Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-04-09
ASSEMBLY ADJ0URNS
WITH SPLENDID RECORD
Many Needed Reforms Enacted By the legisla
ure---Primary, Insurance, Reformatory and
Other Measures Some That Failed
Special to Times-Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines. April S.-The concern
sus OF opinion among all who have
kept close tab ON its work - that the
legislative session OF the Thirty-sec-
ond general assembly has been one OF
the most fruitful Of important legisla-
ton in the history Of Iowa.
There has never been anything Ike
It," said Governor Cunamins, briefly
reviewing the work done. THE vol
nme of legislation has been enormous
and the number OF bills of great inn
portance larger than ever before. Run
down q long list OF the titles and you
will find legislation on many subjects
and an inspection OF the bills shows
that this legislation has been we'll con-
sidered.''
The number Of bills introduced dur
Ing the session was larger than usual,
and yet there was disposition at the
beginning Of the session to hold back
and not introduce bills without some
reason Therefor. The number Of bills
indefinitely postponed. or summary
killed by action OF committees, was
therefore larger than usual. and in this
list must Of course be included a good
many Of great Importance.
Purity has been, IL anything the spe-
cial fad OF the Thirty-se general
assembly, for purity has been decreed
In a good many things, as for instance
foodstuffs, patent medicines, binder
twine. prison systems, politics, stock
food. paints and oils, INSURANCE, city
government, corporations, railroad
fares and the United States senate
In the matter Of the finances OF tne
state the legislature made no lnnova-
.stions and showed itself to be moder-
ate and cautious The appropriations
exceed by several hundred thousand
dollars the amount of money which
was fo,pnd to be available for the ex-
iraordinary expenditures, but there Is
M doubt the estimates were low and that
some Of the new legislation will add
10 the states revenues. On the Whoie
there was a disposition to be TAR out
not too liberal in appropriations. Ihere
will be disappointment I'M seWerai
quarters but when the record is mace
I'M 1t will be found that no interest," Oh
The people of the state was negiecteo'
In the matter Of increase OF salaries
there was not as much as IN olhet
sessions.
The session will go down to history
as a conservative one-a Legislature :
waking progress in conservative ana
sensible manner. The radical bills were
mt accepted. If there was at any
time any well grounded fear that RAD,
tcalism would prevail 1t disappeareo
long before the session closed. Nellli-
or the insurance legislation, the rall-
road legislation nor the leglslatioI al
fecting pure things was especially iai-
ical or involved any departure from
4ha normal. The chief clerks waste
hasket contains a good deal of leglsla-
t;on that would have been OF douptIui
,,.I,,a hut for the fact that at all I'M
nortant points conservative men Were
at the helm
1,he impression has gone out thai
+here was much of radicailsm IN con
nection with the work of the session
running to the question of fairness a1iu
a,road mindedness in dealing WIN aii
the varied interests. One OF the otdest
of the senators stated the ofher oay
that In all his experience he had never
seen any legislature where there We're
"a ,nany public hearings on bills, Wnere
+hera was go much hard work In COM
helt OH
hearing both sides OF every question
The Insurance interests, for instance
we're fully represented at all times, anu
were heard on every measure. Ihe tenn
nerance people were given a fun near
ing on every bill in which they were IN
terested. On all important corpora
tion measures there were hearings
The representatives of the railroads
Who have been here during the winter
are not complaining in fact. They
We're given every possible courtesy.
There was no disposition to bring them
into disrespect or to treat lightly what
thew said. They were given their time
on every bill.
There were several of the recognized
representatives of the railroads present
practically all session. There was not
q whisper of scandal in connection
with their work. Nobody ever limited
that they used any improper methods
for influencing members. There was no
suggestion of passes or anything OF the
sort. In fact there was at all times
the utmost cordially between mem
hers and the accredited attorneys of
the railroads and no feeling in any
quarter that there was any improper
relationship existing. The railroad
lobby" as such, and as it has been
known in other states, was non-exist-
ent. Whatever the railroad represen-
tatives accomplished it was with clean
work
Neither was there any display OF par
tisanship in the session save as to the
antics Of one Miller, chairman of the
democratic state committee. aided and
abetted by q few distgruntled republic
cans. The democrats got more pro-
portionate to their numbers than the
republicans. There was at no time one
could tell a democrat from republican
by his vote, his talk or his associations
Neither was there any factionaiism
This seemed to have all disappeared
some time between the close of the last
legislative aeas;sa and the opening of