Omaha daily bee., 1896-02-17
FARMER ELEMENT ANXIOUS
Ra lroad Pooling Resolution in the Iowa
Legislature Tied Up.
DANGEROUS WEEDS BEING CONSIDERED
Commission 40 lie Appointed Ia Look
After the Matter in u scicn-
tiHc lame at
once.

caienuar Dy lndennltely postponlng all Dlils
SO recommended by standing committees
where there was no contest and by the pas
sage Of legalizing acts.
The farmers are seemingly getting anxious
over the delay in the senate Of the house
resolution against the railroad pooling bill
now pending in congress. This resolution
has been in the hands Of the senate commit
tee on federal relations ar two weeks or
mere. When the resolution was referred
TO the committee Senator Blanchard made
the remark that he did not believe In the
passage of mere buncombe resolutions and
the farmers appear to take this remark as
an indication that this resolution may be
pigeon-holed by Senator Pussy and his COM
mittee. Among the petitions read today
was a communication from the Jefferson
County farmers club strongly protesting
against further delay.
The Algona grange sent in a petition ask
ing that the salaries of all publ C officials,
from petty township official up TO governor,
including the salaries Of legislators, should
be reduced to a hard times basis.
WEARY OF LONG DEBATES.
Debate on the "age of consent bill' will
be resumed next Tuesday, though a deter
mined effort will be made to dispose OF the
measure on that day. A large number OF
senators has become weary OF the prolonged
debate on this subject. The house has re.
fused to vote pay for the unexp,red term
to the widows of public officers. Bills favor
ing such payments to the widow of Judge
Hatch of the McGregor district and to Rail
road Commissoiner Luke have been voted
down.
A large delegation of members left on
the evening trains to attend the funeral OF
ex-Representative McClelland of Cedar Rap
ids.
The member of the house committee on
ways and means have returned from the r
trip to Iowa City to examine into the ne
c~essities Of the State university. The COM
mittee is unanimous in the opinion that
some new buildings are badly needed, y
but whether they VIII approve the special
tax of 3-10 of 1 mill for the support OF this
institution they declined to say. The uni
versity asks for more than 5000, 600 and they
may be allowed half of this sum. ..
Representative Davis introduced a Dill
providing that mutual life insurance COM
panies shall not take any mercantile risks
and expressly prohibiting the insurance by
such associations of stores, stocks of mer-
chandise, factory, or on what is
termed mercantile property"
Representative Grote introduced a bill re-
curing all passenger trains to stop at county
seats.
The house killed the McAchran bill, author
izing the wholesale poisoning of dogs-pro-
vided said poison is removed before sun
rise OF the next day.
The Davis bill, authorizing the judges CT
election to 20 out into the street in front
Of the polling places and receive the ballots
of cripples and invalids, was treated in the
same manner.
PROHIBITS CIGARETTE SALES.
The house committee on public health by
one majority decided to substitute the Nc
Arthur bill. prohibiting the sale of ciga-
rettes to persons under Fl and allowing the
sale in original packages, for Phelps senate
bill, prohibiting both the manufacture and
sale. A minority report will be filed favoring
the bill as passed by the senate. Among
the bills introduced in the house was enc
by Potter, providing for a bounty OF 1 cent
per pound on sugar from beets, sorghum or
other sugar yielding cones or plants contain
ing at least 30 per cent crystalliZed sweet
ness, no bounty to be paid to manufacturer
or producer of beets from which IS per ton
Is mot realized.
Senator Perrin introduced a bill creating
the Farmers Institute association and ap-
propriating $500 per annum for its support.
Representative st. John introduced a bill
today to eradicate noxious weeds. The bill
provides that a commission, consisting of the
professor of botany in the Agricultural col
lege and four prominent farmers, who shall
serve at a salary of $25 per year, shall be
appointed, who shall designate and describe
both by common and technical names the
five most noXious and injurious weeds to
be found in the state, sending the description
to the town marshals and local road SUI
pervisors. 1t shall then be the duty OF
these officers to proceed with a sufficient
number CT assistants to destroy all the
weeds Of the varieties named, both on pub
lie streets and highways, but after a sufi-
Client notice on private lands, and charging
the expense against the property as a spe-
cial tax. Each member Of the weed de-
stroying brigade shall receive s1.50 per day
for his services. Mr.. ST. John says the bill
is intended to secure the total eradication OF
the Russian thistle, wild mustard, prlckly
lettuce, joint or quack grass and Canadian
thistle.
EQUALIZING PERSONAL TAXES.
Mr.. Mullin Of Henry has introduced a bill
to equalize the taxation of personal property,
which reads as follows:
ut shall be the duty OF the Boards Of
Supervisors of each county at their January
session each year to make an equalization of
az, essment Of personal property and estab-
lish the same, ana send to the auditor of
state such statement, specifying rate of all
personal properties at which tine same shall
be assessed. And it shall be the duty Of
the state auditor after a careful examination
of the said reports from the several counties,
to make a general equalization for the en-
tire state and send TO the county auditors
of the different counties of the state, such
report of equalization Of personal property,
which shall form q basis for taxation among
the several counties"
Mr.. Mullin says, while the bill Is short II
will IL enacted into law result in fixing a
Uniform system Of assessment. All the as
SCISSORS, after, an average is once found,
will endeayor to use this average as a guide
In some counties horses are now assessed at
$40 per head and in thers-sometimes even
In different townships Of the same county
the assessment runs from $40 to $50. The
injustice Of this sort of work is apparent.
What Is needed, no matter what the rate
may be, is a uniform system, embracing
every township Of the state"
AFTER EXPRESS COMPANIES.
Representative Wells Of Jasper has intro
duced the following bill for the regulation
Of express companies. No action has been
taken upon the bill by the committee ON
telegraph, telephone and express, TO which
it has been referred. The bill is given In
full:
THAT all express companies, operating and
doing business in this state, are hereby de-
clared to be common carriers, and all laws
SO far as applicable. now in force or herein-
after enacted, regulating the transportation
of property by railroad companies, shall apply