Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1902-03-26


ures of the session of til - wenty-ninth
general assembly. These are the SEN
ate ways and means subcommittee
railway assessment bill and the bill
for an educational board of managers
to control the state university, the
state agricultural college and the state
normal school. Unless both bills are
defeated in the house, the body before
which they are pending, it will be a
general surprise.
The bill for educational managers,
framed by Temple, Payne and Hurn,
was once reported out for passage by
the committee. This action led to
protest from the friends of the trus-
tee system, and for this reason the bill
was referred to the committee and
hearings were granted to President
Beardshear of Ames, President Mac
Lean of Iowa City and others. Presi-
dent Beardshear and President Mac
Lean both spoke strongly against the
bill in committee. They presented tes-
timonialS from educational authorities
in all parts of the country, in which OBJ
jections were raised to the plan Of a
central board Of control. They urged
that a single central board would
cause the present healthy college spir-
it that prevails at each of the three
great Iowa institutions of learning to
droop and die. They held the present
management was efficient and bust
ness-like, and that no cause for
change existed, and presented numer-
Gus other reasons why from their point
OF view a single board would not be
desirable or best for the institutions.
At the same time arguments were
being heard against the educational
bill the attorneys Of the railroads were
arguing against the railroad assess
ment bill before the house ways and
means committee. The hearings took
nearly the same line as those in the
senate before the ways and means
committee of that body. Strong OBJ
jections were raised by the railroad
representatives to that feature Of the
bill that requires first consideration to
be given to the sum of the value OF
the stocks and bonds of the roads in
fixing their assessments. The bill is
expected to be reported for indefinite
postponement by the majority of the
floor by the presentation of minor
ity report.
MoIsberry Bill Passes.
The Molsberry bill to remove the linn
itation on the Indebtedness that may
be incurred by railroad corporations
has now passed both houses. If signed
by Governor Cummins it will become
a law. The bill provides that the stat
,n,,f hot nt.afi on 10
shall not incur Indebtedness in excess
of two-thirds of their capital stock
shall not apply to railroad corporations.
The house was the body that took final
action on this measure and through a
contest over it had been variously pre-
dicted, it passed by vote of 67 to ID.
There has been much dispute as to the
real purpose of this measure. The
charges made against it were that it
was designed to afford line of retreat
for the Northern Securities merger in
terests. 1t was said that in case the
Northern Securities company was
knocked out by the federal courts, this
bill would enable the new Burlington
railway, recently Incorporated In Iowa
with capital of $100,000,000, to issue
bonds to take up the stocks Of the
Northern Pacific and Great Northern
roads and thus make Iowa the home
of the great Hill merger This view
was not taken by the majority of the
members. Representative Sweet, who
was the author of the bill in the house,
Senator Molsberry and others, in ex-
planning the purpose Of the bill, said
1t amounted to little more than legal
izing what has been the practice of
railroads for years in spite of the stat
utes, as they have incurred indebted
ness in excess Of two-thirds of their
capital in some instances and the SUI
preme court has held the Indebtedness
so incurred valid.
Elections Resolution Goes Through.
AS has all along been predicted, the
Harper joint resolution for submission
to the voters of biennial elections
amendment has passed the house. 1t
passed the senate earlier in the session.
There was little opposition in the
house, the vote on final passage being
"a to IL. In form, the joint resolution
differs but little from the Titus meas
ure, which was adjudged invalid by
the supreme court owing to technical
defects, the resolution not having been
spread in full on the journals of the
two houses. as required by tire consti-
tuition. This time the greatest care
was exercised to prevent repetition
of the previous blunder The resolution
will have to pass the Thirtieth gener-
al assembly before ii can be submitted
to the voters. In support of biennial
elections letters were read from other
states where biennial elections laws
are in force. Governor Van SAINT of
Minnesota Endorsed the workings of
the law in his state.
The house has passed the roads and
highways committee substitute pro-
viding for the consolidation OF all the
road districts in each civil township
into single township road district
The consolidation is to go into effect
in April, 1903. The bill contemplates
the payment OF road taxes in cash, the
money thus paid to go into a general
township fund
The Lister child labor bill passed the
senate. 1t is far, however, from being
the radical anti-child labor measure
that ii was in its original form and
has virtually been amended to death.
1t permits child labor. but for not to
exceed six hours per day.
Primary Elections Bill Turned Down.
BY vote OF 40 to 81 the house has