Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-03-08

only stockholders, and as there are
but very few stockholders of railroads
in Iowa, 1t is of interest to but feW
Iowa people. The railroad committee
today reported and placed on the cal
endar some other railroad bills. A
substitute for the Tallman bill In re-
gard to posting bulletins of trains In
depots was passed to the senate by the
committee. A house bill by Hassel-
uuist placing coal roads on the same
basis as other roads in the matter OF
rights of way was reported favorably.
In fact there is vast amount of pro-
posed railroad legislation before the
| legislature.
The news item appearing In the l.
r. of Wednesday In regard to the prob
able candidacy of John r. Crockett, OF
Hardin county, for clerk of the supreme
court, has been the cause of much in
uuiry the past two days, and Mr.
Crockett has been besieged by those
who want definite information. The
announcement attracted a great deal of
attention, not only among members
from the central part of the state but
among those In other districts for they
realize that the state campaign is soon
to be upon them. Mr.. Crockett has been
busy with his work as clerk of the
house and has as yet given no indica-
tion of his intentions. His friends say
that he is considering the matter and
liz the field looks favorable they will in
duce him to come out as a candidate
and make the race. Mr.. Crockett has
n 70 10 I'm, 11Iy
his work in the house and his acquaint-
ance in the state among prominent men
has been thereby largely increased.
A bill which might have been passed
IL the newspaper men of the state had
made known their views related to
rates for the printing of the official
proceedings of the boards of supervis-
ors. This bill, by Hufschmidt, struck
out that part which said that the rate
should be mot to exceed" certain
sum This would have fixed the rate
for legal printing as 1T is fixed for many
other matters. But there was no gen
eral movement for the bill and it was
lost in the house. It may be reconsid-
cred. The purpose of the bill was to
prevent the rate cutting which Is
forced by some boards of supervisors in
the name of economy. 1t would also
prevent favoritism by boards of super
visors by the jugglery of securing bids.
A number of the members stated after
the bill was lost that they would have
voted for it If they had had a better
knowledge OF what it meant. Another
printing bill has been killed by the
house committee on printing. This is
the Hawk bill to divide the county
printing between five papers instead of
three. SO to spread the pay out corre
|spondingly thinner.
The judiciary committee of the houss
has commended bill to permit @ court
to cause an arrest for perjury in open
court without indictment where it be-
comes plain that witness is commit
ting perjury. . The lawyers want the
kill. They say that it will give courts
great power in controlling perjury.
which all lawyers agree is becoming all
too prevalent in the courts of the state.
But some persons are making objec-
tions to the bill on the ground that 1T
would place in the hands Of the judges
a power that is liable to abuse at any
time. 1t is as dangerous and in the
same way as the imprisonment for con-
tempt power which has been invoked
In the strike cases and elsewhere. 1t
appears to be one of those bills that
provide something good when it is in
the hands of good persons. but a dam
gerous thing in the hands of unScrupu-
lous or thoughtless persons, especially
in critical times.
The state depository bill has been
laid on the shelf. 1t CONTEMPLATED the
naming of certain banks as repositories
of the state funds and relieving the
state treasurer from responsibility for
the safe keeping of the funds in such
named repositories.
Charles Aldrich. Frank Herriott, John
son Brigham, Emory English and 9TH
ers appeared before the house appro-
priations committee yesterday after
noon to plead for the appropriation for
proposition is to have the appropria-
tion made out of funds derived from
the war claims and from that source
alone.
The legislators who conceive it to be
the chief duty of the general assembly
to add new laws to protect business
men and make 1T easier to transact
business without inquiring into the
character of the men with whom busi-
ness is done, have not found this legis-
lature as tractable as some others. For
instance, the exemption bills have not
been treated kindly by all the members.
Strong efforts were made to get a law
passed that would change the exemp-
ton laws so that only 80 per cent OF the
wages of a workman would be exempt
and the remaining 10 per cent would
be subject to attachment. This would
be equivalent to destroying the laws to
protect workingmen. This having
failed an effort was made to secure
favorable action for a law to exempt
$50 a month and that only and make
the remainder subject to attachment.
Yesterday the house judiciary COM
mittee killed off this bill. The rich
men of the legislature will have to go
home and coptinue to exercise their
minds over these small questions in
stead of having the legislature relieve
them from responsibility.
The house is willing to permit Oel-
vein to have a superior court II the
people there will stand the expense. The
h;11 +o red,ce tho size of cities that NAV