Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-02-19
AV|FPASS BILL DEAD
II Was Killed in the House This
Morning Without Vote
on Its Merits.
Motion to Lay Amendment on
the Table Settled Fate
OF the Measure.
Valued Policy introduced by
Brighton Today..Railway AS.
sessment Problem.
special TO Times.Republlcan

Special to Times Republican.
pes Moines. Feb. 19.-The anu-pass
bill went to defeat in surprising man
Iner this morning without a vote on lts
merits. Hughes, Black and Whitlna
spoke for the bill and Hamann asalns'
In. The latter offered an amendment te
Include ministers in those who should
he prohibited from receiving favors
motion to lay the amendment on the
table was carried by SO to "A, and this
jcarried the whole bill with 1t.
The senate, after some discussion
Irecommitted to the Judiciary commit
tee the bill to provide for physicians
making returns of vital statistics. Ihe
resolution to compel the federal reia-
tions committee to report out the reso-
Tuition in regard to injunctions was
passed.
The divorce law bill was passed. also
the bin to provide for the care of ceme-
tery funds. The valued policy bill was
introduced by Brighton in substantially
the same form as two years ago.
| -
The railway assessment bills ap-
peared this afternoon and were adopted
by the senate ways and means COM
| mfttee. There are two of them. one to
authorize the governor to employ a
competent statistician to make an IN
yestigation to secure information In re-
gard Ito the value of railway properties
and TO cause them to print 5000 copies
/ of his report; the other to provide that
the matters to be considered by the ex-
ecutive council in making the assess
ment the council goes over gross earn
ings in each state separately. operating
texpenses, net earnings. taxes paid ana
special assessments, amount OF money,
stocks and bonds and current assets or
whatever nature on hand, including the
amount of the sinking fund, the num-
ber of shares of stock issued and the
Ear value thereof, and all other evi-
dences of indebtedness of the compa-
Mes 1t provides specifically that the
stocks and bonds shall be considered.
1--WE have progressed farther in leg
islation than usual at this time of the
year" So says Speaker Eaton. who has
been keeping tab on the way things are
going. He says he is well satisfied with
the progress made and believes the
Legislature will get thru its work in
good season. Mr.. Temple and Mr..
Clarke are of like mind. Both say that
the work lis going well. 1t is certain
| that the members are working hard.
They have few idle moments. The
| forenoons are given over to the ses-
sions and in the afternoon the commit
tees do a vast amount of hard work
which does not always appear on the
surface.
The subcommittee Of the senate
the railroad assessment problem is the
center of attraction for all those who
are pushing the railroad question to
the front. There has been threat out
some time that unless this committee
does something pretty quickly a bill
will be introduced in the house to cover
the same ground and the house viii
proceed without the work. The demo-
cratic members of the house are enthu-
siastic advocates of the stocks and
bonds theory of railroad assessment
which has been repudiated by Governor
Cummins and Lieutenant Governor
Herriott. The ub-committee is pre-
pairing the bill carefully. Senator Lew
is is in charge. He estatedyesterday that
he had drawn the third draft of the
bill and that he hoped to have it ready
for the full committee to act on today.
The bill will be a compromise. 1t Will
not be a radical measure. 1t will be
partly what Lieutenant Governor Her
riott desires and partly that which is
favored by Governor Cummins. 1t will
provide for what Herriott calls the
unit rule in deciding on the value of
railroad property for assessment pur-
posses. In Governor Cummins' inau-
gural address there was plain hint
that he believed fiat rule from which
there could be no deviation, a rule that
would virtually make the legislature
the assessing board and leave no dis
cretion to the council. would be in vio-
lation of the constitution. The COM
mittee believes it has obviated this
danger in the bill which has been pre-
pared, and at the same time there will
be decided improvement in the as
Sessment law of the state. But there Is
Il great fiutter of excitement among the
small number who believe there is only
one great thing for this legislature to
60 and that is to completely revise the
laws relating to corporations.
The house committee on compensa-
tion of public officers met yesterday |
afternoon and proceeded to discuss the
Cummings bill for change of the
method of doing business in the SUI
Ireme court with Incidental corre-
spending increase in the salaries of the
judges of the court. The bill had been |
referred to that committee after 1t had |
been under consideration of the house |
for two separate days. The committee |
to butcher the bill in ap- |
proved fashion. The first thing done |
was to cut out of the bill all matter
to the continuous terms of the
court. This was the essential feature
of the bill and that which was asked |
by the bar of the state for the purpose
Of securing better results from the SUI
preme court work. The lawyers have
had long standing complaint against