Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-02-25

committee voted at once 10 refuSe the
Van Tassel application and also the
application for Thor J. Robinson.
of Howard county 3 latter is also
a poisoning case, q he county at
torney virtually Q $ d that the evi-
dence of guilt wv ( conclusive. The
action taken on two is supposed
to mean that legislative commit
tees will not !, on any paroles. The
Haley and ~ Ard case from Du-
buque will 7 !. second hearing.
The senate committee on cities and
towns gave a hearing yesterday to
those who oppose the Van Law bill TO
give cities and towns additional power
affairs as a basis for establishment OF
rates A large number OF representa-
tives of various public service corpo-
rations appeared to resist this bill on
the ground that it would be an un-
warranted interference with their pri-
Vate affairs.
A hearing is to be given this after
noon on the Darrah bill to provide a
way for establishing a bank guaranty
system in Iowa. A large number OF
representatives of the banking inter-
ests of the state will be present. The
bill has been very little discussed, but
it Is known that while some OF the
bankers of the state are opposed, there
are others who are for the measure as
possibly the safest bill of the kind that
could be devised.
1t was the intention of the members
OF the senate insurance committee to
this afternoon pass upon the bill to
transfer the insurance department
from the office of auditor to that OF
governor but owing to the absence OF
members this will not be done. The
committee voted once on this bill and
1t was a tie.
The senate committee on commerce
listened to arguments on the wage
exemption bill which proposes to per-
NIT 10 per cent of the wages of the
head OF a family to be subject to at
tachment. Fl. G. Lorimer, of Chart
ton, president OF the State Mercantile
Association, with others associated
with the same body. spoke for the
measure which is put forth as distinct
the state. r. w. Patrick. A. l.. Urick,
p. S. Billings and others, on behalf
Of the wage earners, spoke in opposi-
ton to the measure.
Hardly less remarkable than the ac-
tion of the house committee upon the
prohibition amendment was the deci-
sion yesterday of the senate commit
tee on cities and towns to recommene
for indefinite tpostponement a bill
aimed at the regulation of public SER
vice corporations. Senator Van Laws
measure, providing means by which
city councils can obtain information
from the books of public service com
panies. was argued fiercely before tflt
committee during whole hour. and a
the end of the hearing the committed
killed it by vote of S to 4.
The author Of the bill announced i'm
mediately that he would oppose the
adoption of the committees report, .ant
the senate will probably hear repi-
tition of some of the sharp retorts tt
equally sharp queries that were the
order of the day during the hearing
yesterday afternoon.
The Van Law bill provides, as does
the present law, that city councils shal
fix rates for public utilities, and shall
be entitled to information from the
books of the companies furnishing the
service. Further it provides that al
any time when a city council regards
existing rates as unreasonably high
the officers or employees of the public
service corporations may be summoned
before the council and compelled te
answer questions to bring out the facts
regarding conditions under which the
business is conducted.