Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-02-25
Rankin's Pet Scheme Again
Comes Before House Of
Iowa Assembly
FIGHT TO FLOOR VAN LAW
Public Service Corporation Bill,
Turned Down by Committee, Placed
on JournaI-senate Passes optom-
etry 6ll and House Takes Rap at
Secretary Of State Health Board.
Special to rimes-Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines, Feb. 25.-The state mar
shall bill made its appearance in the
house today, having been introduced
by Inman, of Floyd. Mr.. Rankin, rep
resenting the state marshal clubs, is
here to take charge of the bill.
The senate this morning received
the report of the cities and towns
committee adverse to the Van Law
bill to permit investigation of public
service corporations. The bill was
placed on the calendar and ordered
printed in the journal. and there will
be a fight on the floor to pass the
bill.
Both houses of the legislature adj
journed today, for a recess until next
Wednesday. The senate passed the
optometry bill by a vote of 33 to 8
after several Intellectual attempts were
made to have the board made up OF a
majority of doctors.
-
In the house. there was harsh crit
icism OF Secretary Thomas, of the state
board of health. and Secretary David
son, of the state executive council, fol-
alleged discourtesy to members, and
refusal to give out information and
aid to the departments.
mi, hill
authorize tax aid for libraries and hos
pitals. a bill to change the name OF
poor farms tn county homes. bill
to require the annual cutting OF
hedges along the roads, and severa
bills relating to voting for franchises
in cities,
I Tie senate passed the bill appro-
priating $4,000 for 5000 copies of the
soldiers roster, and several minor
bills.
The showing in favor of the bill eol
the better observance of the Sabbath
day. as made before the house COM
mittee Wednesday afternoon, was
much stronger than the opponents o!
the bill had anticipated. Among those
who spoke in favor of some legislatio.
along the line of preserving the char
acter of the American Sabbath was
Henry Wallace, also w. b. Martin. f.
S. Dunshee and Rev. H. Hansen. Thf
latter read carefully prepared argl-
ment for the bill in which he took the
position that it was not giving any
new standing to the Sabbath but rath-
er measure for protecting day al.
ready established and recognized ii
Iowa law. Mr.. Wallace pointed to the
fact that every state now has laws
safeguarding the Sabbath. Mr.. Mar
tin, formerly secretary of state. strong
ly supported the measure. The letter
from the secretary Of the actors union
to Senator Proudfoot was read IN
which It was made very plain that the
actors and actresses desire rest day
A question was asked as to whether ol
not there is not already sufficient law
and that the local authorities can pre-
vent theatrical entertainments If they
desire, but in answer to this it was
stated that the attorney general of the
state is of the opinion that there is
not now actual authority for forbid
ding theaters on Sunday and the city
authorities in Des Moines and most a1
the cities of the state take this view
The advocates of the bill called es-
pecial attention to the fact that the
only purpose of the Meredith bill
which was under consideration, was to
put a stop to those things which are
on a purely commercial basis and thus
to eliminate the money making fea-
lures of Sabbath breaking.
80"
1t is stated now that the railroads
have given up the idea of heading of
measures they regard as obnoxious In
the senate. This was made apparent
when the Allen bill went thru unani-
mousIy, yet most of the senators agree
that the bill is of very great import
ance in establishing the relations be-
tween shippers and transportation
lines. 1t cuts out Of the present law
all those modifying phrases behind
which the railroads have shielded
themselves when cars are demanded
for the use of shippers. 1t is far more
drastic than any of the reciprocal de-
murrage bills which were fought to
death last session. But after the pas
sage of the Clarkson bill and the Pc
terson bill, both relating to damage
suits the bill fathered by the senator
from Pocahontas went thru without IN
effort to amend it and not a vote
against it. If the measure is to be lis
posed of it must be in the railroads
committee of the house. 1t remains 10
be seen whether the fight Will be made
there to prevent it's booming a law. IL
is the only bill regarded as of general
Importance to shippers now in position
to be taken up by the house.
1t is now fairly evident that the leg
islature is not going to authorize any
paroles from the penitentiary. Yes
terday the two committees heard
statement of the case of L. r. Van
Tassel, of Chickasaw county, VINO is
serving for having killed his wife with
strychnine poison. The case of T. w.
Watson was to have been heard, but
No one appeared for him. The senate