The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-02-19
GOVERNOR MAY
MISS PLEAS IN
MARCH SESSION
Greenlee Held Lawmakers
in Check Last Year, OBJ
servers Recall.
BY JAMES DOSS

Gov. McNutt is not going to be
able to hold the whiphand over the
coming special session Of the Legis-
lature as easily as ne did over the
last one, 1t is agreed by persons well
versed in legislative maneuvers.
The reason is the loss Of Pleas E.
Greenlee, his ousted patronage sec
rotary and now a candidate for the
Democratic nomination for Gov
ernor.
Mr.. Greenlee was the instrument
used by the Governor in the 1885
regular session to get recalcitrant
legislators back on the reservation
when they threatened to bolt the
administration on several important
bills.
With a special session in pros
pect, there are persistent reports
that various groups of legislators do
not intend to adhere solely to the
social security program for which
the session is to be called.
Tax, Liquor Blocs Active
The groups espousing tax and
liquor law changes are said to be
particularly anxious to get into &C
ton. 1t is almost certainty that a
powerful county and township Off
Gals lobby will be on hand to bat
tie to the last legislative ditch
against any attempt at centraliza-
ton of their power in the state gov
eminent. There also are hints that
the primary bill may be revived.
The joint legislative committee,
now at work drafting social security
legislation for the special session,
has shown reluctance, it is said,
to accept the ideas transmitted to
IL by the Governor on what form
the administrative section of the So
cial security legislation should take.
There were three measures in the
1885 session which we're highly con-
troversial and had a great deal of
political, as well as public, impor-
lance.
Liquor Bill Bred Fight
One was the state liquor control
measure; another was the bill re-
organizing the state police, then
headed by Al G. Feeney, and the
third was a bill to take the nomi-
nation for Governor and other i'm
portant state officers out of conven-
ton and place them in the primary.
A great many Democrats in both
houses we're dissatisfied with the
liquor BILL but the administration
probably stood more chance of los
ing on the latter two measures.
Mr.. Feeney, at odds with the adj
ministration, had insisted on state
police bill which he sponsored as a
model bill adapted from the expert
ence of other states, which had
operated state police systems for
years.
Townsendites Pass Up Bet
He had support for his bill, which
differed in several respects from
the administration measure, in both
houses.
The state Offices primary bill was
said then to have had the support
of Senator Frederick VanNuys and
his adherents and was supposed to
be viewed with tacit approval by
Lieut.. Gov. M. Clifford Townsend.
Indeed, the present supporters of
MIR. Townsend in his race for the
Governor nomination are said to be
somewhat regretful that the primary
bill did not pass. They believe they
would be the proverbial "cinch" to
capture the nomination in a pri-
mary instead of being compelled to
go into the state convention in June
and battle it out with the delegate
blocks pledged to Mr.. Greenlee and