Omaha daily bee., 1909-04-06
Iowa
LAST WEEK FOR IOWA S0LONS
Senate Docket Cleared, but House is
showed Under.
MANY REFORM BILLS ARE U
Measures Changing Organization 81
Department. and AHecting
Powers Are Likely TO
BE Pushed
From a staff correspondent

(From a starr correspondent
DIES MONIES. April 6-(Special)-With
the opening of the last week of the Iowa
legislature the situation Is that the SEN
ate has practically cleared the calendar
and the house is hopelessly swamped with
business. A great deal of small stuff has
been handled by both houses the last few
days, but the house, especially. Is far be
with its work. An effort was made
to have the senate create a sitting com
mittee for the purpose OF shutting out some
matters, but the effort has failed. In fact,
there is not the slightest reason why any
such committee should be named in the
senate, but there is much reason Tor one
in the house.
one of the matters which may cause some
interest the coming week is a resolution
looking TO approval by Iowa of the plan
for popular election Of United States sem
ators. The senators had considered this
matter some time ago, but had felt that
the endorsement Iowa gave two years ago
, would hold for some time. Saturday they
received word to the contrary and a reso-
luton giving this Endorsement was rushed
through the house. 1t is now in the hands
of the proper committee Of the senate and
probably will be reported quickly and
passed.
During the week a strong effort will be
made to force through the legislature the
bills having for their object a reorganiza-
ton of various departments OF the state.
Some of these bills contemplate consolida-
ton of departments, but the more import
ant merely give authority somewhere for
the removal of appointive officers and the
appointment of others. The governor sent
a special message to the legislature to ask
that a bill be passed giving authority for
removal. This bill has come out in the
form of a measure which will leave 1t in
the hands of the executive council to de-
termine whether an officer should be re-
moved when charges are filed. In the casa
Of the Pharmacy board the governor I'M
dertook to act without consulting his as
sociates on the council.
Attack on Two-Cent Fare.
Iowa railroads are going to make a test
Of the 2-cent fare law. They have been
waiting for the adjournment of the legisla-
ture so as not to stir up any antagonisms
there. But It has come to the attention of
some of the leaders of the legislature that
the railroads are already at work prepar-
ing a case to show that in Iowa as in
Missouri, the 2-cent fare is not remunera-
tive. The Missouri case was tried before
Judge Mcpherson. who decided that in
Missouri the railroads we're able to show
that the law was not justified. The attor-
neys believe hal it will be easier to make
such a showing in Iowa, and IL any sort of
a showing is made that ~justifies the claim,
that the court will hold the Iowa law
confiscatory. One result Of the last few
weeks of scrapping over legislation has
been to show that the railroads are alert
and watchful, that they believe there has
already come in Iowa a reversal OF policies
and that the state is ready to begin UNI
doing the legislation Of the last seven
years. The fight to prevent the creation
OF the office of commerce counsel has a
bearing on the case, for such an officer
would give the state one who would be
prepared to take up and try just such
cases as the one contemplated. The fight
to prevent enlargement of the duties of the
State Railroad commission is along the
same lines. Everything is being done to
maintain the status until such time as the
suits can be got into the courts and before
the tribunals most likely to favor the rail-
roads.
Use of Special Funds.
Members of the legislature have Just
commenced to look into the matter of the
use that has been made of a fund which
was placed In the hands of the railroad
commissioners two years ago, being 5000
in all, for the express purpose OF employ
ing experts to investigate the Iowa rates
as to freight and similar matters and to
secure the best talent possible In the
thorough Investigation of all matters re.
lating to Iowa rate questions. Thus far
the legislature has not received any in.
formation as to the good results from this