Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1900-03-16
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DEs MONIES, March 10. 1900.


Another evidence Of the fact that the.
Duluth & New Orleans railroad will
build it's line to Des Moines during the
coming season is given in an item
from paper of that city stating that
grading outfits have arrived there pre- I
paratory to the work of grading the.
new road. The rails for the construc-
ton of the road will arrive in Nevada.
and Des Moines early in Msy. It In
the intention to commence construc-
ton at both ends of the road. The.
new road officials believe they can car
nv passengers to the state fair the first
week in September. There is every
prospect at this time of their doing.
this.
The house elections committee, with
little opposition, has recommended
for passage the Hawk bill, to use Of
voting machines. The bill was slight
ly modified in accordance with sugges-G
tions from Attorney General Remley.
The bill provides that at all elections
held hereafter in Iowa ballots or votes.
may be cast, registered, recorded and
counted by means of voting machines.
The board of supervisors of any coun.
ty or the council Of any city may pur.
chase machines and order thei.,use in
any of the voting precinctsNfn the
county, city or town. The committee
recommended a substitute to the Ben.
nett bill, providing the writing of .
name in blank space without cross,
opposite, a cross opposite blank
space without writing a name, or q.
failures5o mark constitutional amend
ment or like proposition, will not de-
stroy the validity OF the rest Of. ].
ballot. +.
Senator Trewin, chairman of the
committee, says he is in laver of tho
plan to have a commission carefully
revise the assessment laws OF. the state.
''This paving assessment measure
which the subcommittee has present.
ed" he said, 'is simply intended to
bridge over temporarily, assuring that
the securities issued in the state will
be constitutional. The cities have not
been able to sell their securities and
paving has been practically at st.nd-
still. am decidedly in favor, howev-
err. of a revision of the entire code Of
not only paving, but all other charges
which are assessed against property.
1t is impossible to make such code !
during the session, because it would
require too much time, but we are pre-
for the commission to make COM
nit it to the next session of the legis.
lature"
The house committee on agriculture
has recommended for passage the Har-
riman bill to create department Of
agriculture The department is to be
managed by board to be styled the
state board of agriculture, of which
the governor. president of the state
college Of agriculture, state dairy soInS,
missioner, and state veterinarian are
to be members ex-officio. The other
members of the board are to consist Of
president. ce-president, secretary,
treasurer, and one director from each
congressional district. In the senate
bill there was provision that the
Iowa year book of agriculture, EN-.
bodying the annual report of the de.
partment, should be printed by diree-
ton of the executive council, after
receiving competitive bids for the
printing and binding and letting tho
contract to the lowest bidder. The
house committee struck this provision
out 1t was the cause of a hard fight
in the senate. The original bill fixed
the salary Of the secretary at $1,000.
This was raised by the committee to
$500. An appropriation of $2,7OO is
provided for annually to support tho
Office, and $1,000 a year for improve
ments and insurance on state fair
grounds buildings.
Governor Shaw has sent to the house
of representatives his answer to the
inquiry regarding his relations with
building and loan business and insur.
ance companies of the state He
states that he has no connection
whatever with the building and loan
interests of the state nor with any
other institution over which the gov.
ernor or executive council has juris.
diction. He states that he is stock.
holder and director in the National
Life and Trust company, but that his
position as a member of the executive
council in no way affects this associ.
alton, as the council has nothing to do
with the insurance business of the
state.