Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1898-02-25

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in case husband or wife can be COM
PEELED to testify in such an action as this
fraudulent conveyances can be very
easily thwarted.
Habitua1 Criminal Act.
Senator Ellison, of Anamosa, has in
troduced an habitual criminal act, and
it has been reported from the senate ju-
dietary committee to pass. 1t provides
that whenever any person has been
twice convicted of either of the crimes
of burglary, robbery, forgery, counter
feiting, grand larceny, breaking and
entering, and shall thereafter be con-
vlcted Of any one of such crimes he
shall be imprisoned in the penitentiary
for any time not less than Is years, SO
that the court could inflict life SEN
tence if it so desired. Any person over
IS years of age may be sent to the peni-
Tertiary for term not exceeding three
years, upon the fourth conviction for
petit larceny. 1t is required that the
record Of former convictions be set
forth in the Indictment, and such con-
victions need not have been in the state
of Iowa. Senator Ellison says that he
believes that the increase of the Grim
innl population in Iowa is due to some
extent to the lack of q law of this char
acter, which other states have. He
says that old criminals come to Iowa as
refuge, because they fear life SEN
tence in other states. The bill is likely
to pass.
School Book Commission.
The senate committee on schools and
text books considered the Wilson bill
to provide for commission to select
school books to be used in the schools
OF Iowa and to provide for state uni
tormity and state publication of such
books. The bill was practically the
Ray bill of the house, and after thor
ough consideration of it the commit
tee voted to report it for indefinite
pestponement The members of the
committee were unanimous in favor of
this action.
Curative Act.
An Important bill on building and
loan associations passed the senate on
Friday. 1t is in effect curative act,
and provides that the provisions of the
present building and loan law in regard
to the question of usurious interest on
loans shall apply to contracts made by
such institutions prior to the adoption
of the present law. Formerly system
of competitive bidding for money was
in vogue. This was afterwards done
away with and fixed premium
charged. Some of the courts have held
that because this bidding has been
omitted the rates for premiums and In
terest must be considered usurious on
contracts made previous to the adop-
ton of the law. To obviate this matter
and make contracts entered into prior
to this time legal, as those entered into
under the present law, was the purpose
of this bill. There was good dead of
discussion on the matter, and the debate
at times became almost personal. It
was finally, however, adopted.
To Consolidate Interests.
A bill was introduced in the senate
by Senator Hartman and in the house
by Representative Stewart to establish
state department of agriculture. It
provides for bringing the interests of
agriculture, horticulture, forestry, ami
tic arts of the state under one depart
ment, which shall also embrace the
county, district and state agricultural
societies organized under existing stat
utes, farmers institutes, state weather
and crop service, state dairy commits
sfoner and state veterinarian. The bill
provides for a board, consisting of the
governor, state superintendent of pub
lie instruction, president of the state
agricultural college, and president,
vice president, secretary and treasurer
and one director from each congress
sional district. There is to be finance
committee of three, appointed by the
executive council. The bill asks for an
appropriation of $4,000 for the support
of this department and $1,000 for inn
provements and repairs on the state
fair grounds. The salary of the secre-
tary of the board is fixed at S., 900, and
he is to have an office in the capital.
The first convention of the department
is to be held in January, 1900.
Law Now in Eject.
The law providing for the reduction
of prices for state printing and bind
ing is now in effect, having been APP
proved and published February17.
The bill to permit counties to receive
interest on county deposits in banks
has passed both houses and it will prob
ably become law unless the governor
should veto it, which is not very likely.
The resolution in favor of the annex
alton of Hawaii was defeated in the
senate-a0 to 19-on the ground that the
Iowa legislature would better tertl to
its own business and not undertake to
instruct congress in regard to it's du-
ties.
To Connult Constituents.
The legislature adjourned on Satur-
day until Wednesday,, nearly all the
members desiring to be at their homes
on Washington's birthday. Another
reason for the adjournment was that
they might consult their constituents
in regard to the board of control bill,
which was printed and placed on their
desks Saturday morning. Over 1900
copies of the bill have been printed for
distribution among those especially in
terested in the matter.
F. W. RECKNELL
Building Big Gun Carriages.
Cleveland o., Feb. 23-Work on the
big government contract is now under
rapid Roadway at the Otis steel works.
Five enormous gun carriages are be-
ing constructed there. They are for