Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1907-02-20
SESSION TO END SOON
LAWMAKERS TALK OF EARLY AID.
JoURNMENT OF LEGISLATURE.
Opposition to TWo-Cent Fare Bill Of
No Avail-Not Dissenting Vote in
lower House-Radicai Temperance
Measures Introduced.

No Avail-Not Dissenting Vote in
| lower House-Radcai Temperance
Measures Introduced.
| Des Moines, Feb. 19.--As the first of
| March approaches the members of the
state legislature turn their thoughts to
| their homes and to spring business
affairs. Already the talk OF adjourning
is in the air, and there are those who
| declare the session will have complet-
ed its work and be ready to adjourn
sine die the first of April. If this
should prove to be the fact, the pres
ent assembly would go down as short
er in duration than any of its predeces.
sors for many years. The assembly of
| 1904 adjourned on the 18th day OF
! April, but the session began on the
| 9th of January. La. year the adj
! journment was made on the Sth of
April, but the beginning of the ses-
sion was on Jan. 18th. The present
session did not convene until a week
| later than either the Thirty-first or
| Thirty-second assembly, on Jan. IA.
While there is possibility that the
prediction OF those who are anxious TO
J get home as to early adjourning this
year may come true, the probability is
that the final session VIII be held
nearer the 18th than the 1st of April,
and that the assembly may take up
the full three months generally al
loted to'the lawmakers.
The senate passed concurrent res
olution providing for an adjournment
of the legislature from Feb. 2S to
March 5, at l p. m, in order to give
legislators an opportunity to arrange
their private spring business affairs.
Radical Temperance Measures.
| While the promised state marshal
bill has not yet made its appearance
in the assembly, other measures just
as radical have been forthcoming and
there are now before the two houses
measures which, if they become laws,
will greatly strengthen the temper
ance forces. The most important or
these bills are two introduced by Sen
ator Shirley Gillilland of Mills county,
and relate to control of the C. o. ID.
| liquor traffic in the state. They
strike, and strike hard, at both the
agent for the outside manufactures or
wholesaler, and at the common carrier
or express company that handles the
shipments. In fact, these bills, enact
ed into law, would at once sound the
death knell of G. o. d. liquor business
in the state. The first of the measures
provides that ANY person acting as
agent or representative of any corpor-
alton or company, who takes or OBJ
tains, subject to the approval of his
principal, orders for intoxicating
! liquors, TO be delivered in the future,
| shall pay an annual mulct tax of 5000,
in quarterly installments, on the first
day of January, April, July and Octo-
Der, in each county where such orders
are taken" Violation of the act is
made punishable by a fine of not less
than $500, or by Imprisonment in the
county Jail not less than three nor
more than six months. Under the pro-
visions of this bill any company doing
general business in the counties or
the state would be compelled to pay
annually into the treasures of the
counties total sum OF $54, 400. But
the second bill makes the prohibition
of the business more certain by pro-
viding that express companies or COM
mon carriers handling these c. o. d.
packages shall pay mulct tax of $500
year for each Office or place where
liquors are thus received, collected for
and delivered. This would mean that
practically every express Office in the
state would be subject to the mulct
levy, and of course WOULD mean that
the companies would refuse all such
shipments.
To Relieve Local Manufacturers.
The bill promised by the Democrats
OF the state in their last platform, pro-
viding that Iowa manufacturers and
dealers in intoxicating liquors shall
have the same right to sell and ship
their products in the state that outside
manufacturers and dealers enjoy, has
made its appearance in the legislature
and is now before the committee of the
two houses on suppression of intern
perance. The object of the bill is to
| give relief to several brewing compan-
/ les in the state who are handicapped
by the provisions of the mulct law
The shipment of liquor by outside par
ties comes under the head of inter
state commerce and cannot be inter
| fered with, while the regulations of
the law forbid Iowa makers and whole
salers from shipping their product in
to any county in the state where sa-
looms are not operated under the law
The Democrats are standing for the
bill, which has been brought out by
Senator McManus of Fort Madison,
but there is little hope that it will get
J favorable action from the committee.
Constitutional Amendment.
The Smith resolution asking con-
gress to call convention of the states
for the purpose of amending the Unit
ed States constitution has been passed
by both houses and will become law
There was but little opposition openly
| TO the measure in either house, and
but few votes were cast against IT,
( nh