Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-04-15
The Legislature Has Appropriated
About That Amount.
REDISTRICTING BILL PASSES SENATE
Upper House Cuts ST. Louis Fair APP.
preparation to $125, oo0-House Will
Doubtless Concur in the Cut
House Needed no Sitting Committee.
Des Moines, April II.

DeS MONIES, April IL.
The sum of appropriations at the
present session promises to run well
toward the three million mark, eXclu-
sive of the additional levies. The
house yesterday afternoon Concurred
in the senate bill allowing $250,OO0 for
Improvement of the capitol building,
the amount to be expended in four
years. After the vote was taken, and
it required some time to get the ne
cessary number, the dissidents gath
cred in the cloak room and vented
aheir disapprobation in no uncertain
tones. "Oh, well, we have given Polk
county all it has asked all these
years, said one. land we ought not to
spoil the record in the last hours OF
the Twenty-ninth general assembly,"
Passed Redistricting Bill.
The senate passed without change
yesterday afternoon the representa-
tive redistricting bill as it came from
the house. AS it was also necessary
to do something with the senatorial
districts under the terms Of the con-
stitution a bill was passed with but
apportionment. Thus the democratic
each lose one representative, while
the northwest will gain.
Reporters Salaries.
The occupants of the "Cherokee
strip" in other words the democrats
of the house, managed to extract some
amusement from the supreme court
reporters bill, which came on the
door during the afternoon. The mea-
sure in its amended form provided
that the Office should be appointive
and that the compensation should be
placed at $4,000. There is story in
connection with this affair which has
not yet been told. The present occu-
pant of the office, B. 1. Salinger, had
hoped that it would extend the time
of his holding, and at the same time
assure his salary. But the committee
Knocked out the extension, and Mr..
Salinger lost much of his interest.
Yet even at the time the vote was be-
ing taken the gentleman was at work
on the floor, and this called down a
severe rebuke from the speaker. The
debate was unusually hot, and for the
flrst time this session developed into
what might easily have been denomin-
ated partisanship. Meanwhile the
youthful democrats were executing a
war dance in the cloak room, and they
voted solidly for indefinite postpone
ment, which carried by a bare major
ity.
County Auditors Bill Defeated.
The bill! to regulate the salaries of
county auditors was defeated in the
house, despite considerable work to
push the same.
$125,ooo for ST. Louis.
The st. Louis exposition bill came
up. The house fixed the appropriation
at 100000. The senators thought
this too much, or at least enough of
them to reduce the amount to $125 900.
which is cut in half from the items
of the original bill and the recommen-
dations of the preliminary commits
sion. The house will doubtless con,
cur in this amendment to avoid further
delay. 1t is the opinion of most of the
law makers that a very creditable
showing can be made for the state
with this sum. 1t is not generally
deemed wise to spend a great amount
on the building, though this must OF
necessity De made much better than
previous eXpositions because by the
terms of the bill it is to be taken down
and regretted on the state fair
grounds as permanent structure.
Chief interest will now center on the
selections to be made by the governor
for members Of the commission. | am
informed that it is his intention to
choose such men as are best known
in the respective lines throughout
the state. Political prominence is
hardly likely to cut much figure along
side of executive ability or national