Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-03-19
AUDITOR RETAINS
INSURANCE CONTROL
SENATE REJECTS PLAN TO
TRANSFER DEPARTMENT TO
GOVERNORS OFFICE.
STATE FAIR SECURES
100000 APPROPRIATION
House Passes Measure Giving Money
for New Amphitheater ard Addition
al Grounds-GeneraI Weaver Central
Figure in Temperance Crusade Be-
fore Legislature.
Special to Times Republican.

bSS "oiAes, fhaiSa Ahe SSiN
this morning adopted the report of the
insurance committee Indefinitely post
poning the bill to transfer the depart
ment OF insurance to the office of
governor. A motion ito adopt the report
was made by Dowell. author of the bill
who had been unable to secure the
votes necessary to pass the measure
The house passed the appropriation
bill of 100000 for additional land and
arnphitheater at the state fair grounds
The house passed a resolution re-
calling from the governor the bill to
appropriate for the monument to Gov.
erntr Briggs because of a fatal error
in the same. The house also passed
the Peterson bill relating to contri-
butory negligence of railroad employees.
The house reconsidered and passed the
bill, to create a board of optometry.
The senate passed the hill to pro-
vide a hunters license Of II per year
and the bill to make a bill Of lading
a negotiable Instrument
50
Easily General Weaver was the CEN
trail figure at the hearing in the sem
ate chamber Thursday afternoon upon
the constitutional amendment There
were other speakers but what they
said had no force or point, save that
oP 1<,nr
islators of defeat If they did not ap-
prove the amendment to the consti-
tuition for prohibition. General Weav-
er spoke briefly. He said the people
believe there is great evil abroad in
the land and they are crying out for
a chance to condemn it; that they be-
lieve it should be prohibited, and that
the right of the people to decide should
not be abridged or denied. He con-
tended that there is really no discre-
tion in the legislature, but that If
members are convinced there is any
large body of persons desirious of hav-
ing the amendment submitted to a
vote it is the duty Of the legislature
so to do. Nov as to regulation" he
added, there never was a regulation
of the liquor traffic and there never
will be: it is beyond the power of reg
ulation."' The senators who believe in
prohibition but who do not believe 1t
would be wise to abandon the present
laws in favor Of a constitutional
amendment, have been greatly encour-
aged in their stand since the resolu-
ton went to the present committee
upon the urgency of Governor Car
roll apd the state administration. With
a majority of the senators desirious OF
keeping the matter in the background
and the governor in sympathy with
this position there, is really little ex-
pectation that the resolution will be
passed up to the next general assem-
bly,.
The house has passed the Cosson
removal bill, regarded by many as by
far the most valuable of the many bills
which have been introduced with a
view to Tightening UP the loose places
In the laws. It will put county and
other officials on their mettle to avoid
the disagreeable consequences Of in
vestigation.
The house has thus far shown a
disposition to refuse to grant any in
crease of pay to anybody, hut the sem
ate has loosened up to the extent of
passing a bill to give court reporters
additional pay. Under the bill as the
senate has passed 1t the reporters will
get So per day, with a minimum yearly
wage of $1,000 for 125 days work or
less and a minimum Of $1,S00 a year
for those who are in court longer. The
highest salary will be about. $2,40O.
The senate passed the Gillilland
resolution for adjournment April 1.
The resolution is little more than a
warning to legislators to get busy. The
house will, of course, permit 1t to rest
a short time, then pass it back to the
senate with an amendment, when 1t
will be passed and a motion to recon-
slider be fled This will hold the mat
ter UP in the air until about April l,
when some idea can be had as to the
probable date of adjournment. There
is no reason for anticipating an ad-
iournment earlier than usual.
The house spent nearly two days
considering the bill to change the
method of taxing mortgages. The bill
as voted on would require payment of
a fee Of 10 cents per 500 for each
wear of the life of the mortgage, in
lieu of other taxes. In some counties
of the state this would mean gain
and in others loss, but the main ar
guments for the measure was that it
would actually give the state some-
thing on the mortgages owned by out
siders and would in the end result in
lessening the interest rate, on bor-
rowed money. The house only gave the
measure forty-three votes.
Senator Mates heads the committee
which has been named to investigate
the judicial districts of Iowa, to de-
termine the number of days of court
held by each judge, to figure out how
a readiustment may be made and to
redistrict the state. Under the reso-
luton this must be done by the 25th.
1t is a large task for so short time
and there is apprehension on the part
of some that the redistricting will not