The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-03-27
LEGISLATIVE LETTER.

funds, for proposed purchases of
prison farms, additional capitol
grounds, epileptic colonies, etc, the
Appropriations Committee are Sug-
costing that special millage taxes be
provided in these measures, so they
will not be a drain on the general
revenue fund.
The five mile limit bill, which
would abolish saloons in Iowa City,
home of the State University, passed
the House and is now in the Senate.
There is strong sentiment in favor
of making the university city clean.
The teachers pension bill passed
the Senate, but was side tracked in
the House by being sent to the APP
preparations Committee. This pro-
posed to pension school teachers
from a fund created by a general
millage tax. In the Senate Schrup
of Dubuque warned members that If
they started old age pensions from
tax on the thrifty property owners
of the state it would be but a few
years until all the labor organizations
would ask old age pensions on SIM
liar basis and the general tax would
be greatly increased.
farmer constituents are highly in
dignant at the Wallace Farmer edi
torial which intimates that the farm
ers of Iowa are incompetent OF Judg-
ing their own needs and to be given
little consideration when they send
petitions to their representatives
concerning proposed laws. The con-
census Of opinion among legislators
is that there is no more Intelligent
class in Iowa than the farmers.
Persistent supporters of the pro-
posed expensive ''Permanent Tax
Commission" baft,ed On every side
by unanswerable arguments have
the past few days been attempting to
contend the Executive Council, the
present taxation board has not time
for the work. This has been denied
by Auditor of State Bleakley. Secre-
tary OF State Allen and others. They
are members of the Board.
The House has passed the Stipe
bill to prohibit discrimination on the
sale price of commodities as between
communities and towns.
The resolution introduced by Lund
for an investigation of the opposition
to the Craig compulsory uniformity
OF text books bill has never been
called up. Development of the fact
that book companies were RESPONSE
bic for the Introduction of the bill,
is said to be the cause of the sudden
loss Of interest in an Investigation by
supporters of the measure.
The Senate has passed the Thomas
bill fixing the minimum wage for
school teachers as follows: Third
class certificates $3.50 to $3.50;
second grade certificates S4l.25 to
$4S.40 and those holding first grade
from S5l.0O to $4,000.
The Senate has passed the Good
Roads Bill' practically as reported
by the committee An amendment
by Senator Allen to require county
engineers to be approved by the state
board before appointed was defeated.
Several other amendments were also
voted down.
There will be no senatorial re-dis--
tricting. Representative Hutchins
withdrew his bill in the House.
The House passed the joint reso-
luton to amend the Constitution to
provide for the Initiative and Refer
endum. The resolution provides the
constitution may be amended on in
itiative Of the people and passage of
the amendment by two elections, re-
gardless of legislative action. The
present method is that an amend
ment must pass two legislatures and
be passed at a general election. The
proposed Initiative and Referendum.
resolution will have to run this
course before it becomes effective.
The Senate passed the Quigley bill
absolutely closing the hunting season.
on quail.
The House has passed a bill to
create a state detective to prosecute
crimes. He may, by the terms OF the
bill, call on all sheriffs, and peace
officers for assistance.
The Terminal Tax" bill is being
urged by legislative members for the
city. This is the measure that has
come up for several sessions, design
ed to give the cities a greater share
of the railroad valuations for taxa
ton 1t will probably be voted upon
by the legislature some time this
week.
The Senate passed the Jones bill
which provides that mayors in small
err towns, who have accepted the po-
sition to give merely their executive
ability to the town, may appoint
Justice of the Peace to try violations
of the town or city ordinances.
If the House passes the measure
adopted by the Senate, cities of the
second class wilLhereafter have Eheir
city attorney appointed by the coun-
Gil instead of elected by the people.
The Blackford bill, designed to
permit districts to elect their own
members to the State Agricultural
Board, was defeated by the house.
With but one dissenting vote the
House passed a bill which puts the
present board of health out Of Office,
and instead of the present eight fee
officers provides board of five mem
bers on a $1,000 yearly salary, no
more than three of whom shall ne
long to the same political party, and,
no more than two of whom shall be-
long to the same school of medicine.
The bill to provide for holding the
state fair two weeks in Des Moines,
was defeated.
With legislation the chief subject