Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1911-04-20
Political.

Political.
It was q record breaker In many
ways and will long be remembered
for the long political fight on senator
which lasted up to the hour of adj
journment which elected w. s. Ken
yon on the sixty-seventh ballot TO
the United States senate to I'LL the
vacancy caused by the death OF the
Hon. J. p. Dolliver. About eleven
hundred bills were offered, many Of
which were killed.
Financial.
The session Just closed appropriate
ed nearly two million dollars for state
use and for claims and indemnities.
By reason of the transfer of the
auto tax from the general revenue
fund to the road fund and the trans
fer OF portion Of the hunters II
cense fund, 1t may be necessary for
the executive council, when II makes
the next levy for the state to In
crease the tax levy q trife. The
chairmen Of the two appropriation
| committees, Mates In the senate and
Moore in the house have cut down
every appropriation to It's limit. State
institutions have received an In
crease In per capita allowances for
| the inmates and these and other mat
ters may tend to an increase in the
tax levy.
Taxation.
Taxation has had q hard row to
hoe during this legislature. The big
work done by the legislature along
| this line has been the passing of two
4 ~
the killing of two bills on the same
subject. OF the tax bills passed 1t Is
toss up whether the repeal Of the
and credits bill Ia the more import
| ant. Early in the session a bill pro-
hibiting contracts with tax ferrets by
| counties was passed. 1t does not af.
| feet existing contracts. The monies
and credits bill provides for fat
| I've min limit on monies and credits.
Two important bills were killed.
| One provided for the creation Of a
permanent tax commission to take
over all work pertaining to the levy
| ing OF taxes in the state. The other
provided for a legislative tax COM
! mission to recommend to the next
/ general assembly new system Of
| taxation for the state. The terminal
| tax bill met its usual fate and died
before 1t got well matured.
Educational.
Education has received proper and
| considerable notice at the hands OF
| this legislature. Three measures OF
vital importance affecting the educa-
/ tional interests of the state have
passed and gone to Governor Carroll
| for his signature. The first of these
Is the Shane bill providing for free
tuition In accredited high schools, to
the pupils in rural schools which do
not have high school facilities and
courses. The district pays the bill.
The second of these Is the Adams
bill, providing an appropriation of
$500 for one normal training course
In each county of the state, this
course to be part of the regular work
of one high school in each county.
The third of the educational bills Is
that which provides for the valida-
ton for life of teachers certificates.
II affects first, second and third grade
certificates.
Good Roads Laws.
In the field Of roads much has been
done and much has been killed. The
Cunningham compulsory dragging
law has been passed which means
much to the good roads movement
in Iowa. The Kulp auto tax bill
taking So per cent of the taxes from
automobiles and putting them In the
good roads fund, Is also a step to-
wards giving the state better roads.
The third OF the good roads bills,
provides for a two-mill levy, by coun-
ty supervisors. for the creation of
county road fund to be spent by the
supervisors for good roads. Two I'M
portant road bills were killed. The
Whitney bill, which completely re-
wrote the road, drag, bush weed aud
hedge laws of the state, provided for
a poll tax for good roads work and a
school of instruction for good road
making, was killed. With 1t was kill
ed the Fourt bill watch created the
office of state highway engineer, the
state highway board and provides for
state aid in building county good
roads. The Whitney bill also carried
with 1t convict labor on roads, All in
all eighteen bills affecting good roads
were introduced and OF these three
have been passed.
Cities and Towns.
From the standpoint Of municipaIi-
ties considerable good legislation has
been passed. This includes the mon
les and credits tax and the fire mar
shall bills. considered elsewhere. The
most important bill outside of these
was that defining switching limits
within a city or town. 1t means
much to urban development.
Public Health.
The most important public health
measure passed Is the Perkins unsex-
ing bill. This Is also the most radi-
cal health measure adopted In Iowa
In years. 1t provides for an opera
ton known as vasectomy to be per-
formed on certain classes of inmates
in public institutions. II prevents
procreation by those on whom the
operation is performed. An antitoxin
department for cheap antitoxin has
been created.
One thing stands out prominently.
and that Is that at no time has any
measure been passed or defeated on
strictly party vote except the cleo
ton of United States senator. Part
isan legislation, SO far as the two
major parties are concerned, has
been entirely eliminated from the
Thirty.fourth general assembly.
The five big events in the Thirty
fourth general assembly we're namely,
the Dolliver memorial. March 18th.