Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-04-10
LEGISLATURES TOTAL APPRo.
PRIATIoNs OF A MILLION AND
A HALF CARED FOR.
LITTLE OF POLITICS
INJECTED INTO SESSION
Some Pruning Done at tho Last Mo-
ment-Important Liquor Bills Put
Thru in the Closing Hours-one sa-
loon for Each 1000 of Population
Finally Passed.
Special to Times-Republican.

Special to Republican
Des Moines. April 1O.-It was i'm
possible, without much computation,
to figure to the cent on the total of ap-
preparations for the biennial period,
but Senator Maytag, who had been en-
trusted with the duty of making the
final computations, stated at the close
of the session yesterday that the to-
tai was az few dollars under the ST.
100000 mark which had been set by the
state treasurer. A few minor bills
which were considered just at the close
would have run the total over the
mark, but the senators believe they
have avoided this.
The legislative order to the execu-
tive council is to make a tax levy next
July which will bring to the general
revenues of the state from direct taxa
ton $2,S00,000. This is just $4,000 more
than the order of two years ago. and
this represents not an increased ex-
penditure but a desire to have just
little more leeway. 1t will fix it so that
in case some politician desires to use
the states expenditures as horrible
example as a means to helping him
up to the cashiers desk he will not
have anything to talk about.
The state tax levy will therefore re-
main as at present. or at not more than
3.4 mills on the dollar of the assessed
valuation of the property of the state
The increased revenue demand will be
matched by at least an equal increase
in the assessed valuation of the state
unless there should be a material re-
duction in the railroad taxes next
July.
In view of the enormous increase OF
| askings, which fairly represent real
needs of the state the members of the
Thirty-third general assembly feel that
| they are entitled to much credit for so
handling matters as to keep the ap-
preparations down. The pressure for
additions to the running expenses of
the state is always strong and never
more so than at this session.
| Despite much effort to inject politics
into the session and the sparring for
factional advantage which was only
half concealed there was really little
of politics in the session and only in
the closing day was there any feeling
manifested. The bills for effecting re-
organization of the departments and
enabling wholesale changes to be
made all went by the board The con-
troversy over the board of control
place did not cause any i'll feeling. as
it was accepted practically on all hands
that by the action taken there would
be no change in the board until after
the opening of the next legislature.
and this is entirely satisfactory to
most of the members.
In the closing hours of the legsla-
tive session there was a good deal of
stir about the small appropriation bills
and especially those which affect var
ious departments about the state
house. The bill to fix the salaries and
number of clerks, stenographers, etc,
in the various state offices was at
tackled in two places. In the senate
futile effort was made to cut down
the contingent fund of the attorney
general. In the house the bill was
amended cutting out the proposed
raise in the salary Of secretary of the
executive council and the senate ac-
cepted this change. Aside from this
the resolution was as liked by the
committee having charge of this deli-
cate task 1t makes a small increase
in the toal Of expenditures about the
state house.
The bill fixing compensation for the
historical department or rather maxi
ing material changes in the manage
ment of the department. was lost on
the last day. This bill would have in
creased materially the allowance for
the historical department and would
have placed the archives department
under the control of the supreme
court. AS 1t was the archives depart
ment remains in the control of the