Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-01-23
IMPORTANT BILLS
FILED IN HOUSE
ONE MEASURE PROVIDES FOR AP-
PoINTMENT OF STATE HIGH
WAY ENGINEER IN EACH couN.
TY; WEED BILL is FILED.
Des Moines Bureau OF
The Ottumwa Courier.

Des Moines, Jan. %.
The legislature todaJ made Febru-
ary - state holiday in recognition OF
the hundredth birthday of Lincoln.
Only one vote was recorded against it.
In the senate an effort was made to cut
out New Years day from the list OF
holidays but 1t failed.
The house adopted program for
the unveiling OF the portrait OF Gen
eral Weaver in the historical building
on February Is, next including adj
dresses by VIM. j. Bryan and Con.
gressman-elect Nate E. Kendall.
Important Bills Filed.
Representative Sullivan introduced a
bill to create a jury commission in each
county appointed by the judge to have
charge of the drawing Of all jurors.
BonWell introduced bill to create
state highw~y commission and for the
appointment of highway engineer IN
each county with state bounty for
good roads to be paid under the direc-
tion of the commission Other inl-
portant bills follow:
Reitz-To appropriate money for a
monument to the Indian chief Black
hawk. sg
for refusing to comply with the orders
OF the commission.
Smith Of Misunderstanding for 4
compromise Of claims of the state
against corporations.
Francis-To forbid the supreme
court making reversal Of cases unless
some substantial wrong is done.
Hunter of Woodbury--Requiri q
county physician to attend to cases Of
infectious diseases.
notwithstanding tho state aid ta
fairs
Holmes-General school law revis.
ions.
Peterson, by request-Increasing tha
pay OF shorthand reporters.
Appropriation bills for the institu.
tlons under the board of control
Drastic Weed Bill.
The new weed bill Of the Depart
ment OF Agriculture came to the sur
face today. Senator Allen OF Pocallon-
tas introduced it into the senate. The
oill viii stir up considerable discuss
sion, Tor 1t has features that will
arouse antagonism though not near
ly SO drastic as the bill which was
recommended by committee OF the
Department in December last
The bill requires that property own.
ers shall destroy the weeds mentions
ed. which list includes quack grass.
thistles. cockleburs, dock, mustard.
nips, horse nettles. button weed and
burdock. The township trustees ara
required to destroy these weeds in
public highways. and they may secure
labor for this in the same manner aa
for road work. The bill then provides
that:
If any occupant of lands adjacent
to the public highways neglects or re-
fuses to destroy the noxious weeds
upon his lands when such weeds are
likely to~be the means of infesting the
highways, the township trustees may
cause the. destruction of such noxious
weeds and the cost Of such work shall
be recovered from the land owner by
special tax to be certified by the town
ship clerk in the same manner as other
road tax not paid"
The state botanist is to make in
vestigation and report on the best
method Of destroying these weeds.
There is provision for compelling de-
struction Of weeds on railroad right OF
Wav and in parks, and where a land
owner permits his fields to become q
| menace to others. There is also pro-
vision for township tax for tn pur-
pose Of destroying weeds as we'll as
LOT rodu WORK
There is a clause in the bill for a
public meeting on call of the board OF
supervisors during the winter to con-
slider the best methods of road work
and weed destruction and in the public
! interest may secure experts to give In
struction in road building and weed
destruction
The board of supervisors in each
county may, and upon petition of any
ten freeholders shall appoint a weed
| inspectors for the township .wha
shall report upon the presence of nox-
ioas weeds in the public HIGHWAYS"
| It is believed by the agricultural in
terests that this bill will form the
| looking to the prevention of waste
through the presence of too many
weeds
| Representative Grier has bill ON
| bank assessments to meet the cons
| plant of discrimination as between
the banks organized under the federal