Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-03-19
BUSY TINE At CAPITAL
Iowa Legislature Getting Down to
Business at Close Of the
Session.
After Weeks of Comparative Idleness
General Assembly Begins to
Wake Up.
Telephone and Telegraph Tax Bills
Maybe Defeated Building
and Loan.
to Times Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines, March la.-rhe legisa-
ture is at last getting down to business
in lis sessions. Two sessions a day are
raridiy clearing up the calendars and
it looks as Il the work Of the next three
weeks might euual in the number OF
bills passed about what has been done
IN the Ten weeks Of the session that
have already passed. There is very lit
tie doubt nov that the legislature Will
adjourn on Friday or Saturday. April
8 or .. The grand crush that always
comes at the close of the session IS now
ION. Every man il fighting 70 get his
|, bill UP ana the preslding5 officers of
both houses are. dtluged with notes.
asking that the writer's be recognized
for the purpose of calling UP bills OF for
Isome other motion To advance the in
Iterests of me measure Every bill re-
ported from u committee, whether to
pass or not. is placed upon the ealen-
dar in the order in which it Was re-
ported and is given a number. In the
house ,hey are adhering pretty closely
Icult matter for a member to get his bill
special orders and the chances are
I there will be but few in the future IN
the senate 1T is different There the
members are allowed To call up their
bills out of their order and there is no
objection 10 it. The man who gets zee
,osinzed asks for unanimous consent ~
call up a certain bill and it is almost
never refused. The serate has IL night
session tonight for the purpose of tax
ling up bills; on the calendar on which
there is no contest. In this way some
I of the odds and ends Will be cleared up.
The delay in getting down to business
in the early part Of the session eN-
ceeded all previous records and is the
soccasion for the crush at the close. 1t
Twill be the cause Of the defeat of many
good bills that viii never be reached
because there is no time.
The appropriations conference COM
mittec will hardly get down to business
before Wednesday and the appropria-
tions bills need not be looked for until
| NEXT week. There has been no general
agreement yet on the general appropri-
alton bill, which includes an enormous
number of items. little and big, that
lshave 70 be provided for and on which
| discussion or opposition is headed off
4 by punching them all together in the
general appropriation bill, having the
| approval Of the committees. The bill
| is then passed without opposition,
Whereas ii some of fle items Mere
taken UP separately they would be the
Occasion Of fight.
In the senate this morning Trewins $
! bill. requiring all state officers to make
tout iteInized u ports Of expenditures. to
be published bv the executive council
was defeated on account of an amend
inent requiring publication 70 be by con-
tract TO the lowest bidder. 1t Will be re-
I-considered and the amendment taken
hout or il viii not pass. kirkpatrick 5
bill to prohibit solicitations of liquor
salss in prohibition counties passed the
lsenate. The Ways and means commit
lee introduced lengthy bill, prepared
by senator Healy. curing numerous de-
fleets in the collateral inheritance law
An afternoon session was substituted
for the proposed evening session of the
senate.
One OF the items in the general APP
preparation bill which has not been
s2..s0D for portraits of seven governors
=. ieg.;. Of whom the state owns no
portraits. All but these are represented
by o. paintings OF more or less value
land faithfuiness of ikness in the gov
/ az.
Imined how these portraits shall be pro-
Icured. but probably the whole matter
VIII be left To the executive council.
This item has been urged for a num-
ber of years. but the legislature has
never been in the mood to spend the
money before. 1t is quite noticeable
this session that the members feei
more willing 10 spend money to encour-
Iage the arts. higher education and 9TH
Ter similar interests.
Henry Ssbins book about Iowa is;
out. 1t is called The Meking OF
4 Iowa . and ii is the best, most inter-
esting and most instructive book about
4 Iowa that has ever been published. In
4 this little book of 2S2 pages Mr. Sabin
/ and his SON. Edwin l.. s;abin, already
4 we'll known in the literary world. have
] brought together many of the most in
lteresting chapters OF Iowa history thai
/ make stories of themselves. The bare
| facts are dressed up in an entertain
ing and graceful style and yet the
| facts are clearly concisely and accu-
rately presented. The book is We'll
4 illustrated and Will be very attractive
to every student of Iowa history par
/ ticularly, and to persons, whether stu
| dents or not, who are Interested in the
| development OF Iowa. which the Sabins
have so well portrayed.
4 II do not see how any senator who
voted for the five-mile limit bill can
fear or refuse to vote for the woman
suffrage bill said prominent suf-
frage advocate. 'sIf the senate is will
ing to go to this extent in moral legis-
lation and take the chances of politica
punishment that attend the passage o1
such bill, there can surely be no ex-
cuse for putting aside their conviction.
and voting against the suffrage resolu.
ton. Then there is another funn,
thing about this five-mile limit bill