Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-02-04
RAILROAD BILL
THRU IOWA HOUSE
Measure Passed Compelling
Railroads to Obey Orders of
State Commission
FARM SCHOOL BILL OFFERED
Proposal to Establish County Asricul
turaI High Schools Now Before
House State Aid if Adopted APP
parent SIowness in Legislative Work.
parent SIowness in Legislative Work
and Little Being Done.
and Little Being Done.
Special to Times Republican.

| Special to Times Republican.
Des Mones, Feb 4.-The house to-
day passed five bills and the senate
six bills. but none of Importance. The
senate passed the bill which will give
to each county clerk in the state n code
for use in the court room. and bill
to require that bonds of executors shall
be examined every year.
The house passed "A bill to fix the
penalty for refusal of railroads to
comply with orders of the railroad
commission, and a bill to authorize
the drainage Of the lake at Emmets-
burg.
county agricultural high schools to be
established by each county and to re-
ceive state aid
Representative Holmes introduced a
bill to give $4,000 for the extension of
travelling libraries to the agricultural
extension work.
Senator Van Law and Representative
Arney introduced two bills today. one
to have the state pay $4,000 in aid of
the construction of a dam in the Iowa
river near the soldiers home and the
other appropriating $4,000 for addi-
tional room for married persons at the
soldiers home
The committee of the legislature to
arrange for the Lincoln day memorial
service today agreed upon having Lare
Young for the orator.
The contest comn1itte in the Ida
county contest today decided upon a
recount of the ballots and will proceed
to do SO on behalf of Corrie, the con-
testant.
There is apparent very great slow
ness in the legislature this session, and
the calendars do not show great
amount of real legislation, but in some
respects the work is advanced Pres
ident Clarke made a little informal in
vestigation and found that the number
of bills introduced is larger at this time
than before. Two years ago, according
to the record, on Jan. 30 the number
of house bills was 101: this year on
same date, ISL. Senate bills two years
ago on Feb. 2. numbered 80; this year
same date, 131. The printing of these
bills despite that many are large ones,
is far better advanced than ever be-
fore. The school bill made fifty-seven
pages and one day this week the print
er got a bill of twelve pages. But on
yesterday, for instance, every bill was
printed that had been introduced up to
and including the bills of Monday save
two. In other years the printer and
binder have frequently been a week or
ten days behind, and usually there has
been recess just to permit the print
ers to ctatch up. But few of the COM
mittees, however, have done any of
the hard work of the session.
petition from Henry NJ Newman,
of Prescott, presented to the senate,
suggested new line of legislation. He
would have registration of persons au-
tllorized to perform marriage ceremon-
les. He called attention to the fact that
a certain preacher who does large
marrying business is not a citizen but
an alien, yet under the Iowa law he is
entitled to perform ceremonies, the
only requirement being that he sign
minister of the gospel after his name
1t is understood that practically all
the independent telephone companies
in Iowa are dead opposed to the bill to
compel connections between competing
telephone companies. Some years ago
the independents were for something
IL. u lo11 t,,fa
opposed. That was at time when the
Independents practically had no toll
lines out in the state; but now they
cover the entire state and are far
ahead of the Bell system and the in
f1uences are reversed. The bill as law
would practically eliminate competition
and compel a merger of all systems and
companies.
The two railroad committees will
meet this afternoon. The house COM
mittee will have a hearing on the bill
to create a commerce counsel, to ap-
pear for the shippers, and the senate
will consider the Alien bill to place
upon the railroads the burden of proof
for failure to furnish cars when needed.
The house committee, under the chair
manship of Welden, took action quite
contrary to that of the senate. by lay
ing down the rule that not only should
there be no secret ballots on any bill.
but on every bill q record shall be
made by roll call. 1t is expected there
will be full attendance of the rail-
road committee of the senate today
when an effort will be made to reverse
the order of that committee for secret
ballots on all bills. There is consid-
cradle feeling among members OF the
committee over the making of the order
and a strong desire to go Oh record
for publicity and openness.