Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1909-04-14
REVIEW OFLEGISLATURE
IOWA LEGISLATURE ADJOURNED
SINE DIE ON FRIDAY.
Brief Review of the Most Important
Enactments of the Thirty-Third
General Assembly.

extraordinary, and that in the vol
ume of business done. This does not
mean that laws of extraordinary i'm
portance have been enacted, but
atner that numerically the record
OF the thirty-third generally assembly
has never been exceeded.
The total number of bills intro
duced in the house of representatives
was 547, as against 494 two years
ago. In the senate 429, as against
376 two years ago.
When the session began. five meas
ures loOmed up as those which would
make the session famous. These
were the revision of the school laws,
placing of public utilities under a
state board. the passage of the pro-
hibitOry amendment, woman suffrage
and the repeal of the Blanchard anti
compact law.
Not one of these measures was
adopted.
A peculiar feature of the session
factionalism which so marked pre-
ceding sessions in the past few years.
But two measures were enacted
that will stand out prominently in
the future. so many believe. These
are the Whipple bill for state board
of educational control and the Cos
son law enforcement bills.
And many say that the session has
been distinguished by what it has
exterminated rather than by what it
has constructed.
The almost total absence of anti
corporation bills enacted strikes the
spectator as feature wherein the
thirty-third differs from sessions
within the preceding few years.
There will be much disappoint-
ment that the Legislature did so little
towards the enactment of the good
roads laws. Insurance men are also
disappointed in that they were not
given more favorable consideration.
The session started out to be
strongly temperance, but the sum-
mary shows very little rigid temper
ance legislation as the result of the
three months deliberation.
There were three investigating
committees of particular importance.
One was a joint committee from the
which recommended that the state
be redistricted so that the number
of judicial districts be cut to fifteen,
and the district court judges from
fifty-three to forty three.
Another was a committee in the
house of repre- sentatives to investi-
gate charges of cruelty upon the part
of attendants towards inmates of the
state insane hospitals. The commit
tee recommended shorter hours, bet
ter pay, close supervision and separ-
ate apartments for attendants.
The third was a committee from
the house to investigate the methods
of Warden Sanders of the Fort Madi-
son penitentiary. This was named
late in the session and came to
naught.
Two legislative commissions are
left as the result of the session. One
will revise the tax laws of the state.
The other will investigate the best
method of regulating and controlling
The public utilities.
A quasi-private committee named
from the appropriations committee
of the house reported resolutionl
censuring the regents of the State
for erecting the residence
of President George MacLean at Iowa
City without proper consent of the
legislature.
Three special occasions added to
the interest of the session. One was
the Lincoln birthday observance on
February IL, at which Lafayette
Young was the chief speaker. An
other was the unveiling of Gen. j. B.
Weaver's portrait. A third was the
observance of the birthday of Robert
Burns, when Rev. Father Nugent
spoke.
During the session Governor Car
roll named for confirmation by the
senate ex-senator Berry for member
Of the state board of parole; Col. c.
w. BOutin for state house custodian;
A. b. Funk, George T. Baker, T. ID.
Foster, p. X. HolbroOk, c. r. Bren-
ON, ID. d. Murphy, j. II. Trewein,
Roger Leavitt and E. p. Schoentgen
Is members of the new board of the
state educational control.
Governor Carroll also sent to the
senate the name of Judge j. P. Con-
lor of DennisOn, to succeed John
Cownie on the state board of control,
,ut that body refused to confirm the
as we'll as that of F. F.
Iones of Villisca, and Mr.. Cownie |
'emains on the board.
Following is a list of the most |
important measures passed.:
Establishment of the state educa-
ional board Of control.
Law enforcement bills providing
or removal of officials who fail to do |
heir duty, making sheriff and coun- |
y attorney active in prosecuting |
rhine and permitting attorney gem
'ral to go into various counties to
offenders.
Optional county hospitals with spe-
,ial provision for stamping out tu-
lerculosis and revision OF quarantine
avs.
Providing for pensions for disabled
iremen and disabled policemen and
for widows of firemen and policemen.