Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-03-13
Legislature May Not Adjourn
Before Middle Of April.
LEGISLATION ON PAVING
Bill to Change Paving Law VIII Come
Before Senate This Week Short
Sessions in BothiHouses
Saturday,


respondence. 1T now looks as tho the
legislature would not adjourn before
April 10 or IL. Nearly all the impor-
tant legislation effected thus far has
been OF q negative nature. Very few
matters of general Importance or great
need to the state have been acted upon.
Old members are saying they have
never known of a session preceding
the present one which has consumed
so much time and effected such slight
results. 1t is stated, however, that a
great deal of work is being done in
committee, and that measures will
come from these bodies rapidly from
this on.
Paving Legislation In Sight.
The senate committee on cities and
towns will this week bring out COM
mittee bill providing for special assess
ment for paving, changing the present
law to conform to recent decisions in
the United States supreme court. The
committee bill will be simple merely
outlining the law and leaving the spe-
cial provisions to the city councils.
Senator Trewin, chairman Of the COM
mittee, favors a paving assessment
commission, whose duty shall be the
revision of the laws on this subject.
He does not consider the committee, in
the limited time it has, able TO draft
measure that will stand test OF the
courts. He wants the commission TO
finish its work and report to the next
legislature.
Saturdays Business.
Both houses held short sessions Sat
urday morning, and passed several bills
of more or less Importance. In the
senate the bill appropriating $4,000 tu
the historical society at the State uni.
versity passed without opposition
The. bill providing this appropriation
was offered early in the session, aud
the Iowa City people have been follow.
ing it, closely ever Since. There Was
some doubt at one time if the society
would be granted its request. This is
one OF two or three bills providing ap.
preparations, that have passed either
branch. AT the request of Senator
Brighton the valued policy bill was
made a special order for Tuesday O!
next week. 1t is expected that the con-
sideration of this bill will bring on.
one of the hottest debates of the ses-
sion. The insurance companies, espe-
cially the small ones, are against the
valued policy law. Even the big com.
pamesi have representatives. watching
the Iowa legislature on this point. The
| ,crry ~ 4.
passage of valued policy bill is an
incentive TO incendiarism, but Senator
Junkin, OF the ways and means com.
Inittee, who has spent considerable
time on the valued policy question
puts the matter as follows: ''Yes, ths
lack of a valued policy law gives the
poor man the worst of it; and the ex.
istence- Of a valued policy seems to give
the company the worst of it. Whicn
should it. be?"
The house session Saturday was dc.
voted to a consideration of several I'M.
portant bills. The most time was spent
on the Cowles bill, which provides that
certain high schools, maintaining cer
tain standard shall receive $500 an
nually from the state. Representative
Cowles has secured the end dorsemell,
of his measure from Presidents Mac
Lean Of the State university, Beard.
shear of the Agricultural college, Seer
ley of the State Normal school, an6
Superintendent Barrett. No vote was
reached on the bill and it was made !;
special order for Tuesday of this week
Representatives Stallcop, Lyman
Hughes, Head and Blume are leading
the opposition.
Republican Committee to Meet.