Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-03-09
Question is Debated at Length
and Objectionable Amend
ments Defeated
MUCH STRENGTH is SHOWN
Majority Apparently in Favor of Reso-
iution-senate Passes Road Bill Per-
mittins Townships to Return to Old
System--van Laws Public Service
Bill Debated.
,ecial to Times-Republican.

put in this morning debating the reso-
luticn on resubmission of the prohib-
itory amendment. Meredith took
charge of it and from the first he had
a majority with him In defeating all
proposed amendments intended to
make the measure obnoxious. Sullivan
and Harding led in the fight against
and precicitated a/1ot debate. A mo-
tion to refer to the judiciary commit
tee was defeated by vote Of Al to So,
and then the house at I o'clock adj
journed until tomorrow by vote Of 5S
to 43.
The senate passed the road bill to
permit townships to return to the old
system of road districts upon petition
of property owners.
The senate discussed at length the
Van Law bill to authorize cities to
make investigation of public service
corporations with view to getting
information on which to act in fixing
rates. A vote was not reached.
The first Of the law enforcement bills
intended TO strengthen the hands Of
state and local officials and secure the
more uniform enforcement Of all the
laws of the state, got thru the house
finally on Monday afternoon. This Is
the Cosson bill relating to the duties
of sheriffs The bill is intended to
give some definite and specific duties
to a sheriff aside from serving papers,
and its effect will be to make the Of
Zee Of sheriff supplement to a great
degree that of the county attorney in
the ferreting out of crime and The
punishment of offenders No effort was
made in the house to prevent passage
of the bill The bill to define the duty
of sheriffs also passed the house.
A bill passed by the house makes 1t
possible to punish for assault with in
tent to do great bodily injury by send
ing the offender to prison for a year.
The law at present provides only a
Jail sentence.
A second hearing is to be given on
Friday on the bill to require the label
tual net weight. 1t is understood shat
the creameries are to be represented
in protest against the contemplated
legislation The bill has aroused u
storm of protests and while members
do not question that the bill was
framed with the intent Of doing good
and proving a protection, yet they in
sist that in its operation it is going
Ito be hampering to business
The bill to remove a part OF the ex-
emption of wages Of laboring men is
likely to have as hard shedding in the
legislature this year as at any time
in the past When the bill was reached
in regular order in the house on Mon
day it was Immediately set upon and
denounced with good deal Of vigor
and earnestness and its weakness was
pointed out The strongest argument
against it was that it, was making an
exception in the case of one class OF
persons while leaving the total exemp-
tion on all others. On a motion to refer
to the judiciary committee the vote
was AZ to a..
A bill by Clarkson would put private
colleges in a class by themselves ny
providing that they shall not forbid
colored persons from attending school.
There are a great many colored votes
in Clarkson's district.
The house cheerfully voted for an
additional factory inspector and in
creased expense in the handling of the
labor office under the new administra-
tion, despite that some members OF
the house have indicated that every
thing on the basement floor of the state
capitol ought to be abolished.
Eighteen members of the roads COM
mittee of the lower house yesterday sat
in committee room and by their votes
decreed that Iowa roads should remain
as they are for another two years and
that efforts at improvement by the
state highway commission, the greater
Des Moines committee and good roads
advocates the state over should come
to nothing. BY vote of is to the
committee killed the Bonwell bill pro-
vidlng premiums by the state to town
ships that should construct approved
roads of dirt, gravel, or crushed rock
Eight who voted for the bill will file
minority report.