Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1907-04-03
the train had right to signal for ito
stopping. These were both killed.
InsurancA 1 eaisIation

the train mad B right 70 Sfgnal TOR III
stopping. These were both killed.
Insurance Legislation.
II the house adopts the Insurance.
department bill, which will come w
in that body today or tomorrow, the
insurance laws and regulations oil
Iowa will be practically revolution
lied by the present assembly. The
commission which was appointed a
year ago to investigate conditions in
Iowa made many recommendations to
the legislature and many of them
have been enacted into law. They In
clude a rewriting of the fire insur
ance laws to a great extent and pro
viding a uniform policy which must be
issued by all companies; the provis
ion that the stock of insurance com
panies must be paid for in cash in
stead of stock notes: the valuation OF
policies issued by assessment compan
les and providing that such compan
les go upon a legal reserve basis;
compelling new fraternal insurance
companies organized in the state to
make an assessment rate based on the
fraternal congress table of mortality;
rewriting of chapter five Of the code,
relating to state and county mutual
fire, hail and cyclone companies for
bidding Misrepresentation regarding
policy contracts or conditions Of com
panies: for annual dividends and an
nual accountings of surplus by all
life companies. and other corrective
acts A hard fight has been made on
the department bill from the start
but it went through the senate with
20 votes for it to IL against II the
department is created it will provide
for the appointment by Governor
Cummins of an insurance commission
er at salary of $4,000 and will trans
fer all the insurance business from
the office of the auditor of state TO
the commissioner
Not Many Pardons.
The last week of the legislature is
generally pardon week. Nearly twenty
prisoners in the penitentiaries at An
amosa and Fort Madison have had APP
pications before the pardons commit
tees of the two houses this session for
release from their Imprisonment. but
it is understood that not more than
three of the whole list will stand
show of having their applications act
ed on favorably. They are: Betsy
Smith of Des Moines, convicted OF
poisoning her husband. Her plea has
made the lawmakers believe that she
was not guilty of the crime. She has
had applications for pardon before
several sessions of the assembly and,
it is claimed, has stated this will be
her last effort, and if denied she will
appeal her case to higher court.
George Weems, who was released
few days last week in order that he
might be at the death bed of his
mother, is another of the favored
prisoners. He was convicted of kill
ing Conductor Redpath of Des Moines.
The committee has been convinced
that he did not do the shooting and it
is likely he was not present when the
conductor was murdered. Weems
aged soldier father made a touching
plea in his behalf.
Jasper Mason is another condemned
murderer who may be freed. He has
always claimed self-defense, and be-
sides he has served many years for
the crime and is now an old man.
The rejected pardon applications in
clude the Rainsbarger boys from near
Eldora The wife of one of the men,
now remarked, appeared before the
committee to oppose leniency toward
her former husband.
For Primary, but Don't Like It.
II is stated by members of the legis-
lature, now that the primary bill is
enacted into law, that if all the legis-
lators had been moved by the real
sentiment deep down in their hearts
on the subject. the bill would not have
received more than 20 or 80 votes in
both houses. Many of the members
filed explanations of their votes.
Many of the Democrats who voted for
the bill said they did so because their
platform pledged them to legislation
oiOhS lHdt bnC, but luSy
the bill as undemocratic and unfair to
minority parties. Representative Nc
Allister of Linn and Representative
OIL of Jasper, both wheelhorse Re.
publicans, had their names registered
in explanation of their votes. Mr.
McAllister said he was against the
measure first. last and all the time,
because he considered it not only un-
wise, but vicious. He said he would
never stand as candidate under such
law. Mr.. Offil said he voted AYE"
on the bin because his party was
pledged to primary law, but he said:
IL believe this primary law will prove
the most expensive, the most unsatis-
factory, the most unpopular measure
ever passed by any general assembly
in this state, and my judgment is
there will be a demand for its re-
peal"
Just One Veto.
Governor Cummins has only vetoed
one bill passed by the legislature so
far. The bill was an act making the
position of document librarian a stat
utoiy office. The governor said the