Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-03-01
BILL PROVIDING FOR SALE OR
LEASE OF RIVER IsLANDsls
Z. OF LOCAL INTEREST. als
MARSHAL BILL d is LOST
This is the General Opinion That Is
Growing Among the Members Of the
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES May Appear
Before Iowa Representatives.

(BY LEON BRowN.) s.
| Des Moines Bureau Of Courier.
Des Moines, Feb. 81.
Senator Harper's bill giving the ex-
ecutive council the power to survey,
plat, lease and sell islands in the riv-
ers of the state was suggested by At
torney General Mullan, but was pro-
posed originally by Senator Harper
himself, who asked the attorney gen
eral who owned certain islands in the
Des Moines river near Ottumwa. The
attorney general got to looking into
the statute books and failed to find
any law which definitely fixed the title
of such property. He drafted the
measure which Senator Harper has
introduced. 1t authorizes the execu-
tive council first to survey and plat
an island which is formed in a river;
then to advertise the thing for sale or
lease; to open the bids the same as
bids received on any other proposition
of sale on competitive bidding; to list
the bids and to sell to the highest bid
der; or if the bids are unsatisfactory
to take bids for leasing the island; and
to sell or lease as the case may be.
1t is thought that this will effective
| ly dispose of the questions which vex
the authorities from time to time as to
who legitimately occupies the islands
in the river; will settle the dispute as
to whom islands which accretions
eventually join to one shore or the 9TH
er belong; and will dispose of many
troublesome puzzles. -
1t is believed to be improbable that
the state marshal bill will be reported
on favorably by the house committee
on suppression of intemperance unless
Republicans to report it out. How they
can do this and justify the vote
against it afterwards in the legislature
is mystery.
Chairman Harris said today: "We
do not expect to vote on the measure
without giving the opposition a
chance to be heard That is only fair.
The persons favoring the marshal bill
have presented their case very thor
oughly. No one opposing has signified
desire to be heard but assume that
some one will want to be and the
committee win not pass on the bill be.
fore permitting 1T to be done"
No one was much surprised when
the bill requiring railroads to report
the details of all accidents on their
lines to the state labor commissioner
was recommitted to the committee on
| judiciary. 1t has been in labor COM
mittee for some time. The labor COM
mittee Of which Calderwood of Scott
is chairman, acted on it several weeks
ago. Then the railroads asked to be
heard and were heard, but the action
of the committee was not changed. 1t
was for the, passage of the bill. But
when the author. Theodore Carsten-
sen of Clinton, tried to get it before
the house it was recommitted to the
judiciary committee. Why it was sent
to that committee no one knows. 1t
is said in fact, that Chairman Ken
dali of the Judiciary committee was
the subcommittee of the committee on
labor which finally drafted the bill in
to the form in which 1t was reported
out by the labor committee. Mr.. Car
stensen made vigorous fight to pre-
vent the recommittment of the meas
ure but. could not prevent it,.
Representative Weeks of the house
federal relations committee says he
expects to send an invitation to Chi
cago within a few days asking the rep
resentatives Of the Japanese govern
melt to appear before the committee
on the pro-Russian resolution introduce
ed few days ago by Representative
Head of Greene county.
That is to say. Mr.. Weeks says that
1t has been suggested to him that he
do So. This was in view of the fact
that the consul Of the Jap government
| located at Chicago has wired to rep
resentative in Des Moines who is q
newspaper man for full information
concerning the Head resolution, it's
meaning, its animus and the probable
disposition of 1t. He seemed much in
terested.
'If we invited the Japanese consul
over, said Chairman Weeks, "it would
appear to be merely an act of courtesy.
II would not be in the nature Of a sum-
mons, of course, but courteous in
vitation If the Japanese wished to ac-
cept which would permit the Iowa leg
islators gaining some real and .relia-
| Bile information concerning the situa-
ton in the far east. And possibly if
the Japanese consul were invited we
should also invite representatives Of
the car, if there are any located at
Chicago and suppose there must be.
ut may appear interesting in the
extreme that the Iowa legislature is
taking up international matters, but
if We do go into them as the Head res
olution would seem to indicate that
We should, then we should be thor
ough about our investigation. If the
resolution is Of sufficient Importance to
be. considered then it is of sufficient
Importance to be considered with the
gravest possible care"
A bill has been offered in the house
by DR.. Dashiel Of Warren county,
authorizing boards of supervisors in
the counties Of the state to purchase
sufficient copies of compilation Of the
township laws Of Iowa to be distribut-
ed among the township officers. : This
compilation is by Judge s. H. Fairall,
of Iowa City. Judge Fairall got a SINH