The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1902-04-01
Iowa Legislature Favors Change in
the Constitution to Do Away
with Yearly Voting.
MUST PASS GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF 1904
Bill Before the Senate to Establish
Uniform bookkeeping in State In
stitutions-House Adopts Resolu-
ton for Final Adjournment April
3-Other Notes Of Interest.
Especial Correspondence

half dozen constitutional amend
ments We're proposed in the legislature
this session, only one has been Endorsed
by the assembly, and the opinion is
prevalent that it will be the only one.
1t provided for biennial elections in
stead of annual elections in this state.
1t will have to pass through the gen
eral assembly of 1904 before it can be
submitted to the people and cannot be-
come effective before 1905, even if the
next assembly shall pass it and the
people shall then adopt it. 1t is identi-
cal in form with the Titus biennial
elections amendment, which was sub
mitted in 1900 and carried, but which
the supreme court declared not to have
been adopted because it was not re-
corded in a constitutional manner in
the journals of the two sessions of the
eralassembly.
No Opposition.
There was practically no opposition
in the senate to the passage of the bill
to remove the discriminative part of
the state tax on the business of for
eign insurance companies. This bust
ness has been taxed heretofore at 3i%
per cent. on the gross premiums, but
under the present law, which passed
the senate and which will probably
pass the house, the tax was lowered
to 2h per cent, which is the same as
that paid by companies in the United
States outside of Iowa companies. The
Iowa companies pay but one per cent.
on the gross premiums. Of the 80 for
eign insurance companies doing bust
ness in Iowa IA withdrew on account
of the discriminative tax, and manufac-
tturers and insurers who place eXtraor-
dinarily heavy risks petitioned the leg
islature for the repeal of the discrim-
NATIVE excess of tax on the foreign
companies.
The Age Increased.
The legislature has passed law in
creasing the age to which girls may be
detained in the industrial school at
Mitchellville to 21 years. The old law
fixed the limit at which they might be
retained in the institution at is years.
This was found not to be satisfactory,
because the educa tional courses which
the girls take in that institution could
not be completed at this age, and they
were thrown into the world, often
without any protection whatever, and
upon their own resources without ade-
quate knowledge to meet the situation.
The board of control and Superinten-
dent Fitzgerald, of the Mitchellville in
stitution, conceived the idea that the
TO- TOLL 1yor
the girls long enough to thoroughly
educate them and teach them trade,
so that once out of the institution they
would be able to lead correct lives.
Hence the enactment of this law, which
will be of great benefit, in the opinion
of the board of control.
An Important Measure.
The municipal code commission, of
which Senator Trewin is chairman, has
| introduced bill that will prove of vast
Importance if it becomes a law. 1t
provides for uniform system of keep
ing accounts by the municipalities of
the state, and for the annual publica-
ton of financial statement by each
city in at least two newspapers. The
funds are to be kept separate, the OBJ
iect being to make these reports the
basis for comparison. All of the mem
bers of the commission believe that the
result will be great saving i'll the eX.
penditures of cities. Representative
Hurn introduced a similar bill in the
house some time ago, which is now be
ing considered by The committee on
municipal corporations. 1t provides
for the publication of a financial state
ment each year, which, in years of city
elections, is to be published three
weeks before the election, thus giving
voters an opportunity to asce rtain how
their money is being expended. 1t j:
probable that these two bills will b.
consolidated, or, possibly, the munici
pal code commission bill will be substi
!, tuted for the bill introduced by Repre-
sentative Hurn.
To Reorganize Districts.
The house committee on representa-
tive districts has formulated bill TO
the reorganization of these district
on basis which probably will b
; adopted by the legislature. Lee an
Des Moines counties lose one repre-
!. sentative each, the representative
thus gained being transferred to TIL
northwestern part of the state. Thi
will decrease the number of democrat
in the assembly. The bill gives the fol
lowing counties two representative
D each: Linn, Dubuque, Scott, Clinton
Woodbury., Pottawattamie, Polk. TIL
? following districts are composed G
e two counties: Dickinson Emmett, Igor
u Osceola, Winnebago-Worth, Hancocl
Humboldt, ClayPocahontas 1da-Mo1
!. ona. All the other counties have on
representative each. The basis of rel
resentation is 26,500.
o To Manage Schools.
Next to the railroad assessment law
V the most important measure which ha
t been brought before the general a
. sembly low drawing to close in tn
). state is the proposition to create
board of control to manage the educ
tional institutions of the state. III
bill was proposed SO late in the sessio