Omaha daily bee., 1902-02-24
Plumbing and heating. Bi1by & Son.
NEW LEGISLATION IN IOWA
Five Weels Find No General Measure
Signed by GOvernOF-Much Free
Hminary Work is Done.
From a stan correspondent

(From a Staff Correspondent
DIES MONIES, Feb. 23.-(Special.)-The
Iowa legislature has been in session now
I'VE weeks and no bill Of general nature
has been signed by the governor. The only
bills to be completely disposed Of are a
few legalizing acts and one appropriation
bill for the Cherokee insane hospital, which
was needed so that work might be con-
tinued at this time. But nearly 700 bills
have been introduced In the two branches
OF the legislature. The committees have
done a vast amount Of work. Much Of
the general legislation contemplated has
been digested. The legislature is at least
as far advanced with work as usual at this
time Of the year and the leaders of the
legislature feel that they have lone fairly
well.
The coming week there will be given
consideration Of some matters Of impor-
lance and interest. One Of the chief mat
tiers will come up in the senate on Tuesday
morning when the bill to change the penal
system OF the state. establishing perma-
rently the parole system with indetermi-
nate sentences. placing the persons con-
victed Of lesser crimes in the penitentiary
at Anamosa and converting It into a re-
formatory proper, and giving some board
w ~ aAoAOl COANACto II Q
formatory to the peitentiary or the oppo-
site at will. The measure is pending in
the senate and has been made a special
order. The bill has been introduced by
Senator Emmert, whose seat is threatened
by a contest and who may be ousted any
day, but the measure is really championed
by the Board Of Control. 1t will meet with
considerable opposition from the lawyers.
n.-.-
The railway assessment matter has not
gone so far. The bill to provide for max
ing the assessment on the market value OF
the stocks and bonds as determined by
the market reports, has been prepared and
presented to the senate ways and means
committee, and some Of its features have
been considered, but 1t is known that the
committee is far from harmonious in re-
gard to the measure. The bill con-
templates a complete change in the as
sessment system Of the state. 1t will
meet with bitter opposition in the legis-
lature. but those who have prepared It
and are prepared to champion the measure
are apparently in fun control and II Is
almost certain to become a aw.
The compulsory education matter will
come before the senate this week. The
j bAA R8ooC0 NAO hOhoCH Al Nac gCaAo = DAAA
for this purpose has met with opposition
from those churches that maintain paroch-
ial schools. The bill this year was
amended to suit the Lutherans before IL
was presented at all, and later changes
were made In the measure at the sugges-
ton Of Archbishop Keane, which mad the
bill satisfactory to the Catholics. The aim
Of the educators is to- get the principle
established in Iowa and amend the law
from session to session as It may be found
necessary. The bill passed the house by
a large majority and will pass the senate
with little trouble.
Bills Affecting Salaries.
Among the bills that will attract much
attention in the near future are those
affecting salaries. The measure to increase
the salaries of the supreme judges and to
so change the terms Of court that the court
would practically sit all the year, has not
been well favored. 1t would have been
defeated at the outset II 1t had not been
withdrawn. A house COMMITTEES has now
SO changed the bill that there is nothing
in it about changing the terms of court,
and the salary increase amounts to only
81 200 a year. But the bill may be fixed
up properly later on. The bill TO increase
the salaries of district judges is yet to be
acted on. The bill affecting the salaries
of sherins has been changed In COMMITTEES
80 that the highest salary for a sheriff will
be $500 a year. In this form the bill will
be strongly supported In the house the
coming week or as soon as reached on the
calendar. There are also bills affecting
the salaries OF court reporters, county re-
corders and some others. The members
seem to fear q general s3ward movement
Of salaries.
Appropriations Measures.
The appropriations bills have not gon,
very far. The senate committee is WAITING
for the house committee to do the primary
work on the main bills. The house com.
mittee has completed the work on tn,
Board OF Control bills. These relate Il
the fourteen charitable. penal and reform.
atory state institutions, and for this an,
preparations are needed amounting to abou
100000, which is more than the money
which the state auditor and treasurer re,
port is available for all the extraordinar,
appropriations. So the house approprla
tions committee has appointed q subcom
mittee to find out II more money is not II
sight. or II some way cannot be devised 10,
increasing the states revenues materially
Chairman Hughes OF the appropriation
committee is emphatic In his position. H,
says that IL this Is all the money the stat
now has at its disposal 1t must get more
must take care OF our state instftu
tons" he says. "If we have not s~uficien
! revenue Row, we must get It. Only a yer,
small part OF the money paid in taxes come
; to the state treasury. Our state tax lev
; is not large. Iowa can afford to pay wei
for the care of her dependents and for ed
: u~cation. and / believe that the people vii
sustain us II we do the right thing by al
: our state institutions and interests an
5 then see to it that taxes are levied to pa
. for the same"
I Much OF the legislation thus far has bee
In the nature Of correcting errors in tn
code OF the laws. The past week two bill
have been considered Of this nature. whic
illustrate what is happening all the tim,
One OF them corrects a clause in the cod
> which provided that where a person con
4 mits a crime in Iowa while he is outsid
Of the state, certain things shall happeI
Obviously this is not what Is meant, b.
1t has been changed so as to read wheE
one leaves the state after committing
: crime. Another preseribes that person
e doing a certain thing shall
T punished. but does not say how or VIII
5 for. This has been corrected. The usu,
. grist Of lesaliEing acts are to be foun