Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1906-02-21

ance companies doing business il
Iowa is holding daily meetings, blu
the indications are that it will no
make a report before the 1st o
March. Chairman Whipple Of thu
committee says they have received
large amount of information Regarding
the practices of companies and tina
considerable time will be devoted IL
looking over the method of procedure
For direct consideration the commit
tee has before it the Molsberry resolu
ton for an examination after thu
vestigation in New York, and a bill
by Senator Warren of Marion count!
on somewhat less drastic plan, bu
one which its author claims will e
as deeply into the matter as may b,
deemed necessary. The Warren bill
has already been under some consider
alton and has been slightly amended
The stringent section of the bill give!
the commission, to be composed o
two members of the senate and three
from the house, power ito thorough!
investigate the system, practice, char
acter and policy of all insurance com
panies and all insurance done by the
insurance companies doing business
in this state, and for the purpose Of
securing additional information sale
commission shall have access" 1t Is
declared, "at all times to the Office o.
the auditor of the state, under the di
rection, supervision and authority o.
the state auditor, who shall lend tt
such commission from time to tim,
such assistance, counsel and informa
ton as it is in his power to give tc
carry out the provisions of this act.
1t has been claimed that the War
rem bill did not give the necessary au
thority for proper and complete in
vestigation, but its author thinks the
foregoing section is fully ample t.
cover any line of inquiry which 9
commission might want to pursue.
For Board of Pardons.
The creation of board of pardon
commissioners for Iowa and the en-
actment of an indeterminate sentence
law, based upon the law for the pur
pose now in force in Illinois, is the
object of bill now before the legis
lature and which has the endorsement
of the committees on pardons and pen
itentiaries of the two houses. The
parole and pardoning power in Iowa
now rests entirely in the hands oil
the governor. The bill, which was
prepared and introduced by Repre-
sentative Cummings Of Marshall coun
ty, would take this responsibility and
attendant hard work from the shoul
ders of the chief executive and turn
it over to a commission of three mem
bers, to be named by the governor
The commissioners are to be of op
posite political faith, not more than
two belonging to any one party. The
first board members are to serve fol
terms of two, four and six years, al
designated by the governor when the
appointment is made, and subsequent
each. The compensation of the com
missioners is not to exceed $1,000 each
per year, and is to be secured by pei
diem allowances of $40 per day while
in session. The commissioners have
the appointment of a secretary at a
salary of $1,000 per year and the EN-
ployment of such other clerical helI
rs may be deemed necessary. 1t is
TO be the duty of the board to act
upon all applications for pardon, pa
role, remission of fines or release
from Imprisonment arising from con
viction for crimes and misdemeanors
No pardon, parole or remission of fine
is TO be granted except upon unani
nous recommendation of the board
addressed to the governor, who then
has power to act with such restric
tons as he may deem proper. The
board is given power to administer
oaths, take testimony and secure
from county officials the papers and
documents wanted, bearing upon any
case before its members. 1t can also
make its own rules and regulations &c
govern its hearings. Persons paroled
or released from legal custody still re
main Under charge of the pardon
board and are subject to be taken
back to prison for violation of their
parole at any time on request of the
board to the governor. Persons re-
turned to prison are to be kept therein
according to the terms OF original con
finement, and the time between the
release and return to custody is not
to be considered a part of the term
Judges in giving sentence to others
than those for life shall fix a maxi
mum and minimum term for which
the person may be imprisoned. The
maximum term shall not be longer
than the longest term fixed by law nor
the minimum term shorter than the
shortest term fixed for the offense of
which the person is convicted. The
bill makes an appropriation Of $4,000
a year to carry out its provisions.
Pure Food Bill Passes.
The pure food bill, which was de
scribed at length in this letter last
week, was passed by the senate, as
indicated, without opposition and will
go through the house before the close
Of tho nracanf uaaU The laxy mo