Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-06-15
MANY new LAWS
5. SOON EFFECTIVE
TWO HUNDRED ADDITIONS TO
CODE, MAJORITY OF LITTLE
PUBLIC INTEREST.
LICENSE THE AUTO
Horsepower Tax Measure Causes
Considerable Work-Llquor
Laws Are Added.
tn ~


To.
Des Moines, June 12.-New laws to
the number of 200. enacted by the last
Legislature, will become effective in
three weeks. The date is July 4. Then
every measure which did not become
effective as soon as it was published
during the session of the assembly
will become operative.
OF this grist of 200 measures, not
more than twenty are of general pub
lie interest. The others are appropria-
ton measures, legalizing acts, or laws
having to do with technical SUBJECTS or
certain state departments and in
which there is no particular interest.
One measure which becomes effect
i've July and Is causing considerable
stirring around Is the auto license act,
the bill fathered in the legislature by
Representative Kulp of Palo Alto. This
act provides for horse power tax on
motor vehicles, to be In lieu OF ali
other taxation. Cars OF twenty horse
power or less pay So and cars of more
power pay an additional forty cents
Electric cars pay IS and motorcycles
3d. Eighty-five per cent Of the fund
thus created is divided equally among
the counties for good roads purposes.
The other Is per cent is to be used
to defray the expense of the state in
issuing licenses and the like. Every
car In the state must be relicensed
under this act.
Radical Liquor Laws.
Persons who traffic in liquor will get
but little comfort out of the new laws
become effective July 4, affecting
their business.
Under the provisions of the bill re-
quiring county attorneys to secure and
publish the list of federal license hold
ers, energetic "drys' claim they can
close up practically all club and pri-
vate bars. Some apprehension is felt
in wet" circles over this act. The
holding of federal license is con-
sidered evidence of illegal sale of
liquors. With the county attorney In
possession of the full list of federal
license holders, the "drys' claim that
they can force him to prosecute such
holders on pain of being removed from
office under the Cosson law.
Druggists who handle liquor fare
we'll under the one law affecting them.
It is known as the Fletcher act and
permits druggists to fill out the blanks
in the applications for liquor. Under
the existing law the applicant must
fill out the score or more Of blanks
himself. Often errors were made and
druggists convicted Of illegal sale Of
liquor. Now all the applicant has to do
is to sign his name to the blank pre-
pared by the druggist.
AS to courts and criminals there are
several acts of great Importance.
BY the Perkins bill, which privides
for surgical operations to prevent the
procreation of criminals. idiots, i'm
beetles and feeble minded persons, the
state takes long step forward
in the movement to check crime.
The state board of control, the
superintendent of the state insti-
tutions and the surgeons in these
institutions determine when the
operation shall be performed. The
state board Of control is taking steps
now to begin the enforcement of this
act
Quick Court Action.
In the law fathered by Rep. Whitney
OF Woodbury.. quick action in courts
against criminals can be had.
This measure provides that without
the Intervention of the grand jury, the
county attorney can file information
against persons when the crime
charged carries with it fine OF more
than 500 or jail sentence of more
than thirty days. All such informa-
tions filed by the county attorney have
the same weight and effect as indict-
ments.
There are several laws in the num-
Der which are of benefit to cities.
There is the Hamilton law, which
gives cities the right, upon consent Of
a majority Of the voters, to establish
publicity and development bureaus and
| to make special levy to maintain
such bureau.
There is also the smoke nuisance
act, whereby cities Of IS, 900 population
or more can pass ordinances regulat-
ing the emission OF smoke from chin.
neys. Representative Frank Shank
land of Polk county fathered this act.
The airbrake law, secured through
the efforts OF Senator Sullivan OF Polk
county, will cause changes in street
cars in many cities of the state. The
law requires all cars over thirty feet
in length to be equipped with air
brakes and rail sanding devices other
than hand.
A. to School Laws.
Two laws relative to schools are Of
particular interest
One is the act fathered by Represen-
tative Shane Of Wapello and which
permits students living in district
where there is no accredited high
school to attend an accredited high
school in another district and at the
expense Of their home district.
The Senator Cowles bill permitting
the issuance of life certificates to
school teachers becomes effective July
also.
There is but one new law of inter
est to amusement organizations. That
is the law prohibiting the exhibition
of deformed. abnormal or idiotic per-
sons. This law puts the average side