Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-03-25
REFORMS
PROPOSED
IOWA LEGISLATURE WILL HAVE
IMPORTANT MEASURES TO
CONSIDER.
STATE WIDE PRIMARY
A Law Providing for Carrying PrI-
mary Plan Into Execution VIII Be
Proposed - Anti-Pass Bill and Mile.
age Book Measure Are Promised.

Des Moines, March 24-It is be.
lieved to be quite definitely settled
that the legislature of the coming year
will include at least three reforms of
the greatest possible Importance.
These will be:
First, the adoption of state wide
primary law.
Second. the abolition Of railroad
passes of every kind. except those Is
sued to bona flde employees Of rail.
roads.
Third, law to compel the railroads
to sell mileage books good until used
and for the indiscriminate use Of all
members of each Of the families whose
heads purchase them.
OF course many other important
| propositions are under consideration
and probably several others will find
places on the program. But it is GER
tain, practically, that the three which
have been mentioned will be pressed
to statutory expression, If that out
come is within the realm of possibil-
| ity.
Freight Rates, Possibly.
It is barely possible that the prop
/
of mileage books may assume another
form, and that reduction in freight
rates may supersede the plan to en-
4 large the utility of the passenger mile
age book. or course the suggestions
bear close relation, but it is appar.
ent at once that whereas the enlarge.
ment of the scope Of usefulness of
the mileage book as proposed would
\ irn OK ROC fo to- foI1 In,
! creased income to the railroads, re-
/, duction of freight rates might result
in decrease In revenue, depending on
4 It's effect on the equantity Of shipments
4 Recently Indications have arrived al
the surface that influences which were
counted against the primary law will
stand for 1t, at least nominally, and ir
many quarters among the friends OF
that legislation there is decided en-
couragement based on other and more
tangible reasons.
And at no time since the adjourn
ment of the legislature of last winter
has there been any serious doubt thai
the session of 1906, whether Of the
same assembly as that of 1904, or o.
a newly elected one, would enact ar
anti-pass bill in more drastic form
than that which has gone before the
legislature of Iowa from the desk O.
John Hughes. three times in the pas
six years.
Mileage Book Extensions.
Men who have investigated the sub
ject and are informed with respect tt
1t, have no manner Of doubt about thu
, entire reasonableness of the proposi
tion TO enlarge the uses of the mileage
book.
They believe 1t to be demonstrated
that travel would SO increase, If tn,
mileage books were sold under th'
/ liberal conditions contemplated by tn
proposed law. that the net revenue t
; the railroads from passenger traffi
would increase vastly more in propol
ton. Which. in itself, would be ampl
= justification for the enactment, were !
T not simultaneously the intention t
urge the enactment of the anti-pas
bill which will stop one of the mos
persistent and important leaks in raj
road management.
i, A PIONEER CAPTAIN.
Capt. N. E. Tibbals of Dubuque Die
. After Life on River.
Dubuque, March 24-(Special.-
Capt. Norman E. Tibbals, aged II.