Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-04-22
ESQ NEW MEASURES
That Number of Bills Pass the
Legislature.
WORK OF THAT BODY In NUTSHELL

WORK OF THAT BODY In NUTSHELL
1t Breaks All Records in Number of
Bills Passed and Amount Appropriat.
eds Brought Down to Date-Re-
view of Work.
| Des Moines. April 12.-Nearly two
hundred and fifty new measures will
go on the statute books as the result
| OF the session of the twenty-ninth
general assembly, which was brought
to close yesterday. Of these, about
an equal number originated in the
house and the senate. The number of
bills that successfully went through
the ordeal of both houses is small,
compared with the number introduced
and that were either killed outright
or brought to an end by methods of
indirection. Hosts of measures that
ten weeks ago gave brilliant promise
OF poisoning into statutes are now
lying forgotten in the desks of tables
in the committee rooms. In the house
the total number of bills introduced
was 455. In the senate there were
1868 new bills. Much of the legislation
that has been enacted consists of leg
aliZing acts and measures of a correct
i've or special nature. In the way of
positive constructive legislation, the
assembly has accomplished but little.
One of the measures of foremost
importance is the new road law, MAX
ing the township the unit of road Or
ganization. The Durham compulsory
education bill is an important educa-
tional advance. Nothing to speak of
has been accomplished in the way of
taxation reform and the railway as
sessment agitation has come to moth
ing. The leading railroad measure
that has gone through is the Hubbard
merger BILL to allow Iowa roads to
reach out and own and control the
property and stocks of connecting
lines. There has been considerable
Legislation for municipalities. The
insurance interests were successful in
preventing the passage of the valued
policy law and equally unsuccessful
in securing other measures that they
sought, such as the repeal of the anti
compact law and the creation of an in
surance department
Two joint resolutions for amend
ments to the constitution were passed,
one the biennial elections measure
and the other the Temple measure to
increase the Representative to 1903. The
equal suffragists fought as usual for
their joint resolution and as usual fell.
The legislature has evinced little af-
lection for blue laws, and the anti
Sunday baseball bill slept in commit
tee on adjournment. The liquor laws,
however, have been frightened up at
various points and made somewhat
more stringent Des Moines has been
accorded needed legislature with little
opposition. Chief among this has
been the fire and police commission
bill and the measures relative to the
army post. The banks of the state
have secured increased latitude in
! much-wanted lawmaking and in the
way of mines and mining legislation,
the shot examiners is of first import
ance.
Not since Iowa became a state has
such liberality been shown in appro.
priations and the levy has gone to an
unprecedented figure. The education.
al institutions, in addition to being al
lowed half mill levy. have been civ
en- fairly large regular appropriations
Was ~ O'clock Late in Afternoon.
The records show that the legisla-
ture adjourned at IL o'clock sharp
! yesterday. However, at that time the
, business had not been entirely COM
pleted and the hands of the timepiece
were locked. A short recess was TAX
en- for lunch and proceedings contin-
, ued. The afternoon was one of
slaughter SO far as are concerned bills
which had no great Importance Other
bills were acted upon by wholesale
the desk forces of both houses kept
busy and these were enforced by en-
) listing every committee clerk in the
: building AS is usual on the day pre-
: ceding adjournment the matters act.
! ed upon were hurried and bills of vital
5 importance pushed through. Such
5 measures, though, have long been be.
: fore the legislature and members, gen
orally, had minds made up as to what
! should be done.
Tax Ferrets Remain.
The tax ferret bill passed by the
: house some weeks ago was taken UP
l by the senate and was defeated. The
: result is that no change will be made
/ in the law relating to the collection Of
} taxes on property omitted, or with
E held from reports to assessors. The
e principal reason for the killing of this
: bill is that it contained no saving
f clause as to existing contracts.
s. Maocurac in
! Senate bill was passed making thu
sections of the code providing for the
election of park commissioners appl!
to cities of the first class.
Senate bill was passed providing
that the abatement of nuisance fol
violations of the mulct law by the fill
ing of a bond by the owner of a build