The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-08-28
Democrats and Republicans
Join in PIedging Aid
for Move.
PARTY LINES WIPED OUT
Clyde Karrer Only Foe of
Plan to Remedy State
Penal Ills.

Casting aside political align
ments, Marion county legisla-
tors and candidates for the
general assembly today
pledged their support to The
Times proposal to take the
state police department and
Indiana penal system out of
politics.
That move to institute civil serv-
ice regulations among penal and law
enforcement agencies would be
launched early in the 1885 legisla-
tive session, was apparent when
several of the legislators and can
didateS, both Democratic and Re-
publican, voiced their demands for
action.
Party lines fell before the ex-
pressed desires of the Marion county
assemblymen to aid in remedying
the prison and jail situation which
has been marked with numerous es-
capes during the last year
Civil Service Proposed
Under the proposal the state po-
lice department would be removed
from politics and placed under civil
service; penal institutions would be
supervised by a central department
of correction, the members of
which would be civil service APP
pointees, and the executives of the
state penal institutions and iails
would be civil service appointees.
In addition to the present legisla-
tive program to halt the growing
number of escapes from the 1ails
and prisons of Indiana, some of the
legislators and candidates proffered
points to the program. One state
senator suggested more than ore !.
prison and reformatory in the state
in which could be housed many of
the more dangerous criminals and
thereby cancel the use of many iails,
majority of which already have been
branded inadequate and Anticipated
by penal system experts.
Branded as Disgrace"
Others suggested that the propos-
al be carried out in the operation of
all state institutions, thereby eraS-
ing the political influence from
properties of Indiana which are
supported by taxes.
Branding operation of state insti-
tutions under the political spoils
system as "a disgrace to Indiana
and dangerous to the people,"
LaurenS Henderson, Republican
candidate for the state legislature,
pleaded that the institutions should
be free from political interference.
state institution require special
ly trained people fol efficiency, with
out regard to political affiliations"
Mr.. Henderson said. Our penal in
stitutions, state hospital and some
of our school now are operated I'M
der the political spoils system. This
Gus to the people.
These institutions should be free
from political interference and
placed in the hands of trained per-
sonnet responsible to an independ-
ent, bipartisan board. The Times
proposal has possibilities and GER
tainly is commendable.'
Favorable to Plan
Stress upon removal of the state
police from politics was the keynote
of the statement Of Joseph c. Bu-
chanan, R. R. 5, Republican candi-
date.
Il am very favorable toward The
Times plan for prison manage
ment. Furthermore 1 am interested
in seeing the state police placed in
the same list to become a nonpolit-
ical civil-service-co controlled depart
ment.
Il shall express myself more fully
on the plan at later date"
Demanding that penal affairs
must be divorced from politics, SEN
ator Jacob Weiss charged that the
last legislature would have enacted
a law creating a state police system
with full and complete authority"
had it not been for the incessant &C
tivities against the measure by lob
byists.
Mr.. Weiss also advocated the ad-
dition Of several prisons in the state.
The Times idea for revision Of
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