Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-12-04
Judges and Lawyers to Demand
Change in Statute When
Legislature Meets
SOMETIMES WORKS INJUSTICE
Frequently compeIs Imposition of Sen.
tenccs More Severe Than circum.
stances Require Van Houten to
Become Interested in Publication OF
Farm Journal.
Special to Times Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines, Dec. 4.-Agitation for
change in the indeterminate sentence
law is gaining considerable headway
among judges and lawyers in the state.
man is convicted of q crime the
judge must commit him to the prison
for the maximum term prescribed on
the statute books. The convicted man
must remain in prison for the full
term unless pardoned by the board of
parole sooner. Some are arguing this
is a great injustice. Several judges
have expressed dissatisfaction with the
law because they say they are COM
PEELED to send men to prison when
they know those men may have to
serve a longer term than they think
just. Judges say that often when found
guilty men should be let off with a
light punishment, but under the pres
ent lay they are powerless to regulate
this. They believe the judge should
be permitted to sentence man for Il
term he believes to be sufficient pun
ishnnent for the crime as disclosed by
the evidence and circumstances in the
trial. Then if the board of parole
wishes to release the man sooner be-
cause of good conduct, it might do SO.
Some Of the judges say they have been
compelled to send men to prison for
an indeterminate period when they
believed that, year or six months I'M
prisonment would have been sufficient
punishment under the circumstances
1t is extremely probable that bill
will be introduced in the legislature
next January making this suggested
in the present indeterm-
mate sentence law. 1t is expected that
the bill will cause an interesting dis
cussion. The present law was adopted
on the recommendation of a commits
sion appointed to investigate prison
reform methods. That committee of
men visited all the leading Ipenitent-
iaries in the country and recommended
this present law.
George H. Van Houten. of Taylor
recent state representative and
one time secretary of the Iowa depart
ment of agriculture, has been engaged
as business manager for the new farm
paper that is about to be published
here by A. U. Quint to be known as
1.-THE American Farmer" The first cop
les Of the paper will be issued the lat
ter part of this week and will contain
ip1o hx,c Of 10 Y,onct
agriculturists and horticulturists OF
the country
DIR. George Philip Neal, of Fort Mad
ison, has sent a communication to the
state board. of health urging the secre-
tary to incorporate in his report to the
governor a recommendation for segre-
cation of sexes in schools. The sug-
gestion, however, has not been incor-
porated in the report. A copy of his
in favor Of the segregation
idea has also been sent to the commit
tee on revision of the Iowa school laws.
There is considerable question wheth
er they will adopt the suggestion.
sss
Committees Of the State Manufac-
turers association held a meeting here
yesterday afternoon and outlined work
for the legislative committee during the
sessions of congress and the
state legislature. The association has
taken a stand for revision Of the tar
iff. 1t is planned for the manufac-
turers of the state to make appeals to
the representatives of their districts in
to vote for immediate revision
Of the tariff
Senator Cosson Of Audubon county
expects to offer bill in the coming
legislature providing for increase in
the mulct tax to about $1,500.
The tax now is $500 yea6.
eff the tax was made $1,400 or ST.
5O0," said Senator Elect Cosspn at the
state house yesterday, ut would be
an effective protection of the people
against the evils Of the dens and grog
shops which now furnish the bulk Of
the law violations.
"Men in the saloon business have
said that if the mulct tax were put
at a larger amount it would compel
the holes and dives to close, and not
only would the business be on a better
but the evils of which the people COM
plain so bitterly would be reduced to
the minimum.
81 now expect to introduce a bill to
cover this, proposition. 1t appeals to
ne as an effective means Of controlling
the traffic. Some would object that
the business would then be monopol-
ized by the men with money. The
same objection in a measure would
apply to any tax, whatever the
amount; but in fact, the business is of
! character which requires the COM
to protect itself whatever the
restrictions necessary"
Representative ]. Fl. Darrah. of Lu-
,as county, has definitely decided to
become a candid e for the speaker
ship of the next iowa house of repre-
sentatives and has so notified the