Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-02-13
R[D|SIR|CT|NG TALK
The Question Cannot Much
Longer Be Ignored by the
Legislature
NEEDED CHANGES SUGGESTED
NEEDED CHANGES SUGGESTED
Congressional Districts Not the Only
Ones That Will be Given Attention
State Senatorial and judicial Dis
tricts May be Changed to Correct
Existing Inequalities.
[By Ora Williams.l

are preparing to head off all redistrict-
the past, by merely a wave of the hand
in the direction of the persons who are
now holding office, will be disappoint-
ed. Some redistricting must be done
For instance, since the adoption of the
amendment which permits of larger
number of representatives than 100, so
one representative, there must be
change here A number of counties
will get representatives that are now
without them, among them being Palo
Alto, Humboldt, Winnebago, Dickin-
| son, Ida and Osceola. In the matter OF
senatorial redistricting there are COM
pl1cations always present due to the
fact that some of the senators are
hold-overs. For instance, jackson
county is the smallest senatorial dis
trict but the only county it could be
| tied to is Jones, and in both these
districts the senators hold over. But
the necessity for senatorial redistrict-
Ing is apparent. There is some talk
about the manifest inequalities of the
judicial districts of the state. One
senator states that it was a colossal
mistake to not make thorough re-
dlstrlcting at the time the judges SAL
aries were raised. Information was
secured two years ago by Representa-
tive Cummings and Senator Whipple
in regard to the work done in the var
ious districts and this showed that
there was wide discrepancy in the
work required, and that while some
judges had all the work they could do
others were idle a large part of the
time. The difficulty in the way of any
change in these districts is the oppo-
sition which the friends of various
Judges would make, and the opposition
of men who hope to be judges some
time. 1t is stated that Senator Whip
pie contemplates introducing a resolu-.
ton near the close of the session for a
committee to make inquiry into the
entire judicial business of the stat
and to report findings to the next gem
eral assembly. This would form the
basis for some action that could not
very we'll be defeated by personal in
terests.
In the meantime the interest in con-
gressional redistricting grows. The
Greene, plan, as it has been studied.
meets with more general approval
than any plan of general redistricting
that has been presented for a long
time. The committees are prepared to
act.
In the language of the street and
Judging from the face of the condi
tons the chances of the anti-pass
bills in the hands of the senate COM
mlttee is not very fattering. In fact
there is every reason to believe that
the bill may be killed in the commit
tee with very little effort. There are
just three men on the committee at
this time out Of a total of sixteen who
are known to favor the anti-pass bill.
These men are Smith of Mitchell, the
chairman, and Senator Whine and SEN
ator Hopkins. There are two demo-
Gratis OH the committee. Smith of Des
Moines and Stirton. What their atti-
tude is has not been learned. The
other eleven all of whom are nom
committal, or else openly opposed to
the measures in the hands of the COM
mittee are: Hartshorn, Courtright,
Harper, Molsberry Jameson, Saund-
ers, Hasselquist, Elerick, Gale, Jack
son and Bleakly. These have the con-
troll of the fate Of the anti-pass bills.
There is a supposition that the most
of them will oppose the measure.
Saunders is openly opposed to the two
measures now in the hands of the
committee but favoring the plan Of
prohibiting the giving Of passes in
some instances and would vote in favor
of bill if drawn on his own ideas.
Senator Whipple may introduce
resolution towards the close of the
session asking for the appointment of
a commission to investigate the aues-
ton Of how much time the district
judges of the state really put in with
a view to recommendation to the
legislature as to whether or not the
state of Iowa should be redistricted
as to judicial districts Two years
ago at the session here Senator Whip
pie and Representative Cummings
made an investigation of this subject
and discovered to their own satisfac-
ton at least, that some of the judges
We're not putting in more than about
one-half Of their time. An effort was
made by these two men to redistrict
the state, but the effort failed because
of the opposition of the lawyers and
judges. It is believed that if COM
mission should Investigate and report
in favor Of a redistricting the weight
Of its advice would carry against the
opposition Of the lawyers as the report
might influence public sentiment in
that direction.
bill to place monument in the hall
Of fame to the honor of Governor
kirkwood. The bill has passed the
house and though 1t has been defeated
at previous sessions Senator Hughes
and others will go before the commit
tee and hope to get it passed there.
Many members have received copies
of the Breeders Gazette, Chicago |
publication, making an attack on the |
proposed plan for consolidation of col
lege interests under the board of re-
gency idea, this attack taking the
form of supposed defense of the col
blunders and members are saying that
If the arguments there presented are
the best that can be made for the old
system then the cause is hopeless. The
Gazette refers to the Minnesota case
which was so foreign to what is pro-
posed in Iowa that no comparison lies.
and to the South Dakota case where
In iot ;- 10