Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-03-24

the house is not treating concurrence
in amendments as the final stage of the
bill passing. Members of the senate
declare that this record in the house
journals will invalidate all bills that
have been amended in the senate and
the house has concurred without calling
the roll.
The discovery of this method of con-
curing was made in reference to
House File No. 9. by Head, one of the
bills introduced on the first day of the
Introduction of bills. This bill has
had long run of hard luck. 1t is for
legalizing a school district at Ralston
on the line between Green and Car
roll counties. The bill was reported
out early and passed. 1t had not more
than done so when it was discovered
that there We're objections to it by some
of the people in that part of the
counties. 1t was reconsidered and the
bill was long in getting thru. 1t caus-
ed members more trouble than any of
the legalizing acts. Finally few
weeks ago it was put thru again. Now
the senators discover that in legaliz
ing the school district the house has
done it's work Illegally. There may be
some other bills in the same fix.
Senators are somewhat inclined to
apologize for the delay in the senate in
the passage of bills. For some time a
sub committee of the ways and means
committee which consumed a large
part of week. Then there was the
trip to Ames and some other matters.
Several members of the senate have
been absent great DEAL Healey has
been away a large part of the time,
leaving the most important committee
of the senate without leadership.
Brighton has not been in his seat but
a small part of the time. Trewin has
been i'll. At the same time members
of the senate resent the action of the
house in trying to make 1T appear to
the state the senate is delaying ad-
journment. 1t is reported that some
members of the senate have been try
ing to hold back the work in order to
give time for consideration of the var
ious railway bills, but this is hardly to
be believed. If the senator's are not
bothered they will do business from
this time on.
1t has been disclosed that if the house
had not recalled the concurrent reso-
luton to adjourn April it would have
been passed by the senate. The sem
ate is anxious to secure early adjourn
ment, as most of the important busi-
ness is done. But the prospect of ad
journing next week is now remote.
1t is expected that the report of the
house ways and means committee on
the railway assessment bill will be pre-
sented to the house early this week
and that the hearings will be very
limited. But 1t is a fact, as very little
investigation will disclose, that the
house members have given very little
time to consideration Of the bill as
yet. and are poorly prepared to vote
on It. A canvass of the house men,
bership will disclose that not half of.
the members have any clear UNDER
standing of the purport of the bill or
can offer good statement as to what
it will do. A great many of them are
saying that the bill means nothing and
can do neither good nor harm; while
others are centain it will Immediately
result in an increase in the assessment
of railway property to fabulous
amounts. A good deal of lobby work
has been done among the members. but
only with few of them and the great
majority have been so absorbed in 9th
er matters that they are unable to
present arguments for the bill or to
consider it carefully. An illustrations:
One of the house members went to the
senate side few days ago and begged
for some enlightenment on the bill.
He called in the Lewis bill and his
questions indicated to the senator
whom he approached that he regarded
it as a hard and fast stocks and bonds
proposition. Within half day an
other intelligent house member ap-
preached the same senator and COM
menced to discuss the bill on the
theory that it contemplates no actual
increase in the assessment. Thus far
the house hearings have developed
nothing new on the bill.