Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-12-22
Legislature in a Mood to Pass
an Anti-Lobby Law EARLY
in the Session
WILL BE BUSINESS ASSEMBLY
Preliminary Meetings and Discussions
Of Members indicate Little Interest
in Political or fractional Arguments
Get Together for Business senti-
mene Prevails.
Special to Tunes Republican.

Special to Tunes Republican,
+ Des Moines, Dec. 22.-The Thirty
second general assembly will make {
good start toward a strictly business
session on the 14th of next month
Nearly all the preliminaries will be
attended to early in the month. A good
many of the members have been in the
city recently talking over matters. The
disposition of all members is to pre-
pare for doing business. There is nc
talk of politics, nobody cares anything
about parties, factionalism is not up
permost in their minds, it is a mat
ter of indifference whether the demo-
Gratis make an alliance with somebody
or nobody. The talk is Of business. OF
needful measures. of bettermept OF
state institutions, and of reform along
sensible lines. With the speakership
out of the way and the chief subordin-
ate offices disposed of there will be lit
tie to disturb the session at the begin
ming. The caucus for selecting the
minor officers and clerks will probably
be held on January u. if custom is fol-
lowed. The senatorial caucus will be
held later.
To pass an anti-lobby law the first
day of the coming session of the Leg
islature or at least some time the first
week is q question that is being dis
cussed among members of the next
general assembly. 1t is recognized on
all sides that insurance legislation and
railroad legislation that will play
prominent and in fact the prominent
part in the coming session Will
bring a train load or two of lobbyists
to Des Moines. They will I'LL the no.
tells and corridors of the state house
and if they are as bold as they were at
the sessions of the Thirtieth general
assembly they will crowd the floors Of
the house and senate chamber.
Partly as safeguard and protec-
ton from having their time monopo-
liked by importuning lobbyists the
members are giving some thought to
the proposition of enacting an anti-lob-
by law early in the session. A dozen
or more legislators have given express
sion to the belief that an anti-lobby
bill should be passed.
The idea thus far Is to follow the
lines of the wisconsin law on the sub
ject. Wisconsin had law enacted in
1899 which requires that every lobby
3.& o;Stn fnr
bill introduced for or against which he
wishes to appear before the commit
tee. Hesis then guaranteed a chance to
he heard at every hearing on the bill.
In 1905 the Wisconsin legislature went
a step farther and adopted its anti
lobbying bill which prohibits under
penalty q lobbyist talking to a member
of the legislature or approaching MIN
In any way for or against any bill 9th
.er than in the regular committee meet
ing. Maryland and some other states
have similar bills.
members of the legislature complain
that under the present conditions they
are bothered and their time monopo-
lized by lobbyists who flock to the state
house for every session Of the legis-
ilature. Natural conditions Indicate
that at the coming session unless some
action is taken it will be a little worse
than ever before. AT the last session
the lobbying was not so bad as at for
mer sessions. The primary election
law was about the only measure the
railroads desired to kill. 1t was recog-
nized that the anti-pass law was sure
to come and the railroads got out of the
i -. A iner
report of the insurance commission
which proposes an entire revision or the
Insurance laws will be up for considera-
ton which will bring all the INSURANCE
lobbyists and in addition atwo-cent fare
bill and other measures that will
bring the railroads in full force.
49,
DR.. Marston, representative from
Cerro Gordo is strongly in favor Of
primary election law "That way of
making nominations has been found
satisfactory with u.s. he said. THE
people demand law of some kind.
They want us to make a start in the
right direction. We cannot hope to
make a perfect law, or one that will
suit everybody, but we can start right,
anu lTOIA tlllt " IlAiAS Now LIZ AesN
made better. But the primary system
is demanded by the people"
Representative Grier and others who
were here this week are also strongly
for the primary system, but they have
indicated that they feel it would be
best to have law that is first-class or
none at ALL They would hardly favor
an imperfect law that would throw
discredit on the whole plan. But
practically every legislator who has
visited the state capital recently has
expressed himself as in favor Of the
primary.
Clifford Paul. OF Jones county, is a
county superintendent and has had
political training in the sessions of the
state teachers association. He will
uphold the state board Of education in
Wanted - Evsryh6dy to know that