Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1897-05-06

paying such fee or receiving permission
to enter. The house also refused to con
cur in the amendment adopted by the
senate striking out the provision pro
hibiting marriage within the fourth de.
gree OF consanguinity.
Taxation of Insurance Companies.
There was a lively discussion in the
senate over the consideration OF the Sec
ton of the revenue bill providing for
taxation OF insurance companies. The
bill as proposed in the senate provided
that alien insurance companies should
pay tax of 80 per cent on their
premiums from business done in Iowa,
United States companies outside of
Iowa 21a per cent, and state companies
per cent An amendment was offered
to reduce the tax OH alien companies to
~ per cent, the same as paid by United
States companies. After long contest
the motion was lost by vote of % to 23.
Another amendment was offered to pro-
vide that these taxes should be in full Of
all taxes against such companies or
against shares Of stock therein, except
taxes ON real estate and special assess
ment. This was also lost. The PROPOSE
ton to concur in the house amendments
reducing the basis Of assessment from
3315 per cent to 20 per cent of the cash
value was lost by vote Of to 81 An
additional paragraph was added to the
insurance section providing that no de-
auctions or exemptions from the tax
therein provided should be allowed on
account of any Indebtedness owing by
! such company.
The bill for the annexation and the
publication of the code has passed both
bodies and joint convention will be
held this evening for the purpose of
electing an et,itor. 1t is probable that
! the choice will be Hon. E. @. Ebersole,
| former reporter for the supreme court
The telegraph and telephone bill has
| passed both bodies after being amended
by striking out the section proposed by
the house to prevent telephone COM
panies charging extra for transmitting
messages across county lines.
An attempt was made the latter part
of last week to rush through some
legalizing acts during the lulls in bust
ness in both houses, but as fast as the
senate passed such acts the house would
indefinitely postpone them, and none of
them succeeded i'll passing both bodies.
End of Session In Sight.
It is believed by many that the end of
the session will be reached this week,
though others are just as certain that
the legislators will not be able to leave
! for their homes until the middle or lat
| ter part of next week. The revenue
bill is to come up i'll the house for final
disposition today. The ways and means
| committee has reported III favor of re-
ceding from the Cheshire amendment
for the taxation of. telegraph, telephone
| Y,ng or Il n GT, l. +l,,f
| the house insist upon its amendment re.
ducing the basis Of assessment from
! 33 l-3 per cent TO % per cent of the
cash valua.spn. 1t is possible that there
may be some controversy in the house
over this question, for there are many
members who are as ready to stand by
the Cheshire amendment as they are
the amendment reducing basis of assess
| ment.
| The printing committee of the house,
which has been engaged for several
weeks hearing testimony in the cases of
the investigation of the offices of state
printer and binder, is expected 10 for
mulate q report today. 1t is understood
that the committee has not been able to
agree upon q bill, and it is expected that
there viii be both q majority and mi
! nOrjty report. The majority report will
doubtless favor the adoption Of the SEN
ate bill, with u few amendments tend
| ing to still further reduce schedule Of
fees allowed by it. The minority will
favor Il bill providing for the contract
system Of state printing and state bind
ing. 1t is understood that there are
nine members of the committee in the
majority and seven in the minority.
Title of Code.
The result of the disclosures made by
the Funk investigating committee some
time ago is bill reported by q special
committee to amend the title of the code
referring to the executive department.
| This bill will come up for discussion to-
day. Among other things it provides
that the executive council shall choose
its own secretary instead Of the secre-
tary of state. 1t abolishes the useless
tables Of figures of the census reports by
providing that the assessor. shall
enumerate only the statistics of popula-
ton and number of militia. 1t specific
| ally provides the duties Of the custodian
Of the state capitol and places him under
legislative control as TO the number Of
employees on his pay roll and their com
pensatiOn. The executive council j.
made responsible for all the property
Of the state, supplies, ETC., and
must make full report annually
of all state. warrants issued and for
what purpose money was drawn from
the state treasury, and before any
money may be drawn by any person a
statement of the purpose for which it is
to be expended must be filed. The
various state officers are given control
over their apartments in the capitol, but
are not given the right to employ JAM
tors, clerks or other persons except as
authorized by joint resolution OF tho
general assembly. The books and ac-
! counts Of all state institutions are TO be
! examined at least once a year. ana an
nualiy or oftener the executive council
is required to make full settlement be-
tween the state of Iowa and the state
officers of all state institutions, and all
persons handling state funds. Supplies
for the state must be purchased by con-
tract SO far as possible.
The chairmen of the committees on
ways and means, Judiciary and appro-
priations of senate and house, shall con-
stitute standing committee to be