Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-06-17
State Bar Association Would
Revolutionize Present Sys-
TEN of City Government
THREE PAID TLoERMEN WANTED
Will Recommend to Legislature
Change Providing a Board of Three
SaIaried Aldermen to Govern Our
Cities, With Mayor Elected by the
Board From Its Members.
TO Times. Republican.

Special to Times. Republican,
Sioux City, June 1.-THE whole sys
TEN of municipal government in tn,
cities Of Iowa as laid down in the stat
utes would be revolutionized by the
| committee on law reform of the Iowa
State Bar association, according to tbs
committees report, which has JUS
been published and a copy of which
has been received by Judge George w
/ Wakefield, vice president and acting
| president fthe association in Sioux
City.
The report of the committee which
! is to be submitted to the state associa-
ton at its annual meeting to be held
!! at Des Moines July 16 and II, makes
five recommendations for changes and
| provides that the municipal govern
ment of cities of Iowa should be vested
! in a council of three aldermen, whose
terms of office should be three years
with the exception of the members OF
the first council, who should serve re-
spectively one. two and three years. to
be determined by lot. Thereafter one
alderman would be elected annually by
vote of the whole city. and vacancies
would be filled by special elections.
The council of three men. would be
vested with all the powers vested
now in the city. 1t elects one of its
number as mayor. The aldermen
would receive from $4,000 to $4,000 per
year, depending upon the class of the
city, with additional compensation for
the mayor. The aldermen and the
mayor would devote their entire time
To ther duties In behalf of the munich
pality.
Amendments of the statutes is
asked to put this unique plan. which
partakes of the village form of govern
ment, with the exception that the alder
men of a village do not devote their
whole time to looking after the munich
pality, is likely to precipitate a great
discussion by the members of the bar
association upon the question of it's
adoption T. L tic~.
Another leconimeEGati0. which Is
made by the committee, which wonld
be a radical departure from the present
laws, would prohibit the marriage of
weak minded persons In Iowa. Para
graphs 4 and 5 of the report relating to
this matter are as follows:
That the clerk Of this district court
be prohibited by law from issuing
marriage license permitting the mar
riage of any person known to him, or
WHOM, he has reasonable grounds to be-
lieye to be of weak or unsound mind,
and granting the right to the person
who has been refused license by the
clerk to appeal to the district court
without bond or costs to him and to
have the action of the clerk reviewed
by the district court.
That a penalty be imposed upon any
person who performs the marriage
ceremony or who aids and assists in
procuring the marriage of any person
known to be of weak or unsound
mind.
Judge L. G. Kline, member of the
state board of control. which is in
charge of the state institutions, is
chairman of the committee on law re-
form and is thought to have been re-
sponsible for the creation of the recon-
relating to the marriage of
weak minded persons. In note print
ed at the bottom of the report this ex-
PLANTATION is made: 1T is proper to say
that Judges Wade and Remley and Mr..
Crosby do not favor the third recon-
Telating to municipal gov
ernments) and that Mr.. Crosby and
Judge Huston do not favor the fourth
and fifth recommendations
The first and second recommends
tons in the report are as follows:
]. That section 1413 Of the code be
amended by adding thereto the follow
ing words: In all cases where the
homestead is listed separately as a
homestead 1t shall only be liable for
the taxes thereon"
2. That in all appeals in criminal
cases the notice of appeal must be SER
we'd and the appeal perfected within
six months from the date of the renal
ton of the judgement.
1t is expected the coming meeting of
the association will prove one of the
most interesting in the history of the
organization.