Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1909-03-31
THE IOWA LEGISLATURE
REVIEW OF THE WEEKS Do
INGS AT THE CAPITOL.
W. c. Jarnagin i'm Des MOines Cap
ital Tells What Legislators Have
Accomplished Thus Far.

Itdl lcuS w nat LeSlSIatOrS nave
Accomplished Thus Far.
The enactment of the Whipple
bill for a state board to control the
three educational institutions of
Iowa was the most important action
in the Iowa legislature the past
week. Although the bill provoked
a lively debate, the house passed it
by a good sized majority. Several
times before the senate has passed
the bill, which had always fallen by
the wayside III the lower house.
The bill provides for the appoint
ment by the governor of nine men
committee of three to have active
charge of the institutions at Cedar
Falls, Iowa City and Ames.
Anti-liquor bills have been scarce
this past week. The big hearing
before the senate committee on
CUD-L.lutional amendments Thursday
afternoon upon whether or not the
Meredith prohibitory resolution
should be reported for passage
drew the biggest crowd ever col
lected in the state. The committee
took no action. 1t will probably
meet next Thursday for it's final
vote. There is no question that the
committee is unfavorable to the
passage of the resolution.
The house of representatives
showed its temper by refusing to
accept the report of the pharmacy
commission which had reported ad-
versely to the Hammill bill compel
ling druggists to number their APP
pications for liquor sales consecu-
lively and file them for future ref
erence.
Important Bills Killed.
During the week the senate and
house killed several bills of inn
Saunders bill for terminal tax on
railroads. This bill provided for
taxing railroad side trackage and
giving the benefits to the cities.
The country members voted it down
as they have always done in prev
ious sessions.
Another bill which was killed by
the senate was the Kirkpatrick bill
providing for collection of annual
fees on corporation stock. This
will be up for reconsideration, how
ever.
The senate also refused to take
stand on equal rights to negroes
by voting down the Clarkson bill
which prohibited incorporated
schools from denying negroes adj
mission.
The Chapman bill to prevent
newspapers from displaying suicid-
es on the first page under black
headlines was the fourth bill killed
by the senate.
The house voted down a min
GRITTY report in favor OF guaranty
of bank deposits by only six votes.
AS the debate was on the merits
of the bill rather than on the min
GRITTY report, the vote is regarded
as being decidedly interesting.
The bill for quarantine of those
afflicted with BLACK plague" was
killed by cutting off the enactment
clause. The committee killed the
Harding bill to repeal the Blanch-
ard anti-compact law.
Public Funds at Interest.
The Dowell-Hunter bill compel
ling the placing of public funds at
interest has finally gone to the gov
ernor for his signature. So has the
bill appropriating 100000 for a
new steel grandstand for the state
fair, which is of special interest to
agricultural communities of Iowa.
The senate had a lively debate
over the Hammill anti-gambling
bill which prohibits raffies, church
fair, prize contests, dice shaking
and such, and which the senate has
endorsed.
One good roads bill-and about
the only one of the sessiOn-passed
both houses. 1t was the Smith
DOTS bill permitting communities
to organize into districts for good
roads making after the manner of
organizing drainage districts.
About two weeks more will wind
up the session, so it is believed. A
concurrent resolution to adjourn
April has been introduced in the
house of representatives and it will
probably pass.
Before adjournment, the appro-
priations committee is to report the
budget which disposes of some ST.
100000. AS far as the amounts to
the state educational institutions.
they will not differ materially from
those recommended by the junket
committee which visited them.
The appropriations for the insti-
tutions under the board of control
were slashed about 100000, but
the one item of 100000 for an ep-
ileptic colony which was disallowed
was responsible for the greater part
of the slash.
The house committee TO investi-
gate charges of cruelty in the in
sane asylums has visited three of
the hospitals. going last night to
independence. The Cherokee in
stitution hospital has been absolyed
from all blame. The committee
will examine witnesses beginning
Monday.
The committee to decide upon
whether TO censure the regents of
the university and the Normal trus-
tees as to the erection of president
ial cottages expects to report Mon