Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-12-26
1! 4! !!!:
/ posed Some of lowa's
Penal Statutes
ATTORNEY:
POWER
Suggestion Made That They Be Per-
mitted to File Informations Direct
With Court-Doubtful if Grand Jur-
les Will Be Observation-Disclosures for
Infectious Disease Statistics Being
Infectious Disease Statistics.
pecial to Times Republican.

Des Moines, Dec. 26.-Laws covering
criminal procedure may be changed by
the coming session of the legislature.
There will be considerable agitation,
however, to have them changed radi-
cally. On one hand county attorneys
are asking that the law be SO amended
as to give them the right to start orig
inal procedure in criminal trials by
filing information with the court, with
out the necessity Of securing an in
dictment by the grand jury. This they
argue would facilitate procedure very
much and in cases where it was evil
dent there should be trial would save
the accused remaining in Jail or being
required to put up bond pending In
vestigation by the grand jury. Then it
is urged it would bring about more
speedy trials, for which there has come
to be quite general demand.
While not necessarily opposing that
proposed amendment there are others
who are urging that when an indict-.
ment is returned by the grand/jury and
the five men have said there is suf-
ficient evidence to warrant a trial, the
county attorney be prohibited from dis
missing the Indictment on his own mo-
ton. In plain words to prevent coun-
ty attorney, holding an elective posi-
ton, from sweeping off the docket a
case in which five grand Jurors after
examining, the facts say should be
brought to trial.
There are those lawyers who favor
adjustment Of the grand jury system
entirely, but they are few and it is
doubtful if any movement along this
line would gain much recognition at
the hands of the legislators In the com d
ing assembly.
Members of the Thirty third general
assembly will be asked to amend the
law SO as to provide the wardens of the,
state penitentiaries with living ex-
penses. There is small allowance
now, but it is said this is fully made
quate. The state provides living ex-
penses and quarters for the heads of
all the other state Institutions and it'll
is claimed that there should be no dis
elimination against the heads of the
penal institutions.
SO
Louis A. Thomas. secretary of the
state board of health, is now sending
out to the board of health in every city
and township in the state Of Iowa,
blanks for reports on infectious dis
eases and deaths tferefrom during the
year 1908. These by law must be re-
turned on or before Jan. Is and from
them viii! be compiled the state statis-
tics. Accompanying the blanks is ia
letter from the state board urging the
officers during the coming year to ex-
ercise every precaution for preventing
epidemics. i4
The statistics asked in regarding the
Of cases and deaths from ASH
attic cholera, bubonic plague. leprosy,
cerebro spinal meningitis. diphtheria,
scarlet fever, smallpox, chfckenpox,,f
whooping cough, mumps
fever, poliomyelitis, pnsuS
monia, tuberculosis and typhoid fever |
DIR. Thomas says that he has heard
there are some cases of leprosy in the |
state but he has been unable to locate |
them He is anxious to discover !
whether there are any such. The law
requires that such persons shall be $50
lated on their own premises from all
other persons. So far as is known there |
have been no cases of bubonic plague
or Asiatic cholera in the state.
Members of the coming legislature |
have commenced making arrangements
for quarters here during the winter.
The reservations at the hotels are un-
usually large for this time of the year
and it is understood number have
made plans. for quarters in private
families Probably more members
wives and daughters will be here this
winter than for many years.
Indications are that there will be
few committees in the coming general
assembly the work in which will be
light. The fish and game committee,
generally light, has proposed new laws.
The elections committee In the house
las five contests and proposed chang
n.g of the balloting system; the schools
committee which usually has little to
10 will be crowded with work by the
of the school commission to
.evise the school laws. The insurance