Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-04-28
RATES
Bill Fixing Cost in State Reported
Out by house Com
mIttse.
OWNERSHIP. HOWEVER. DEAD
Measure Providing For Civil Service
in Charitable, Institutions
Advanced.

Springfield. H.. April 2S.-After a
bitter struggle between the Chicago
gas and electric light officials and the
city advocates of gas legislation. the
state bin for the regulation of gas
rates is out of committee II was read
a first time in the house last night
The big gas and electric light com
panies are plainly discouraged and dis
appointed. Their only hope now is
that the legislature may fall to dick
ering over the bill. either in the house
or later in the senate. and that ad
journment may come 10 save them.
Merit Bill Advanced.
The senate began yesterday its first
move toward passing the civil service
law. Msnator Mckenzie. chairman OF
the civil service committee. recon,
mended for passage house bin l2l
placing all employees in the state char
liable institutions under the merit sys-
TEN.
The committee recommended sever
al amendments To the bill. but did not
extend the scope of the system beyond
the 10000 employees in the charitable
institutions
Senators Clark and Berry presented
a report to the senate asking that the
national government be requested to
make further improvement of the Cal
umet river and harbor.
Protests Made.
Senator BARLEY presented protests
signed by 10000 names TO the passage
of pending measures providing for free
rides and free textbooks. Mr.. GreinI
presented similar protests bearing 49,
900 names in the house.
Senator Berry reported the new pri.
mary bill and asked that it be made
a special order for next Tuesday.
House bill COZ, prohibiting the re.
marriage of divorced persons, was
passed by the senate, only Senator
Hall voting against it, The bill as
amended prohibits the party at fault
from marrying within one year. and
where the cause is statutory within
two years.
House bill $50. by Mr. Glackin. ap
$4,000 for the establish
ment of a state sanitarium for the
treatment of sufferers from tuberculo-
sis. was passed, III to l. The house
also passed house bill 497, by Mr..
Church. which provides for the vista
lion of the homes of delinquent boys 7
by the officers of the state board of |
charities. The bill carries an appro |
1riation of 81 500 a year for additional |
officers.
For -. Louis bridge.
The house judiciary committee re
ported out a bill for a new bridge I
across the Mississippi river at St.
Louis. which shall always and for
ever be free"
The labor lobby found that its fel
ow servant bill. which was ordered
from the senate committee OF
was not on the calendar. and
inquiry developed the fact that the
committee had held a special session
md reconsidered it's vote on the ques
ion. This leaves the bill in the com
nittee. Much Indignation was express
I'd by the union representatives. but
hey could get no satisfaction from
Chairman Humphrey beyond a prom
sc OF a further hearing.
Local Option Victory.
Efforts to kill senate bill 80. the
weeping ocal option measure. were
defeated last night by the house. Mr.
Browne of La Sale moved TO strike
,ut the enacting clause, but by vote
IF 81 to % the members decided tha
I'm -Irs,lI b.,ro 70