Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-19
WORK OF THE LEGISLATORS
Senator Saunders Has a Bill Aimed al
White Slave Traffic.
CHANGES IN THE PRIMARY LAW
Employers Liability Bill PrOvOkes
Lively Debate In the Senate,
but Finally Passes that
Body.
From a STAFF Correspondent

a bill this morning that is aimed at the
white slave" traffic in Iowa. This meas
ure provides that II shall be a crime for
any person to detain or confine any fe-
male by force, false pretense or intiml-
dalton for an immoral purpose. This is to
be punished by Imprisonment in the peni-
tertiary at from one to ten years.
Senator Dowell In the senate this morn
Ing introduced a bill requiring that all
street cars In the state be furnished with
airbrakes by January /. 1910.
Nichols of Muscatine has a bill permit
the use OF voting machines at pri-
mary as well as at general elections.
The bulk sales bill was introduced in
both branches OF the general assembly
this morning.
The house this morning PASSED the Koontz
bill as amended by the senate, providing
that cities under 10000 may levy a 3-miu
and cities over that size a 6mill tax for
fire protection purposes.
The senate passed the house bill which
provides the secretary of state shall i'm
mediately upon the passage of a law send
certified copies to every clerk of the dis
trict court in the state of Iowa.
Upon request OF Senator McManus con-
sideration of the bill providing holidays
and vacations for guards at the Fort Mad
ison penitentiary, went over to Friday
morning.
The senate committee on military az
fairs reported for indefinite postponement
the house bill which eliminated all amuse-
ments and sports on Memorial day. The
law will accordingly remain as It is, per-
hitting games after 3 p. m.
Balluff of Scott county this morning
introduced In the house a bill which has
as its purpose the removal of the names
of electors from the primary ballot and
leaving the selection of these to the state
convention, the same as judges OF the
SUI RENE court are nominated. 1t also pro-
vides for abolishing the blanket ballot and
provides there shall be a separate ballot
for each party. all pinned together and
given the voter, who shall select his ballot,
tear It off, mark 1t and return 1t with the
unused ones to the judges.
The employers liability bill provoked a
ve-itable storm in the senate this morning
when called up for consideration. This
bill provides that c~ontributory negligence
on the part of the employee shall not be a
total bar to recovery. but shall be con-
siGcred by the jurors in fixing the damages
and amount TO be recovered. 1t was carried
by a vote of 81 to s.
Liability Law Change.
A much discussed bill by Peterson to
change the rule Of law in the matter of
assumption of risk on account CT the negli-
ser ce of fellow employees on railroads was
reported to the senate fayorably. 1t def
nitely provides that the company shall not
be exempt from payment of damages be-
Nuuaa NJ tn aaatnaNNfo. that tha nr.NIoxya
knew OF the danger incident to negligent
employees elsewhere in the service.
Within a short time it will be necessary
for the two houses to hold afternoon ses-
sions to clear their calendars. The house
is permitting its calendar to grow larger
and the committees are this week turning
In a great deal Of work. Sessions are now
held beginning at . o'clock each morning,
hut the afternoons are given over to COM
mittee work. 2
Action in the legislature on the bills to
put a stop to the monoplistic tendency of
the merchants engaged IN handling butter
and produce of all kinds may be helped
by the fact, as It has just been disclosed,
that a big fight Is on as between the small
shippers and the big shippers for a dis
c~riminatory rate On produce sent in carload
lots The big shippers, those who
are connected with the big commission
houses and are rela led to the car lines.
are said to be moving for a reduction I'm
the rate on carload lots to eastern points
so that 1t will give to the carload shipper
an advantage OF 20 per cent over the
shipper in small lots. A bill is pending to
prevent the big butter companies from
killing off the cooperative crcameries and
to this is to be added a bill to put a stop
to rate cutting on the part of the produce
companies.
Big Woman Suffrage Meeting.
Tit suffragettes are planning to nave
a monster meeting at the Auditorium
Sunday. They will sing ''The Battle
Hymn of the Republic" They have en-
gagged the Henry band and a choir from
a local church. Prominent women from
all over Iowa will be here for the meet
ing, which will be the biggest of its kind
ever held in Iowa.
Gas Main Break Nearly Kills Two,
Charles w. Rodgers and wife, living on
Sixth avenue. narrowly escaped death by
gas asph yxiation early today. A gas
main in their bedroom broke. Mrs.
Rodgers was rendered unconscious, but
her husband managed to get out of the
room and call a doctor. Up TO a late
hour Mrs. Rodgers was unconscious.
COmmRndant for Cadets.
First Lieutenant Morton c. Mumma.
Second Iowa cavalry. Fort Des MoInes.
was today elected ~commandant of the
state university by the Board OF Regents.
Lieutenant Mumma will succeed the pres
ent commandment. Captain Weeks. when
his term as eommandant expires in
March.
Decide ON New Building in March.
At meetings of the Masons the second
week In March a vote will be taken on
the question of building a new temple
in Dies Moines. 1t is proposed TO erect
a building to cost $4,000 and make il
the finest temple in Iowa. II is not
known whether the new building VIII be
an exclusive lodge building or a business
block.
LEAVES WIFE TO TRAIN ron RACE