Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-02-23
Senator Saunders Introduces
Bill to Provide For INDIE
terminate Sentence
REFoRMAToRY
Would Send All convicts Between Is
and 80 to the Anamosa Penitentiary
for Indefinite Length of Time, the
Board of Pardons to Determine
When They Shall Be Released.
=, [By Ora Williams.l
Special to Times-Repnblican.

by Ora Williamsl
Special to es-Republican.
Des Moines, Feb. 23.-The indeter-
inmate sentence law on which Senator
Saunders has been putting great deal
of his time thus far this session was in
troduced in the senate yesterday. The
purpose of the bill is to introduce TO
larger extent the reformatory idea in
the disposition Of the criminals of the
state. The bill provides that those be
tween the ages Of 16 and 80 shall be
sentenced to the penitentiary at Ana
mosa without sentence as to the length
o. ne. All above the age of 80 shat
be sentenced to Fort Madison in ac-
cordance with the statutes, the court
having authority to sentence to Fort
Madison for term of years. With the
exception that those sentenced to Fort
Madison shall be only those over 80
years of age the bill in no ways af-
fects that penitentiary. Contract labor
is to be done away with at .Anamosa
and the idea of education and refor-
nation instilled instead of punishment.
A board of three members is provided
by the bill, the chairman of whit
is to be elected by the board from
among it's members. The chairman
shall put in all his time and receive
salary of $4,000 a year. A secretary
shall be elected by the board from out
side it's membership and shall receive
salary of $500 year for full time.
The board shall be appointed by tie
governor. AS the constitut on pro-
vides that the governor only can is
sue pardons or paroles, the bill pro-
vides that the board of pardons shall,
investigate and recommend to the gov
ernor persons from the penitentiaries
for pardon or parole and the governor
cannot pardon or parole without the
adv ce of the board Of pardcns.
sse
Senator Bleakly has introduced a
bill which provides that cemeteries
shall be included with school houses
and churches as places near which sa-
looms cannot operate legally.
A bill has passed the house AGA Is
recommended for passage in the SEN
ate which changes slightly the law as
to assessments in special charter cities.
The law at present provides that the
assessments for street or sewer or oth-
er city Improvements against property
shall be due after the passage by the
city council Of the resolution ordering
the improvement. The bill as it is
about to pass the senate and which
was drawn by Representative Stolten-
burg provides that the assessment
shall be due after the passage of the
resolution levying the assessment.
80
One of the leaders of the present house,
Mr. Wright, of Fort Dodge, will not
be candidate for reelection. He is
a candidate for nomination as district
Judge and will bend his energies in
that direction.
President Storms of the State Col
bers yesterday. Arrangements are be-
ing made for a formal hearing on the
proposal to extend the millage tax for
Ames, and this hearing will be early
the coming week. The other colleges
have presented their case.
The members Of the legislature who
went to Mitchellville and attended the
concert or cantata given by the chill
dren in the state industrial school for
girls, report themselves we'll pleased
with the same. Superintendent Fitz-
gerald has demonstrated that he can
maintain the high standard among the
pupils under his charge that he reach
ed some years ago.
The pardons committees were noti-
fled some time ago that the Rainsbar-
ger pardon cases would not be urged
at this time, inasmuch as the same
legislature has passed on the cases.
Two years ago the hearing was had
and the committees reported adverse
ly, and then the application was NOM
inally withdrawn.
to many members and which will be
introduced at once is a bill to require
the publication in official newspapers
of the proceedings of city councils with
orders and reports Of a public nature
Two newspapers are to be selected in
each city, much after the manner of Sc
Letting county official papers, and
publication shall be made in these of
all the material proceedings. 1t is
argued that II there is reason for pub
licity in the matter of what the county
board Of supervisors does there is
equal reason for publicity in regard to
the proceedings Of city governing
boards. 1t is understood the bill was
prepared at the instance Of George E.
Roberts. The bill which was intro
duced in the house to provide >three
official papers In every county Of the
state was killed in committee. 1t is
found there are about forty counties of
the state having only two official pa
pers and from nearly all these came
strenuous objections to the meas
ure.
There is going to be little chance for
the repeal of the soldier preference
law. AS soon as Major Cheney intro
duced his bill and announced that he
would try to secure repeal, the ma
chinery was set to work to offset the
movement. The senate could hardly be
got to tackle the subject. Senator
Harper, chairman Of the military COM
mittee in that branch. is head of the
G. A. R. department of Iowa, and DR..
Newman, secretary of the senate. is the
assistant adjutant general, and both
are strongly opposed to repeal. 1t is
more likely that the law will be left
and that another session there will be
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