Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-03-14
Moral and INDUSTRIAL Investigation,

Senator Balkema from the committee
on highways has presented a highway
bill covering all the ground Of the bill
which was introduced last week, Tor a
complete system Of administration OF
the road making laws Of the state
but with some features. added by the
committee on their own motion. This
is but carrying out the plans laid be-
fore by the committee. since there was
general recognition thar the fact that
the highway bills are not yet perfected.
The main feature in the last bill is that
of giving to the highway commission
the power and authority to compel the
enforcement Of the law in every part OF
the state. giving it general supervision
and direction ever all the work being
done. with authority to proceed go as
to really force all local bodies to obey
and observe the law. The commission
is specifically given authority to termi-
nate the services Of any county en-
gineer found to be failing to do MS
duty. All these things were in the for
mer bill. according to most of the mem
bers. but there seemed to be some
doubt about it in certain circles ana
they were made more specific. In adj
dit!on there has been a careful re-writ-
ing of the bill from a legal standpoint
to make sure that it will have no loop
holes.
The public Utilities bill is to be taken
UP by the full committee next TUESDAY,
according to present program. me OH!
as originally drawn will be materially
amended and strengthened. There IS
hope that it may he got into such con-
dition that it will be acceptable.
The senate committee on banks will
today take up the blue sky bills" in
troduced on the first day OF the session.
There has been on the part CT the
members a good deal of a disposition
TO sh; at these bills. AT first they
seemed to be just the thing, but the
members have investigated and no"
fear that 1t is going to be very hard
matter to frame up bill that viii get
at the evil and do no harm to any m
nocent person. The South Dakota Dill
which has recently been passed is IN
the hands of the members of the COM
mistee and is said to be a very GOOD
measure 1t may be used as the frame
work of new bill.
Another conference was held yester-
day with the governor in the matter OF
the plans for the enlargement OF Tue
state capitol grounds and provision lof
the erection Of a state office building.
informant having reached the tenn
perance people that the saloon man
OF Des Moines plan to circulate ne"
petition OF consent based on the Note
a, the school election and to claim that
the school election is the last preced-
ing election referred TO in the code
recalls the fact that two years ago
bill was lost in the last. days Which
amended the law so as TO make II spe-
cific as to what election is meant. a
similar bill is now being prepared
which will provide that a petition o.
consent must be based on city or
general election.
Senator Larrabee is father of bill
to repeal a law that is several hundred
Years otas It@is the law which gives
| the right of, defendant III g. damage
| suit for personal injuries to plead that
the injured person on taking the en-
pIoyment assumed the risk OF the em-
ployment.'' This is the old common
law doctrine of assumption OF risk
which forms one of the fea lures OF
almost every personal injury damage
case. Senator Larrabee would repeal
it so far as it relates to railroad dam
age cases.
Senator Perkins has introduced bill!
to forbid a saloonkeeper selling liquor
to one who desires to resell the same.
The bill which contemplates state aid
| for those schools in the country Whefe
consolidation has been effected and
! certain high standards are maintained
| very modest compensation but suifi-
| cient to give some encoura cement, mas
had peculiar experience in the house.
/ 1t is now on the calendar ready Tor
action. but with committee report 1or
indefinite postponement and with IL a
minority report for passage signed by
a majority Of the members of the ap-
preparations com mittee. There are
| twenty-four signatures to the minor
! ity" report. which suggests that when
! the bill was reported for slaughter
there could not have been a very large
/ attendance at the committee meet
! ing. @rea
! The headlight bill of Senator Nc
| Coll went thru the house without a
dissenting vote and it had only two
/ votes against it in the senate. The
bill will therefore soon become a law.
1t practically requires an electric head
! light on every locomotive on the man
lines of travel
The house has passed the bill to per-
nit the nomination in Polk county al
the primary of the candidates OF the
parties for judges. There has been
complaint about the present situation
in this county because. Of the fact that
frequently the county convention which
may have important duties to perform
has been selected largely with refer
ence to the candidates for judge. 1t is
to get away from this that the peops