Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1898-02-24
MAY END IN FOUR WEEKS.
Work in the Iowa Legislature Be-
ing Rapidly Pushed for Ad-
journment in March.
TWO BOARD OF CONTROL MEASURES
Taxes May BE Incrensed-Womans uf-
frage Defeated-School Text hook
Bill-Change I'm the Law of Evil
dence--Habitual Criminal Act and
other Notes of Interest.
Especial Correspondence

lSpeclal correspondence
Des Moines, Ia, Feb. 21.-Unless
there is unusual friction between the
two houses over the board of control
bill, which does not now seem prob
able, the session of the legislature is
not likely to last more than four weeks
longer, and the date for final adjourn
ment, as most people are guessing, is
March II, though it may be week
later. The board of control bills were
introduced in both house and senate
or Friday. The bills in the two houses
are very similar, except that the house
bill insists that the three educational
institutions, the state university, agri-
cultural college and state normal
school, shall be brought under the pro-
visions of the bill, being allowed to re-
tain their present boards, but required
to submit their bills of expenses to the
board of control for approval.
The friends of the senate measure
say that in their opinion this house
amendment will not prevail, and they
feel certain that the senate bill will be
adopted by both houses. The house bill
was prepared by special committee,
of which Mr.. Nietert was chairman,
while in the senate it was prepared by
the full ways and means committee of
16 members, of which Senator Funk is
chairman. In the senate the considera-
ton of the measure was made spe-
cial order for Thursday, March 3, and
it is likely to be taken up at an earlier
date in the house.
May Raise Valuation.
There is considerable danger that the
low valuation resulting from the opera
tion of the new revenue law will make
it necessary for the legislature to pass
some measure that will permit the
boards of equalization, now called
boards of review, to raise the valuation
in many counties. Under the present
law property is reported for taxation
at it's full cash value and assessed at
IS per cent. of such value. The result
is that in many counties that have here
tofore been assessed at from 25 to 35
per cent. of the cash value there has
been very heavy falling off, because
the reported valuation when divided by
four has not been high enough. 1t win
result in serious falling off in revenue,
because the maximum levies allowed by
law in many counties, cities and school
districts would not produce sufficient
revenue to meet the most urgent de-
mands. 1t is altogether likely that the
next state levy will be at least 81 mills,
although this cannot be known definite
ly until the assessed valuation of all
property is reported to the executive
council next summer. The legislature
will pass law authorizing the council
to make a levy sufficient to produce
certain sum of money, and this sum will
be made large enough to cover the or.
binary expenses of the state govern
ment, the extraordinary appropriations
made by the present Legislature and the
state debt. This levy will be made for
the years 1899 and 1900, and it will not
be until June, 1901, that the state debt
can be entirely paid. Meantime the in
terest on state warrants will be reduced
from six to five per cent, and in some
cases, where the warrants are to run
for considerable length of time, they
will be hoated at four per cent.
Woman Suffrage Defeated.
Woman suffrage was defeated in the
house, lacking one vote of having suf-
ficient to pass the resolution for the
submission of the question to the peo
pie. Fifty votes were cast for the reso-
luton and AZ against it, but as two
members in favor of it were sick In bed
the necessary 81 could not be had. Mr..
Ladd, of Butler county, the leader of
the woman suffrage cause in the house,
changed his vote for the purpose of re-
consideration, but he did not attempt
to call the resolution up again. The
leaders of the cause say they are not dis
couraged, though disappointed at not
securing the passage of the resolution
through one house. They hardly ex-
pected it to pass the senate. They say
their organization is in better shape
that it ever was before, and they in
tend to carry on the campaign in Iowa
with renewed vigor during the next two
years, and they are confident of success
in both houses in the next session.
school Law Amended.
All I)dSotd
both houses and was signed by the gov
ernor and published Saturday is an
amendment to the school laws COM
prised in sections 2,744 and 2,750 of the
new code. The amendment prov ides in
effect that in all independent, city,
town or village districts where the
school board now consists of three
members, such boards shall hereafter
consist of five members, three to be
elected the second Monday of March,
1898, to hold Office for one, two and
three years.
School Text Book Bill.
There was an interesting discussion
In the house Friday afternoon over the
Ray school text book bill. Late in the
afternoon the report of the house com
mittee on schools andtext books, which
had this bill under consideration, was
brought up. The report brought back
the bill without any recommendation.
When the matter was called up Repre-
sentative Penick, of Lucas, moved that
the bill should be referred to a special