Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1906-03-21
IOWA LEGISLATURES
BUT 81 MEASURES SENT TO GOV
ERNoR FOR APPROVAL.
Among the Important Matters Yet to
Be Disposed Of Are the Child Labor
Bill, Insurance investigation and
Proposed Sunday Closing law.

Bill, Insurance investigation and
Proposed Sunday Closing law.
Des Moines. March 20.-With not
more than four weeks of life before II
at the outside, and with the probabil.
ity that the session will not last to
exceed three weeks from today, the
Iowa legislature has the greater part
OF the work blocked out for it by the
members yet to be performed.
So far the session, which com.
menced on the Sth of January, has
not accomplished much more than o0
Ter cent of the amount of work done
in the same time two years ago; that
is in the actual enactment of laws.
The members have undoubtedly la.
bored as faithfully and earnestly as
they did during the session of the
Thirtieth general assembly Of 1904,
but they have devoted their efforts so
far more towards the culling out and
killing of useless or indifferent meas
ures proposed for enactment than TO-
ward the passage of bills.
There nave been but fifty-seven
measures sent to the governor for ap-
prevail by the present body up to the
present time, and of these fully TWEEN
ty are legalizing acts correcting the
work of some city council or OF the
boards of supervisors in various Sec
tions of the state. The only law OF
real state wide importance that has
been adopted is that known as the
pure food act. Among the matters OF
Importance yet to be disposed OF by
the legislature are the child labor bill.
and the measures for regulating the
tenure of Office under the biennial
amendment, creating single board OF
regents for the educational institu-
tons of the state, enacting a reappor-
fionment bill under the 1905 census
for congressional, senatorial, judicial
and representative districts, disposing
of the proposition for the appointment
of life insurance investigation COM
miscion, disposing Of the proposed
Sunday closing law, and the passing
of the necessary appropriation bills
for the conduct of the institutions OF
the state during the coming year. Ac-
ton is imperative on most of these
questions and it is likely favorable &C.
ton will be taken on all Of them.
Child Labor Legislation.
O. For instance, the child labor bill has
already passed both houses, but the
form of the measure as finally voted
upon in each of the branches differs
so much from that enacted in the 9TH
er that a conference will undoubtedly
be necessary before it can reach a
stage where it can be really created
into law. The house took up the child
labor question first with a committee
bill under consideration. To this
measure substitute prepared by Rep
resentative Hart of Allamakee was at
tached and the final vote in the house
was on the adoption Of the substitute.
This carried with but little opposition,
but 1t had been so amended before
passage that most of the teeth were
extracted, and it was considered rath-
er harmless. AS an instance of the
liberality of the house in dealing with
the measure, it Is noted that the pro-
vision forbidding the employment Of
persons under fourteen years of age
in bowling alleys was stricken out:
and the provision in the original bill
which forbade employment in certain
dangerous and hazardous occupations,
factories and buildings, was amended
30 that 1t only operated against the
rooms in the said places where ma
chinery is located. Then the pro-
vision requiring regular school quail
fioations was obliterated. In that
form the bill went to the senate. The
senate committee, paying no attention
to the action of the house, introduced
a bill of its own, which is somewhat
close to the law demanded by the
friends of child labor legislation. The
committee bill in the senate, with
slight amendments, was adopted with
only four negative votes. AS 1t will
go back to the house for approval, the
proposed law provides that no child
under fourteen years of age shall be
employed in any mine, manufacturing
establishment, factory, mill, workshop,
laundry, bowling alley, or any mercan-
tile establishment when ten or more
persons are employed; nor shall any
such child be employed during the
hours when the public schools are in
session unless he has during the past
twelve months attended school for the
time provided for by law.
No child under fourteen years Of
age shall be employed in any work
which, by reason OF the nature of the
work or the place employed, is dan
gerous to life or limb ar injurious to
health or morals. No female child
fhall be employed in any capacity
which compels her to remain standing
constantly. Employment is also for.
hidden to any child under sixteen in
any OF the places or occupations speci-
fed before the hour of z in the morn
ing or after the hour of In the even.
ing, or more than ten hours in any
one day, not including the time al.
lowed for meals.
Any parent or guardian who causes
or permits any child to work contrary