Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1913-02-27
MANY MEASURES
BEFORE ASSEMBLY
VERY FEW OF $500 BILLS INTRO
DUcEo HAVE RECEIVED
FINAL ACTION.
ONLY THREE WEEKS LEFT
Steering Committee to Be Appointed
to Keep Track of important
Bills In Legislature and Give
Them Precedence.

Jefferson City.-The legislature will
have to hustle if 1t expects to pass
many bills during the remainder Of
the session. Only 25 days of the 75-
day session remain, and very few bills
Of any importance have been passed,
with the exception of appropriation
measures.
1t looks very much like a repetition
IF the feat Of two years ago, when 1877
bills were passed in one day, will
have to be resorted to at the close OF
the session.
Nearly 1900 bills have been intro
auced, and 1t is conceded that bills
introduced from now on stand little
Or no chance Of becoming laws unless
they are of such vital importance as
to be given precedence over every
thing else.
The house engrossed the bill Great.
ing a state board of pardons and pa
roles, an administration measure. This
proposes a systematic handling of all
paroles to the end that men capable
Of reformation may be removed from
heir prison environments.
Senators are disturbed by the near
approach of a test of strength upon
he county unit bill, the last hearing
IN which was held by the committee
IN criminal jurisprudence Wednesday
night. Polls of the senate indicate
that the vote will be very close, but
he friends of the measure hope to be
lble to pass 1t.
The very drys" are not numerically
strong in the senate. Out of the total
membership of "a only four are
classed as "water-wagon statesmen"
If the legislature passes the bill, ad-
vocates of the license forces say they
will submit the law by referendum
10 the people for their ratification
Or rejection at the next election. The
submission would suspend the opera
lion of the law until the vote is taken.
The house refused to reconsider a
measure recommended by the state
superintendent Of public schools, Supt.
Blewitt of the st. Louis public schools,
W. F. Houston, chancellor of Wash
lngton university, and other school
men providing for the creation of a
commission to investigate rural
schools and to suggest means for i'm
proving them. This bill was strongly
urged by Gov. Major in his inaugural
message to the legislature.
The joint resolution r~atifying the
amendment to the federal constitu-
lion providing for the direct election
of United States senators, was report
ed favorably from the senate commit
tee on elections Thursday. This meas
ure passed the house with only one
dissenting vote, that being cast by
Representative Cooper, a Republican.
The food of bills into the legisla-
ture hopper has largely abated, the
members believing that belated meas
ures will have little chance Of pass
ing. A steering committee probably
will be appointed this week to keep
track of important bills and give them
precedence in printing and considera-
ton over those of minor import.
The house, which is dry by a large
majority, killed Wednesday an anti
treating bill. This measure provided
4 penalty ranging from S. to $25 for
each offense. Some effort was made
to amend the bill to apply only to in
~toxicants, but this amendment also
was rejected.
Perhaps the two most important
general subjects with which the leg
l~slature feels it must take action are
education and good roads. These
problems are being wrestled with
light and day, and decisions made
to concentrate on specific plans of
legislation.