Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1889-03-14
Erom the State Capital.
JEFFERSON CITY. Mo-,
March 9th, 1889.

letter one OF our members died. Hon
O. A. Granville, the representative
from Maries county, died of pneumonia
last Sunday. He was farmer, an
honest man and was respected by all
who knew him. He was poor man.
and leaves wife and several children
To mourn over his death but bis friends
and relatives have one consolation.
His record is clear.
The House and Senate are engrossing
and passing bills every day. Very lit
tie time is now wasted. Every one
seems to he kept busy. / think the
taxpayers of Missouri will he well
pleased with the action Of the present
legislature as far as the financial affairs
of the State are concerned. All of the
appropriation bills have heen carefully
considered, and in making up the gem
eral appropriation bill we find it 10 be
$3.50, 900 less than it was two years ago
thus making a saving to the State of
that amount. Then we have also de-
cided in the House to appropriate one
third of the State revenue for public
school purposes. Another thing is that
Mr.. Moore's bill requiring all foreign
railway corporations, doing business in
Missouri, to file articles of corporation
with our Secretary of State, and the
bills providing for the taxation of sleep
ing car, express, insurance and tele.
phone companies by requiring them to
pay 2 per cent. of their gross earnings.
have all been reported favorab!y and
will likely pass both houses. If so,
then our State revenue will be increas-
ed annually almost a million dollars.
The State interest tax, which is 20 cents
on every 500, will likely be reduced to
II cents on every Sl00.
The Australian election reform bill
will be reported favorably and will
come up I'm the House next week for
consideration.
The bill making it a felony for any
person 10 visit, frequent or keep any
opium den went 10 engrossment in the
House yesterday. L think the princi-
pal object of this Till IS to break up the
Chinese dens in large cities.
There is bill pending in the HOUSE,
the provisions of which are for the es
tablishment of a Court of Appeals at
Springfield, This bill will likely cause
much discussion as there is consider
atle opposition to tie establishment OF
another court Of appeals.
Ed. O'Day's bill pertaining to insnr-
ance companies created quite stir
when it was ordered to engrossment
the other day. This bill is very strin-
gent. 1t denies Insurance companies
the right to erect building in place of
til one destroyed, but cOmpels them
to pay the face value of their policies.
The bill, providing for the payment
of five dollars for wolf scalps instead of
three dollars, as the law now is, was
defeated i'm the House.
The bill prohibiting the chasing OF
deer with dogs has been engrossed in
the House and reads as follows:
SECTION 1. Any person who shall, at any
time, chase any wild buck, doe or fawn with
any dog or dogs shall be deemed guilty of
misdemcanor.
The Committee on Internal Improve
ments has reported unfavorably upon
the bill reducing passenger rates to =
cents per mile, but has reported a sub
stitute recommending a reduction to y
cents per mile on trunk lines. There
will be hard fight when this bill is
called up for passage. L am going to
support the committee substitute and
vote in favor of the reduction 10 y
cents per mile, but / think We need
reductions in freight and express rates
more than we do in passenger rates.
The people are not demanding any re-
duction in passenger rates, but there is
a demand from every portion of our
State for reductions in freight and ex-
press charges. l hope that we mayyet
have an opportunity to vote upon and
pass some good measure that will be
more satisfactory to our people who
have business will. the railway and
express companies.
The bill, reducing the exemption
value of homesteads from $500. (as
the present law provides) to $3.50, was
defeated in the House last Wednes-
day.
There was quite warm debate in
the House a few days ago over DIR.
CrawfOrd's bill, relating to earnings of
eonvicts. The bill was indefinitely
postponed. shall give the first Sec
tions in full as follows:
SECTION 1. The warden OF the peniten-
tiary is hereby authorized and required to
have placed to the credit of each prisoner
such amount of their earnings as he may
deem equitable and Just, taking into consfd-
Grafton the character of the prisoner, the
nature of the crime for which he was imp,is-
oned. and his general department.: Provid-
ed, that said amount shall not be less than
ten nor more than fifteen per cent. of his
earnings. And thefunds thus accruing to
the credit of any prisoner shall be held for
and paid to him by the warden at the time
of his restoration to liberty.
Swaine's bill providing for abolish
ing the contract system of convict la
Dor was also postponed indefinitely
aud sleeps the sleep that knows no
waking.
The bill, part of which / gave in
my last letter, making laborers and
employees preferred creditors to the