Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-01-24
Organization and Business Dis
posed of in the Quickest
Time in History
THREE WEEKS AHEAD OF 1906
Much Interest Awaits Reports Of Visit
ing Committees to Educational In
stitutions and Knoxville Hospital =
Divorce Legislation Likely to be Rec.
ommended-LesisIativs Gossip
to Times Republican.

| Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines, Jan. 24.-Nearly all the
members of the legislature have re-
turned to their homes for the short
recess. The few remaining are those
who have work which can as well be
done here.
In one respect at least, the Thirty
second general assembly can be- said
to have got start OF most of it's pre-
decessors. The visiting of institutions
will be tdone early. Last year the re-
cess for this process of visitation COM
menced February 12. or three. weeks
later, than this year. The reports
were not received and printed in the
journals. until March 10. There is no
reason why these reports should not
be ready this year by the middle of
February. The committees at the last
session and for several sessions have
consisted OF only three members to
each institution. This year five are
sent -. two senators and three rep
resentatives. In former years, before
the board Of control system was adop-
ted, it was customary to send much
larger committees and they made re-
ports more exhaustively than now. The
chief purpose Of the. visiting commit
tees now is to check up on the rec
concentrations of the heads OF institu-
lions and the governing boards, ard to
report on what has already been laid
before the legislature.
The reports Of the committees on
the state educational institutions will
be awaited with greatest interest, for
these reports may go further, as they
did last year, than merely to consider
the physical Improvements needed at
these institutions. The strong men
of the senate and house have been
designated to go to these institutions.
It is regarded as probable that the
committee which will visit the Knox
vile Institution will make some gem
eral recommendations as to needed
changes in the laws relating to the
hospital for inebriates. There is desire
that the laws be SO ame lded as to
cut out the so-called bum element"
from that institution SO that 1t will
become In fact as in name a hospital
and not house Of detention. This
will be called to the attention of the
visiting committee.
Senator Jones will introduce bill
to require that divorce decree be with
=. of tho onyrf ia.
cided the case. Senator Taylor is also
prepared to introduce some reform
legislation in regard to the divorce evil.
Senator Jones is confident that meas
ure OF the character he suggests would
be Of very great advantage in prevent
ing some Of the hasty after-divorce
marriages which have become The
scandal Of the country. The opposition
to the measure lies in the belief Of
many that this would not in fact be. a
remedy, but that it would remove the
evil to place outside the jurisdiction
of the state. Inasmuch as many states
are taking the step indicated 1t might
have some deterrent effect.
Charles Aldrich, curator Of the his
torical department, has returned from
his Boone home, and is again at work.
His trip to the south as one of the
battlefield monument party exhausted
him for time, and he remained in
Boone until this week. He is intensely
interested in what the legislature will
do for his department..
Someone started the story yesterday
that neither Allison nor Dolliver were
legally elected to the United States
senate five years ago. AS result Of
this, Senator Saunders insisted on hav-
ing the legislature in joint session call
the roll on senator in joint session,
when the law distinctly states that this
is not necessary. Others protested, but
the senator from Pottawattamie insist
ed, and as 1t did no harm, this was
done Afterwards Saunders admitted
that 1t was not necessary. But if this
had been the proper procedure then tie
records would have disclosed that five
years ago neither Allison nor Dolliver
had been elected to the senate, as the
roll was not then called in joint con-
vention.
The election Of code editor came
as surprise to many of the members
yesterday There was no opposition to
Mr.. Jepson, who was member of the
house from Woodbury. county year
ago; but 1t had been supposed this
would be put of for few weeks. The
law provides that after every third
session the Code Supplement shall be
edited anew and new edition be
brought out. This work will take sew
eral months after the close of the pres
ent session.