Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1913-04-25
WORK OF ASSEMBLY
IS NOW HISTORY
More Than $50 New Laws are
Created by Iowa Legislation
400 BILLS WERE CONSIDERED
Public Utilities and Tax Commission
Bills Go to DISCRETIONARY
Building at Fair.
(By George Gallarno.)


(By George Gallarno.)
Des Moines, Iowa, April 22.-The
Thirty-ffth general assembly of the
state of Iowa has passed into history.
but it has left record which will
prove in future years its worth to
the state. The session convened the
18th day of January, about week
later than the usual time, and was in
session in all ninety-six days; about
a week longer than has generally
been the record in recent years. In
both houses of the legislature bills
close to the number of 1,400 were in
troduced. Of these the closing hours
| of the session saw $50 enacted into
law. The new laws are practically
evenly divided between bills original
ing in the house and those original
ing in the senate. About one-fourth
Of the new laws created are legaliz-
ing acts, and a good share of the bal
ance are but corrective of former
provisions Of the code. ".
The bills of big nature which got
through were:
Capitol extension law.
Workmen's compensation act.
General reorganization of the COM
mon schools of the state.
Woman suffrage amendment to the
constitution.
Favoring direct election of United
States senators.
| Non-partisan judiciary.
General appropriation bills carry
ing more than d million dollars.
For woman's building at state fair
grounds. -a
The big bills which were killed on
the floor were:
The public utilities measure.
The permanent, tax commission bill.
For appropriation of $250,000 to
build new state Office building.
An effort during the last week Of
the session to provide for an extra
session to be held next December was
killed in the senate. There will be
no extra session unless the same is
called by Governor Clarke, and those
who are close to the chief executive
declare he has no intention of giving
his official sanction to such a move
inert.
State or District. Which?
One of the laws adopted by the as
sembly which will be of more than
usual interes, in a political way is
the bill by Senator Darrah, of Lucas
county, which provides for direct
election of delegates to political con-
ventions and for a popular expression
as to candidates for the nominations
! for president and vice president. An
effort was made to have the new law
declare that the congressional district
should be the unit of representation
at the national political conventions,
but those who favored instruction of
delegates by the vote of the state at
large were able to secure a referen-
dunn amendment to the law. This
means that in 1916, when the presi-
dental primary is held, the voters
will have submitted to them this
question:: "Shall the vote of the
state at large or the vote of the con-
gressional district control?"
Doe Dance Bill Beaten.
Senator Doe lost his fight to pro-
hibit dancing in public schools. AL
though the DILL had been recommend
ed favorably in the senate by the
committee on education, when a
showdown came on the question of
its passage its adherents could mus
ter only 10 votes. The bill not only
sought to prevent dancing in the
schools, but forbid any class or Or
ganization of pupils to give dancing
parties at any place. .."
Municipal League Bill.
The Iowa League of Municipalities
was put practically under the juris-
diction of the municipal accounting
department of the auditor of state by
bill by Whitney of Woodbury.. Orig
inally the bill was drawn only to
classify the various cities and towns
and fix the amount of dues to be paid
to the league, but in the senate an
amendment was attached to it which
provides that the chief clerk of the
municipal accounting department in
the Office of the auditor of state shall
meet with the officers of the league
next September and fix and prescribe
system of accounting and reporting
for it's secretary and treasurer. 1t is
also provided that the annual fnan-
cial report of the league shall be pub
lished in the auditors annual munich
pal accounting report. The cost of
membership in the league, which is
not made compulsory, is fixed as to
population Of cities and towns. Cities
and towns under 1000 population
may pay $40 per year; from 1000 to
10000 population, $40 a year; from
5000 to 10000, $50; from 10000 to
10000, $40; from 10000 to $4,000,