Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1904-04-27

pie Of the State, before the Legislature
convened, than Of any other legislation
that was suggested. Yet the bill that
was intended to enact this legislation
was defeated without contest on the floor
Of either house. But in the House COM
mittee on intemperancs long contest
was waged. Leading temperance work
ers stoutly maintained for weeks that
State constabulary should BE established
and maintained for the enforcement of
the liquor laws. They admitted that sal
aries and expenses would cost large
sum annually, but they believed they
would more than compensate for this by
the additional revenue accruing from
flies collected as result Of their prose-
cutions. But the temperance forces were
divided as to their opinion of the merits
Of the measure. One Of their number.
II. II. Adams, was not only Indifferent
to Its success, but frankly admitted to
those who made inquiry of him that he
didn't regard the measure as meritoHous.
Eventually the House committee reached
, vote on the measure and by decisive
majority reported to the House In favor
of indefinitely postponing the bill. The
House adopted this report without de-
bate and no effort was made to resurSect
the bill.
After all, however. most general inter
est was probably taken in the effort to
change the road law. From evevy local
ity in the State petitions poured In upon
the legislators. for and against the pres
ent law, known as the Anderson" bill.
1t makes the road tax payable In cash
and provides for township road super
intendent who snail let the work by con-
tract. Representative E. d. Chassell Of
Plymouth, responding to the seeming de-
mand, prepared a bill which permitted
a return to the former system whereby
one might elect to work out his road tax,
and which divided each township into
two or three road districts, with super
intendent for each. In the face of great
opposition, Chassell managed to get his
bill through the House. 1t was due to
his personality, largely. His popularity
with other members, his persistent effort
and his ingenious modification Of the bill
SO MS to make the change effective two
years hence, and then make 1t optional,
accomplished this purpose. 1t was lost
in the Senate by a close vote.
OF scarcely less interest in Iowa. and
Of vastly more throughout the United
States, was the effort to enact drastic
stock shippers bill, which was intro
duced by Representative DeLano OF Cass
County, Mt the first of the session. Mem
bers received petitions to pass the bill
in its original form. This would have
meant return passes to all shippers who
accompanied two cars Of stock to their
destination-would have compelled the
rot IN ut he -
of twenty miles an hour from the point
of shipment teven IL it were remote
town on a branch line, to its destination;
would have compelled railroads to switch
their cars over other lines without delay
Mt the demand OF the shipper; to equip
their CHOOSES with toilet ,accommoda-
tions, and do various other things. De
lIano would consent to no modification.
The railroad committee agreed with APP
proximate unanimity that 1t was too Sc
we're, and that it was unconstitutional.
Delegations Of stock shippers were given
respectful hearing. and special cars laden
with railway officials from the head
offices In Chicago arrived in Des Moines
on each day the committee had the bill
up for consideration. These officials also
received marked courtesy, after which
the committee went to work and drafted
substitute bill which embodied features
suggested by Hart, Hanna and Pritch-
ard. This substitute bill provided for
issuance of passes both ways with twQ
or more cars Of stock, and also required
the railways to equip their cabooses with
modern conveniences. Nothing was said
concerning minimum speed. 1t passed
both houses without much opposition.
Other important bills that met their
Waterloo at the hands Of the Thirtieth
General Assembly. include Senator
Hughes bill prohibiting railways to is
sue passes to State or county oficials,
legislators or delegates to State conven-
tions. which defeated In the Senate
I by one vote; Weeks bill providing for a
State road and highway commission such
as was desired by the Iowa Goud Roads
Association; Powers bill providing for
the establishment of binding Irvine
plant i'll connection with the State peni-
Tertiary at Anamosa; the woman suf-
frage amendment to the constitution,
which came near passing the House; the
indeterminate sentence and board of par
dons bills; the bill creating State board
of three regents to conduct the affairs
of the State educational institutions; the
bill establishing State sanitariunl for
treatment of consumptives, and the bill
establishing State reformatory for
women.
OF the foregoing, several were produc-
tive of action looking to the ultimate
accomplishment of their purpose in whole
or in part. Instead OF the Weeks bill.
for example, substitute was enacted at
the instigation OF Jones OF Montgomery
whihc provides that the State college at
Ames shall perform the services that
were expected of the road and highway
commissioners, to the extent of making
| experiments and disseminating informa-
ton and advice relative to roads. drains,
ETC., and also furnishing engineers to
make surveys and estimates where de-
sired.
Instead of the indeterminate sentence
bill, a commission was named to study
the conditions Of the penal institutions
during the next two years with view
to determining the necessity or adyisa-
bility of an indeterminate sentence law
and a board of pardons.
Instead Of the State bonrd of regents,
a commission was appointed to investi-
gate and report to the next Legislature
| concerning the need of same. Likewise
a commission was created to experiment,
investigate and report concerning the
need of State hospital for consump-
tives. The State reformatory for women
that was advocated by Mrs. Edworthy
was favored by majority of the House
members. but was defeated in the SEN
| ate.
A Fast Motor Boat.
| A novelty in the line Of motor boats
Just introduced by Philadelphia de-
signer Is thirty-fve footer, built Of
teak wood, shaped forward like tor
pedo boat and calked with copper, says
the New York Tribune. The latter fea-