Omaha daily bee., 1894-03-05
Iowa's Legislature Will Find the Closing
Days Wen Occupied,
LIQUOR LAWS COMING ON THE FLOOR
Fight over Modification to lie Transferred
from the Committees this week-Im-
portant Matters that Are Being
Laid Out.

OF 5000 inhabitants and each county that
does not contain a city Of that size a local
option district. A vote on a petition signed
by one-third Of the voters may be had once
in five years II the county goes dry" and
every year If 1t goes wet" The minimum
license is fixed at $500, $50 Of which is turned
into the state treasury, 5000 goes to the
county and the balance to the municipality.
No saloon can be located outside of an in
corporated town. The city council has the
right to raise the license fee at pleasure.
The saloon keeper is required to file a bond
of 5000, and any violation of the %restric-
tions imposed, which are of the most rigid
nature, will work a forfeiture of the permit,
and this can never be renewed. This meas
ure is made a special order for March 8.
The house bill makes the payment of a
mulct tax, where the restrictions and condi-
lions have been fully observed and complied
with, a bar to prosecutions under the pro-
hibitory law. The tax, which is payable
quarterly in advance, is fixed at $500, to be
divided equally between the county and the
city. The saloon can have but a single
door and must be confined to one room.
This measure, which suits neither the
liberals nor the prohibitionists. will come up
in the house on March I, and be made a
special order until a vote is reached. The
democrats will oppose both bills unless a
clause allowing the manufacture is added,
and to this the republicans will not give
JlelT consent. ~ WuultNtT lbBlSldJlOu Oh
this subject that may be enacted will be
purely a republican measure.
The resolution submitting prohibition to a
vote of the people has been favorably re-
ported in both houses, and is certain to
pass before the close of the session.
wOMAN'S SUFFRAGE DEAD.
The woman's suffrage amendment lacked
six votes of having a constitutional majority.
Eleven republicans-BrOwer Carpenter,
Funk, Garst, Garrett, Lehfeldt, Palmer,
Turner, Rea. Upton and Vale-voted with all
the democrats in the negative, the vote
standing: Yeas, 20; nays, 26. As eight of
the republicans will hold over the pros
poets for the passage of a similar amend
ment two years hence are not particularly
bright.
The senate judiciary committee has de-
cided that school suffrage for women is not
constitutional, and the house bill has been
referred to the same committee of that
body, which will probably render a similar
opinion, and this will be the end of the
woman suffrage agitation for the session.
The senate and house committees on ways
and means have about completed the con-
sideration of the revenue bill
by the commission. The proposition to tax
local insurance companies 2 per cent on
their gross premiums has raised a storm of
opposition from these interests, and the
legislature has been fairly deluged with pc
titions and remonstrances against the meas
ure. While this bill will probably be re-
ported favorably in both houses, 1t viii be
too late to secure consideration. The in
surance lobby, unable to defeat the valued
policy bill by other means, has succeeded
in getting it referred to the house judiciary
committee. on the plea that it is not con-
stitutional. That committee will report
Tuesday, and the committee will be divided.
An effort will then be made to put the bill
on it's passage. which may prove success
full, The senate committee on insurance
has proven to be the graveyard
of all restrictive measures. Even the
Finch bill requiring settlement for losses
TO be made within thirty days has not yet
been reported back, and the house bill strik-
ing out the $50 per cent clause has re-
ceived no consideration. The chairman says
it is almost impossible to get a quorum
of the committee together.
The house passed a senate bill authoriZ-
ing one railroad company to invest in the
bonds, stocks and securities OF another
with a single dissenting vote-Steen of
Guthrie. All restrictive measures, includ-
ing the 2-cent fare bill, have been apparently
sidetracked in committee and no vote on
them is likely to be reached.
MONEY o THE STATE FAIR.
The State Fair association succeeded in
securing the passage of an appropriation by
the lower house to lift it out of financial en-
barrassments. The amount asked for was
$25, 900 and this was finally reduced to
500, 600 and allowed.
The legislature will be brought face to face
with the question Oh tdAdllUl early III inc
week. A resolution presented by Mitchell is
pending in the house, instructing the ways
and means committee not to increase the
levy above the usual 2 mills. Should this
prevail the available funds for extraordinary
appropriations will fall considerably short
of $500. 900 and necessitate a wholesale re-
duction all along the line. All plans for new
buildings will have to be postponed and a
strict system of economy enforced in all the
public institutions or a heaVy state ueDI VIII
certainly follow.
A new insane asylum may possibly be To-
Gated in northwestern Iowa, either at Shell
don, Cherokee or Lemars, but no approprla-
ton will likely be made to begin the work
till the next session.
The Russian thistle bill still holds its place
on the senate calendar. 1t is reported that a
professor of the Agricultural college has
rendered an opinion that the weed Is harm
less. or at least desirable on heavy soils, and
the bill may not be called up for passage.
The senate passed a bill introduced by
Bishop appropriating $40, 1000 annually to be
expended by the superintendent of public in
struction in the instruction of common
school teachers in normal methods, the
money to be used in paying the tuition of
teachers in normal schools at the rate of 81
per week. This action was subsequently re-
considered and the bill will fail of final
passage.
ROAD LEGISLATION DOUBTFUL.
The various bills to improve the public
nlBHNhNS hdht bNNh lAhhNA' q PPNN'Ni S'NN'i
to follow the liquor bills. Should these
measures be disposed Of within a week some
road Legislation is probable, otherwise few
bills except the regular appropriation will
get through. March 29 is the latest date
suggested for final adjournment, some being
in favor of adjo Irning sine die fully a week
earlier.
The bill restraining hunters from hunting
on cultivated or enclosed lands is in a slir
way to be vetoed. The gun clubs throughout
the state and spbrtsmen in general all
bringing strong pressure to bear on the
governor for this purpose, They have got
ten up a telling protest against '~bottling up
Gods free air and sunshine and it is being
widely circulated and receiving thousands of
signatures.
The farmers scored a Victory in the pass
age of a measure to protect them from tray-
cling falirs who work the innocent pur-
chaser" dodge. The bill on this subject,
which passed the house, provides that "Gll
notes taken by any peddler shall, in
addition to the amount due or to be due
thereon, contain a statement on the face Of
any and all such notes that said note or
notes are given for the purchase price Of
such article or articles as may be bought,
and providing punishment on the sale or
making of such notes without the statement.