Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1897-01-21
SOLONS BEGIN WORK.
JULIEN RICHARDS WRITES CONCERN
ING OPENING OF EXTRA SESSION.
Old Officers Re-Elected-Members Favor a
Short session-Governor Delivers His
Message-Erief and Business-Like DOcu-
ment--Urees EconoIly.

DIES MONIES, Jan. 19.-(Special. THE
extra session of the Iowa legislature be-
gan today, and by the time this letter
reaches the eyes of my readers both
houses will have buckled down to tho
work of codifying the laws of the state
with an earnestness that means short
session and thorough completion o.
the work for which they were called to-
gether. There was no trouble exper-
fenced in the organization of either
house. Before adjournment last spring
it was agreed that the officers of the
Twenty sixth general assembly should
hold the same position at the special ses-
sion. While this resolution was not
legally binding, it was followed out with
the exception of the secretaryship of the
senate, and the organization of the two
houses was effected as follows: House
Speaker, II. w. Byers, Harlan; chief
clerk, James D. Rowen, Des Moines;
first assistant clerk, Sherman Meyers,
Anita; second assistant clerk, Ford
Howell, Des Moines; enrolling clerk,
Mollie Heist, Wapello county; engross-
ing clerk, Minnie Nebergall, Rock
Springs; file clerk, Harry Burns, Osce-
ola; bill clerk, Belle Metcalf, Independ-
ence; journal clerks, Fred Beckman,
Manila, and J. w. Bixler, Corning;
sergeant-at-arms, James Wilson, Casey;
chief doorkeeper, G. r. Bowles, Frank
lin county; assistant postmistress, Miss
McQuinn, Toledo. In the senate the
following officers from the last general
assembly were reelected: First assist
ant secretary, G. H. Talmadge, West
Union; second assistant secretary, s. H.
Sibley. State Center; enrolling clerk,
Capitola Mardis, Osceola; engrossing
clerk, Carrie E. Sherman, Vinton; journal
clerks, G. A. Nichols. Estherville, and
L. E. Halliwell, Atlantic; file clerks, J.
Thompson, Des Moines; bill clerk, Mrs.
Livingston, Washington; sergeant-at-
arms, J. B. Satterlee, Manchester; chief
doorkeeper, w. H. McF arlin, Sioux City;
postmistress, Fannie Beebe, Usage.
Members Arrive Early.
The members began to arrive the lat
ter part Of last week, and by yesterday
morning nearly the entire membership
of both houses was in the city. It was
apparent from the first that they had
come for business and did not propose to
prolong the session beyond the time
necessary to complete the work for
which it was called. Speaker Byers,
who arrived early ON the scene, express
ed himself very positively in favor of a
business session. He said: Before I
came here I had correspondent with
nearly every member Of the house and I
found that fully 80 per cent of them
were opposed to opening wide the gates
for general legislation at this session.
They were all in favor of going to work
at once upon the code and no one seemed
to want to have any caucus or prelimi-
nary proceedings which were unneces-
sary. 1t is my opinion that by Tuesday
afternoon both houses can get to work
in earnest on code revision"
Speaker Byers has plan for expedit-
ing the work of the session, which will
undoubtedly have the desired effect if
put into practice. 1t is to have the house,
for example, take up title one of the code
at the same time the senate considers
title two. When the house completes
its work on this section it will 90 at
once to the senate, be referred to the APP
propriate committee and then when it
comes before the senate for action it will
have already been passed by the house,
so that if the senate sees nothing in the
work of the house to be changed they
can at once pass it and it will be ready
for the governors signature. The same
would result with title two, considered
and passed by the senate and then mes
saged to the house, where it would go at
once to the appropriate committee and
come back to the floor for action after
having been passed by the senate.
In regard to the house committees,
Speaker Byers thought best to leave
them as they were at the regular session
with the exception that each member
should be placed upon a code revision
committee. In the Twenty gen
eral assembly there were five code COM
mittees in the house consisting of seven
members each. At the special session
there will be five code committees but
each committee will consist of 20 mem
bers.
Favors Short Session.
In the senate the same spirit of worl,
is manifest. The senators, nearly all of
them at least, appear to favor a short
session devoted entirely to the objects
as specified by the call. A few of them,
as also some members Of the house,
talked of amendments to the mulct law
inserting a manufacturing permit-and
amendments to the railroad laws, includ-
ing permission for the issuance of mile
age transferable and good until used, at
2-Cent rate fat. The latter amend
ment is asked for by committees repre-
senting the travelling mems association
lid also the jobbers. The railway en-
ployes Will also have Il committee here
to watch for any attempt at the reintro-
ductiOn Of the Spaulding anti-strike bill
These are all the suggestions Of any
changes i'll the present laws that have
come to the surface thus far.
The statement of the financial condi-
ton of the state, as made by Auditor
Mccarthy, a synopsis of which was
given i'll this letter last week, has created
considerable comment among the mem
bers and will have quite a tendency
toward expediting the work of the ses-
sion. In addition to the statement of
receipts during the year 1896 and war
rants outstanding given last week, the
report, which was made public on Fri
day, gives the following additional items
of interest:
Extraordinary appropriations by
Twenty sixth general assembly. 81 ,0S9, Pa. 225