Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1898-02-25
TWO BOARD OF CONTROL MEASURES.
Taxes May Re Observation-Disclosures uf-
fraEe Defeated-School Text Book
Dill-ChanEe in the Law of Evil
dence-Habitual Criminal Act and
Other Notes of Interest.
Especial Correspondence

introduced In both house and senate
on 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
1G 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.
Mny Rinse Valuation.
There is considerable danger that the
low valuation resulting from the opera
ton 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
boxrds of review, to raise the valuation
in many counties. Under the present
law property is reported for taxation
at its full cash value and assessed at
2h 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 q very heavy falling off, because
the reported valuation when divided by
four has not been high enough. 1t will
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.
lnands. 1t is altogether'likel that the
next state levy will be at least 3Ka 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 q levy sufficient to produce a
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 1000, 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 tloated 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 Al against 1t, but as two
members in favor of 1t 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 1t ever was before, and they in
tend to carry on the campaign in Iowa
with renewed yigor during the next two
years, and they are confident of success
In both houses in the next session.
school LAW Amended.
An important measure which passed
both houses and was signed by the gov
ernor and published Saturday is an
amendment to the school laws com
prised in sections 2,7I4 and 1850 of the
new code. The amendment provides 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 and text 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 special
committee of five. The motion pre-,
vailed with but small opposition, the
friends Of the measure apparently fall
ing to comprehend the result of it. FL
nally Representative De Wolfe, of Po-
cahontas, saw tho situation and moved
a reconsideration. However, he had
voted against the reference, and his
motion was ruled out on a parliament
tary point of order. Mr.. Porter, the
democratic member from Appanoose,
came to the rescue of the friends of the
bill by making motion to reconsider.
This was carried after rather an acri-
monious debate, and the bill was made
a special order for next Thursday at
1875 a. m.
May Testif. Against Each Other.
a bill by Davis, of Fremont, which
passed tue house, makes an innovation
in the law of evidence, inasmuch as it
allows wife or husband to testify