of. spirituous hq-
7cr in the state law to correspond
with that in the federal statutes, so
If congress ever increases the legal
alcoholic content or votes to man
ufacture beer, the state law auto
matically will agree.
Che of the rejected amendments
would have raised the prosecutors
fee for each conviction from So to
SIS. The Wright law sets this fee
at $25 and although it now goes
into the state general fund, 1t IS
charged the high fee has encouraged
prosecutors to obtain convictions, no
matter how fiimsy the evidence.
To provide for more state revenue,
another amendment provided liquor
wholesalers and retailers obtain
licenses from the state auditor.
License Fees Set
Annual license fee for a whole
saler is set at $500 and retailer $50
To have immediate repeal an
"e.,,crqency section was adopted
W h provides that the repeater
a-S substitute bill goes into effect
the day it is signed by the Gov
err0r
An illiterate teacher presiding
0yer classes in a school house made
from a piano box will be a first
class rural educational institution,
If local school authorities so decide
under provisions of the educational
measure.
This abolition of all educational
standards went through the upper
house without dissenting vote under
the gltise of a tax-saving measure.
Forty-four ages porsed the measure.
The bill wipes out all jurisdiction
of state boards over local schools.
This means educational standards
laid down by the state board OF edu-
cation. sanitary rules OF the state
health board and fire hazard re-
ouiren-cnts of the state fire mar
shals Office could be ignored
No Defense Given
Not a senator arose to defend up
holding school standards.
According to officials in the de-
nartment of public instruction, any
one could teach school if the bill
becomes law, provided school
trustees were satisfied.
The school term could be reduced
at Will anu IldN SIlClbCl OOulO AOAAopl-
tute an adequate school building.
Department of public instruction
officials pointed out that even if the
state standards are abolished, Indi-
ana schools either will have to
establish high local standards or not
be recognized for college prepara-
tory.
Sales Tax in Disguise
Senator j. Clyde Hoffman (Rep).
indianapolis, appeared in the sem
ate today cast in the role of sue
ccssful magician That is, success
fuG so far
Through his legerdemain the
chain store tax will be transformed
into a sales tax which will put one
half of l per cent levy on all gross
Tetail sales.
The measure was introduced in
nocently enough as an amendment
to the chain store act"
Later it was discovered that it was
the old retail sales tax in false
whiskers, which, according to many
economists, completely ignores one
of the fundamental principles of
taxation-ability to pay.
Under sales tax the poor and
those of modest means will bear the
greater burden, since their mass
purchases of necessities are far in
excess of the rich, these economists
say.