The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1913-04-24
SESSION OVER
! MEMBERS HOME
THIRTY FIFTH GENERAL ASSEM-.
BLY, COMES TO A CLOSE. !.
NEW CONDITIONS MUST Be MET
Radical Reorganization in Many De.
partments After July A. Many
Changes Were Made in the
Insurance Laws Of State.

1--WE session Is over ana the eXecu-
tive and judicial departments of state
awakened this morning to a realiza.
ton that they are lace to face with
a necessity for radical reorganization
Most of the reorganization laws do
not become effective until July and
in the meantime breathing spell is
given to plan how to meet new con-
ditions. .s-
The State Board of Health is to be
completely recognized, the present
board having been entirely wiped out
and new methods and regulations
adopted.
The department of State Superin.
tentent of Instruction with the num-
erous new school laws and added Off
Gals will be entirely reorganized.
The Auditor of State has been re-
lieved of the Insurance business,
which will be organized under a sep
arate department july 4.
new member has been added to
the supreme court and in July a radi.
cal change will be made in the meth.
cd of operation. The chief justice Is
to sit as a mediator and the court di.
yided into two divisions of four MEM
bers each, one branch hearing argu.
ments while the other considers cases
and change about, so that cases will
be given consideration at the same
/ time others are being argued
The State Executive Council finds
put upon 1t the responsibility of ascer-
ttaining true taxable values, which
means that system of ascertaining
| the ad valorom valuation of corpora
ton property will be commenced.
The Board OF Control awakens to
the fact that on top of the 100000
appropriated from the general fund
| for support of state institutions in
which there is now population OF
:, 200 people, the legislature provided
a millage tax that will bring $1,000
900 to them to expend in providing a
new epileptic colony, woman's reform
atory and prison custodial farm.
All state officers find that under a
bill passed by the legislature they
must turn in their daily balances of
money to the state treasurer every
might, They contend in many in.
stances this will require additional
4, clerical work. The retrenchment and
reform committee, continued in power,
twas given $4,000 In the appropria.
ton budget for use in hiring such ad.
tditional help as may be necessary In
1.-THE different departments. This com.
lmittee has by the Legislature been
given authority to direct rules for the
different departments. One of these,
| It is said, will have to register every
hour what he or she has been doing
with that hour ~
| a TO "a
official Saturday passed through his
main office and taking his watch from
this pocket said to his head deputy,
l" 81 am going TO the barber shop to get
shaved"
While there were fewer bills passed
under the classification of insurance
than any other subject in the Iowa
just adjourned, there was
some important legislation along this
! line, the most important Iowa has
probably ever known
In the first place a separate insur.
ance department was provided to be-
gin in 1916 and this was needed in
the face of the fact that the real es-
tate mortgages put up by insurance
companies of the state have filed the
safe in the auditor or states office
Ito its capacity. Iowa is the third
largest insurance state in the union,
yet twenty-seven others have preced.
| ed 1t with departments devoted ex.
clusively to this phase of business.
THE bill went through by a bare ma
jority in the House, having fifty.fiye
votes. Already there is gossip con-
corning the head of this new depart
ment. The insurance interests of the
state, who are most vitality concerned,
will, 1t is stated, insist that a man be
placed at the head of this department
who is thoroughly versed in every
phase of the insurance business
Another important measure that
slipped through after the clock had
been stopped a few minutes before
the adjournment time was the Thorn
as blue sky" law, which makes the
sale Of wild cat" insurance absolute.
| ly impossible in Iowa.
| The passage of the Workingmen's
Compensation bill, which while of
primary interest TO labor has big in
terest in insurance fields, as it neces-
Estates employers who are to be liza
BILE to insure themselves against the
statutory liability. The state insur-
ance feature was strongly opposed by
the insurance interests and was de.
feated. The present law leaves big
Held to insurance companies.
The right to write casualty insur-
ance for automobile drivers opens an
lother big field in Iowa. This means
that an automobile owner and driver
may insure himself against Judgment
for damages by running into and in.
juring or killing any person or ami
mai. There was considerable argu.
ment that such a bill would tend to
create carelessness on the part of
drivers. 1t was insisted by insurance
companies that II would not. The re-
suit remains to develop.
One measure, favored by fire insur-
ance companies strongly. was defeat.
ed. This was to require companies TO
file a schedule of rates with the audi
tor of state and maintain them. This
would have resulted In all rates be.
ing made public and have the result
lof all companies fixing the same rates
liz is claimed II would have invalidat
ed the operation of the Blanchard law,
which prohibits pools on rates. Il was
|claimed, so the bill was defeated.
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