Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-04-11

WATERLOO WARD BILL AGAIN
The House Declares It Not Passed by a
Vote Of q to 57-some Doubt as to
Its Right to Take Such Action-Puts
Cloud on the Law-Wor kof the Leg
isIature.
pecial to Times Republican.

Des Moines, April 1.-THE senate
was engaged today in fighting out the
matter of appropriations for the state
educational institutions. A great deal
OF feeling was manifest in the discus
sion and a determination on the part
OF many not to allow the full amount OF
the appropriations for the institutions
as per agreement of the committees.
The figures presented to the senate to-
day show that over $2,000.000 have
been appropriated provided the college
bill remained intact. The senate at
tempted to reduce the figures in the
college bill by $4,000 at Iowa City,
and $4,000 at Ames. The amendments
were defeated and the bill passed.
The senate passed the bill fixing the
salaries OF clerks and others about the
state house.
The house voted on the Waterloo
ward bill again and on a vote of TO
81 declared 1t not passed. There Is
some doubt as to whether the house
had the right to do this. but 1t puts
a cloud on the bill
sss
A bill was introduced In the house
and recommended by the judiciary
committee but promptly voted down to
give the supreme judges, whose salar-
les were not increased. $4,000 year
for clerk hire, thus placing all the
Judges on the same basis as to pay.
The members OF the Thirtieth Gen
eral Assembly have aibundantly demon
strated the inpossibility of making an
apportlonment of representative dis
tricts for the state In accordance with
the constitution or one that is strictly
legal. il the letter of the law is to be
followed without variation. The claiaa
was made some time ago that as many
as one-third Of the entire membership
of the house were representing Illegal
districts and this might affect the le-
gality Of legislation done; and so the
house committee on legislative districts
set about to figure out how to make an
apportionment in strict accordance
with the constitution. 1t devolves oil
the legislature to fix a basis at each
session. The last arbitrary basis was
$4,000. On this basis every county hav-
ing one half the basis should have a
representative and every one contain
ing more than the basis and a half
should have two. But a number Of
counties have representatives wnere
the population is less than halt the
$4,000. The house reduced the basis to
27,900. and figuring it out on this basis
1t was found the number OF ostensibly
illegal districts could be reduced to
four. The one county that always
stands In the way Of perfect appor-
tionment is Clarke county, which has
about 10000 population and is sur
rounded by large counties every one or
which is entitled to a member by itself.
But the condition. exists in other paris
of the state nearly as bad. AS sooa
as the constitutional amendment Is
adopted next fall 1t will be possible TO
make legal apportionment under the
constitution, for that will give to every
county at least one representative and
then give the large counties two each.
Until this is done there never Will DE
legal apportionment. II the house
basis is accepted this year then the
districts will remain unchanged: hut
If the senate view is taken and the .!d
basis is retained there will have to be
redistricting of the state.
80
There has been some speculation as
to whether or not, in case the biennial
elections amendment carries this year
and as a, result the present legislature
win hold another session substantially
with membership unchanged, the pres
cnt organization would be continued.
The belief prevails that 1t would con-
tinue and be the organization for the
next legislature. The speaker and Of
ficers would adj be elected again and the
committees would have to be named
over. but the organization as effeated
at this time has been so successful and
harmonious that there would not be any
demand for a change.
1t is not at all improbable that even
II the movement to pardon Sarah Kuhn
had been successful and she had secur-
ed the favor of the four or five others
necessary to have directed pa1'ioa
she still would have had to show the
governor the reasons for the pardon
1t is known that Governor Cumn,ins
was opposed to the pardon of The v.ai,i-
an. He was open to conviction and
he might have been convinced, or 4.
might be that he would have regarded
1t as beyond his right to refuse after
the Legislature had acted. The :)te re-
ceived by the KeolsuN county woman
was a surprisingly large one and prob
ably lays the foundation for pardon
in the future. incidentally ii became
known that Mrs. Kuhn is not pin'Eg for
liberty. She is living mora comfortably
than before In her life. She is given
tasks that are not at all severe, in tact
women in the state pehlteniary of
Iowa are not given veiy hard Work.
Mrs hunn IS said by tn ,sa Alo liave
With her recently to lie
cheerful and resigned to her position,