Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-01-22

1T shall be unlawful for any person
employed for pecuniary consideration
or otherwise to act as legislative coun-
sci or agent as hereinafter defined to
go upon the floor of either house of the
legislature reserved for the members
thereof while in session, excepting
upon invitation of such house.
The legislature may upon cause
shown therefor debar a person from
acting as legislative counsel or agent,
but a person against whom proceed
ings are brought for disbarment shall
be allowed a hearing before commit
tee or otherwise as the legislature may
determine. No person who has been
debarred shall be employed as legisla-
tive council or agent within three years
after debarment
ANY person who acts either for HIM
self or employee or engages another to
act for him or is employed or engaged
by another directly or indirectly for a
pecuniary consideration or otherwise,
to promote or oppose the passage by
the general assembly of any act OF
legislation, shall be deemed to be a
legislative counsel or agent within the
meaning of this act.
"Any person violating the provisions
of this act shall be deemed guilty of
a misdemeanor and upon conviction
thereof shall be punished by imprison-
ment in the county Jail not more than
six months and by fine not exceeding
5000. provided, however, that this act
shall not apply to legislative counsel
or agents of any municipality within
this state"
Representative of the labor organ
izations and laboring men generally
are up in arms because of the early APP
pearance of bill which they say is
directed at them in the guise of some-
thing else. This is the Hambleton So
called anti-tipping measure, which
they declare is a good deal more than
what it purports to be. The bill pun
ishes as misdemeanor any giving, or
receiving of tip or bonus or commits
and the fine may be up to $500 with
years imprisonment. The bill is clev-
erly worded SO that it would prevent
almost any kind of gift or gratuity
where one of the persons happens to
be in the employment of somebody
else. The text Of the bill is as fol-
lows:
Whoever gives, offers or promises
to an agent or several, any gift, graf
uity whatever, with intent to influence
his action in relation to his principals,
employers or masters business; or
an agent, employe or servant who re-
quests or accepts q gift or gratuity or
a promise to make a gift or to do an
act beneficial to himself under an
agreement or with an understanding
that he shall act in any particular
manner to his principals. employers
or masters business; or an agent, en-
ploye or servant, who, being authorized
to procure materials, supplies or other
articles either by purchase or contract
for his principal, employer or master,
or to employ service or labor for his
principal, employer or master, receives
directly or indirectly, for himself or for
another, a commission, discount or
bonus from the person who makes
such sale or contract, or furnishes such
materials, supplies or other articles, or
from a person who renders such serv-
ice or labor"
With this definition of an illegal
bonus or commission 1t Is provided
that there shall be punishment as
Senator Allen is preparing bill to
amend the drainage law in small way
that will be interesting in several
counties. 1t will authorize the payment
to members of the boards of supervis-
ors out OF the drainage district funds
of perdiem and other expenses of the
members of the board while engaged
in ditch matters. In Pocahontas coun-
ty, for instance, the members of the
board put in 120 days last year, chief
ly on drainage matters, but they could
get pay under the law for only 70
days. They say they have worked free
the past two years on the drainage
work. but will not do so any more. The
result will be, unless the law is chang
ed, that the ditch matters will wait.
The bill by Senator Smith, Of Des
Moines county, affecting the drainage
laws, is intended for the use of the dis
tricts along the Mississippi river There
1t Is essential that a pumping station
be erected to carry off the overflow OF
water from the hills into the bitches
where they are near the river. There
is no way this can be done now. In
another way this bill amends the
drainage law by authorizing changes
in the drain route and extensions OF
the district. without beginning all ov-