Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1912-11-20


Substitution of Australian ballot
for the present saloon consent pc
tition.
Reform of court procedure.
Extension of capital grounds.
Public utilities law.
Mothers pension law.
I'm the history of the state we
never have had so many important
measures to consider as we will have
this winter" Mr.. Cosson said. "And
if we are to keep pace with our needs
we must get these progressive meas
ures into operation"
Mr.. Cosson pointed out that the
republican party is bound by its plat
form to take action at once. For
this reason he believes that the as
sembly will not only have much i'm
portant work before it, but that it
will get the results wanted.
There must be a change in the
Jail and prison SYSTEM he said
THE republicans were first to de-
mand it in their party platforms last
summer. The other parties then de-
manded it, too. We must find some
thing for the prisoners to do and
We must provide a decent place to
keep them
The suffrage question is coming
up again this year. l would not be
surprised to see it pass. The repub-
lican party declared for it and l be-
lieve the state is ready to accept it,"
In view of the present situation
in Des Moines as result of the
transfers strike Mr.. Cosson believes
that the legislature will take a hand
and pass law that will provide for
an arbitration commission to settle
disputes between capital and labor
Such laws have worked successfully
in Canada and the attorney general
believes the same would be true In
Iowa. Under such a law the team
sters' strike would have been settled
long ago, he said.
THE changes in the school laws
will be of more Importance than it
first was thought they would be,
the attorney general declared. The
legislature in all probability will de-
termine just how much power is YES
ted in the state board of education.
The question of making changes in
the state institutions undoubtedly
will be threshed out by the legisla-
ture.
In connection with school laws
are those providing means for OBJ
tanning good roads. The two must
come together. The better the roads
the easier it will be to centralize the
schools and the easier it will be to
provide modern buildings for rural
The changes that have been rec
commended in the rural schools so
far as the courses of study are con-
cerned are the substitution of do
nestle science, manual training and
agriculture for some studies that are
only preparation for advanced col
lege work.
1T is certain that workingmen's
act will be passed this
winter" Mr.. Cosson said. The spe-
cial commission has made its report
fayoring one and the governor no
doubt will recommend bill. There
is a general demand for such a bill
and it must come.
"A public utilities bill and a
change in the tax laws seem prob
able. / favor a direct inheritance
tax and shall do all l can to see that
such bill gets before the general
l believe that the moth
ers' pension bill will be favorably re-
ceived too.
THE republican party is commit
ted on so many of these measures
that it seems only reasonable to ex-
pect that the legislature will pass a
large number of progressive meas
ures. Certainly this one will have
an opportunity to do much that is
by all of the political par
ties"
Many minor bills will be before
the legislature. Every commission
will have recommendations of some
sort to make. The pharmacy COM