The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-03-24
RE FINDS A DEFECT
Iowa Standard Policy Held to Be
-. Unconstitutional.
ATTY MULLAN MAKES A RULING
Temple Serves Notice on the Ma
chine That He Must Be Pro-
vided For.
Special to The Journal.

Special to The Journal.
Des Moines, Iowa, March 24.-Attorney
General Mullan has given an op1n-
ion to a subcommittee of the house
insurance committee to the effect that the
Dunham- Townsend bill for uniform fire
insurance policy, to be known as the Iowa
standard policy, would be unconstitutional
If enacted. Two distinct standard policy
bills are pending. One is known as the
Meservey- Whipple bill and provides for
the adoption Of the New York standard
policy. The Durham Townsend bill pro-
vides for the adoption of policy, drawn
along the lines Of the New York policy as
far as possible, but so framed as not to
modify existing Iowa insurance laws. 1t
further provides the form Of policy shall
be left to the auditor Of state and the
attorney general. Attorney General Null
Ian holds this is fatal defect in the bill
as it contemplates a delegation of the
law making power OF the general assembly
and is therefore unconstitutional. He
cites decisions from several state courts,
including one by the supreme court OF
Minnesota, to sustain his position. -
The contest over the two bills has as
sumed good deal Of Importance by rea-
son Of the insistenL demands of the insur-
ance interests that the New York stand
ard policy be adopted. They desire this
for the reason it would repeal many feat
ures Of the Iowa law that they deem objec-
tionable.
1t begins to look as if the st. Louis
exposition would get comfortably large
appropriation. There is a good deal of
kicking over the traces in the senate over
the action Of the appropriations commit
tee in passing resolution limiting the
sum for ST. Louis to $4,000. 1t has de-
Va1nnpS a Of hot h hnUSac from
the southern half Of the state are almost
unit in favor of liberal appropriation.
1t appears probable the house bill for
$4,000 will be enacted.
Talk of Adjourning.
The spring-like weather has caused the
question of adjournment to be freely
agitated. In the senate, the trend of the
talk is for adjournment April 10. The
time of ending the session is curiously
related to the railroad assessment bill
and the bills for special leves for the
educational institutions. All these meas
ures are now pending in the house. The
opponents Of the railroad taxation bill
would like to bring about precipitate ad-
journment and thus kill off that measure.
But adjournment caLnot come until the
appropriations committees are willing and
these committees are headed by Senator
Garst and Representative Hughes, both
Of whom are friendly to the railroad taxa
ton bill and will not permit the appro-
priations to be disposed OF until the rail-
road assessment measure Is acted on.
Some Of the members of the appropria-
lions committees hesitate. too, to conclude
work on the appropriations until they
learn what is to become of the educational
levy bills: It Is hoped to dispose Of these
bills and the railroad assessment measure
in the first few days of this week. The
situation will then be greatly simplified.
The senate committee on pardons has
decided to report to the senate against
the pardon of Wesley Elkins, the young
man now confined at Anamosa for the
murder of his parents in Clayton county
when he was II years old. The committee
acted after a prolonged discussion of the
matter and stood four to three against
the proposed pardon. The people of Clay
ton county are unit against the young
mans release,
Temple Threatens the Powers.
According to highly interesting report
going the rounds M. L. Temple has served
notice on the political powers of Iowa,
headed by j. W. Blythe, that he must
have the federal attorneyship for the
southern district of Iowa or he will help
pass the railroad taxation bill. He is said
to have told them he must have it at once,
too as there is little time to lose. Temple
is chairman Of the house ways and means
committee before which the bill is pend
ing While he has been taking a firm
stand this winter against all anti-railroad
legislation, he wants the district attorney
ship to succeed Lewis Miles, who has been
regarded as slated for disappointment. 1t
is common report that he has served
notice on J. w. Blythe that he wants his
name sent to the senate for confirmation
as district attorney, before he will get
action on the taxation bill. If this is
true, as commonly believed, and If Temple
keeps his nerve with him, he will have
Blythe in close quarters. If Blythe yields
and gives Temple the attorneyship, 1t will
be such a palpable case Of barter and sale
that the house will hardly dare defeat the
bill and be accused Of being led around by
Temple. And If Blythe refuses, Temples
influence, thrown in favor Of the bill
might pass it, The friends of the bill feel
more hopeful of it than for week past.
Aimed at Abuses.
The house passed the bill by Wilson OF
Buena Vista for the purchase of oil in
spectors' supplies by the executive coun-
ell and for reports Of oil companies to the
state showing monthly amounts Of oil
inspected. The bill is designed to break
up abuses by the oil inspectors, pointed
out by the expert accountants recently
The inspectors now buy their own sup
plies and the state has no check on them
whatever. "a
The house unanimously refused to con-
cur in the senate amendments to the
Hannah interurban bill. The amend
ments placed restrictions on freight haul
ing in cities by interurban lines.
The Crawford bill passed the house
TT
appointed by the district court, which is
curative of defects made plain by a re-
cent supreme court decision. The bill
affects Sioux City and Dubuque
Hughes bill, modelled after the Della
ware law, requiring loaves Of bread t.
weigh pound, was defeated.
Loan Up to Half the Value.
Alexander's bill, to permit state banks tc
loan on real estate up to so per cent OF
the value. was discussed at length in the
senate this morning and developed much
opposition. It finally went over with
amendments to specify farm lands only
1t will probably pass the senate.
Senator Griswold introduced bill pre-
pared by the state auditor and attorney
general to include. all home trust COM
pantes and like concerns in the building
and loan laws, There have recently been
several bogus concerns located in Des
Moines wthichacannot be reached under the
present laws, and this method is in
tended to prevent them doing a dishonest
business. A few minor bills OF local
significance passed.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.
Washington, March 2.-The senate amend
ments to the bill to repeal the war revenue
taxes were non concurred in by the house
fO-day and the hill WAS sent confaronno