Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-04-11
The IhrtySecond General Assembly Passed More
important Bills Than Any Legislature Of the Past

IIIlpOI ldlI|
citizens. After the first of July the
courts will cease to apply the old hard
and fast rule of definite sentence
for fixed term and will sentence
those convicted for the terms fixed
J by law for the crimes. A man con-
victed Of crime for which the code
says the term shall be from tive TO
twenty years will be committed with
out fixing any definite time of pun
ishment. The man may get out in
i five years or in twenty or he may re-
1 main forever This will be under the
control of parole board. This ap-
plies. of course, onlyto those who are
under 30 years of age, and who have
not been convicted of the most helm
I Gus crimes. The parole board will
keep an accurate record of every per-
son committed to the reformatory and
where there is evidence of reforma-
ton or that the prisoner will be in fact
i a good citizen, parole will be issued
after proper time Paroled persons
will be required to make reports reeu-
larly. In case of second fall the par
oiled person may be sent back on
simple order of the parole board to
i serve out the longest term connected
with the crime for which he was con
victed In case it is found, after COM
mitment that a prisoner is IN fact
| second or third termer or has de-
j ceived as to his age-usually matters
/ that the committing Judge cannot
! readily find out he may be transferred
from the reformatory to the peniten.
/ tiary. The parole board will consist
OF three members with secretary
! having an office in the state capitol.
This reformatory and indeterm1nate
! sentence plan has been adopted in
many states and it is common IN
European countries. 1t will involve a
great deal of labor on the part of the
parole board, but its advocates believe
/ 1t will be of immense benefit in deal
i ing with crime and effecting the re.
i from of that large class of unfortunates
I whose crimes are the result of acct
dent or environment OF circumstance.
Municipal Government.
1 In the matter Of providing for re-
form in municipal government the leG-
islature has taken long step forward.
i The most important of the bills came
4 from the Iowa League of Municipal1-
ties. Some Of the bills improve the
:, law as to assessments for Improve
J ments. The big bill of the league
: concentrates the duties OF various Of
Z ficials in cities Of the second cless and
J makes very clear and distinct the con-
| stituticnal requirement as to dfvi-
sion of legislative and executive
authority giving the mayor power to
appoint policemen and firemen and
! street commissioners and similar
officers without asking the council.
: The number Of wards and aldermen
+ are reduced in cities Of the second
: class. In towns the mayors are nc
: longer members of the council. In
) some cities assessors and solicitors
are appointed. In another very I'm
, portant bill the present law as to put
ting police and fire forces on the mer
: 1t system is made to apply to a
) number of the larger cities
: of the state, so that political influen
) ces will be removed The bill provid
r ing for establishment Of the commits
sion system, modelled somewhat after
! the Galveston plan, is regarded as tc
: the most drastic and revolutionary
measure which passed. 1t destroys the
i old idea Of representative government,
1 and places all legislative and execu
Y tive power in the hands of a board
! of five members elected at large, one
t being called the mayor, and each be
: ing nominally head Of department
/ This board has absolute and autocra
e tic power with regard to all business
t matters of the city and it appoint;
n Judges. treasurers. clerks superinten
e dents, etc. In this connection there
has been embodied the new fads O
the initiative and the referendum to
gethel Nth the recall. This gives tht
i voters an opportunity to pass ordin
. ances by direct vote and to recall al
> election under certain circumstances
y This is regarded by radical reformer
: as the greatest victory for them G
! the session, as the bill, though it ca,
a apply to only a few of the cities @
q the state, afford opportunity for tryint
n out some of the new fads and malkini
q an entering wedge through which
!. is hoped too effect complete evolu
o ton Of our present system OF stat
!. and city government. But in cite
g that adopt the system there can be n
5 doubt that the present corrupt force
$ which are in control will be for tn
Z time eliminated.
e The Purity Bill.
II The purity bills. so-called, or bill
e against fraud and deception in va
: ious forms, have taken up grea
"a deal of the valuable time Of the legi:
: lature. These are in the main amend
ments to or additions to the laws PR
viously enacted Senator Newberry ha
made a specially of these variou
bills. One of these passed provide
fer an amendment to the present la
defining the labels for foods. con
dc md ran,,i1-ira fla