Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1913-03-21
Legislators Return From Spring
Vacation and Renew Their Ac.
tivities Suffrage Question
in the Senate School
Question Compromised.
EIGHTEEN MEASURES ARE LAW
(By George Gallarno.)


10 o'clock today, after a recess since
Wednesday Of last week. In the SEN
ate the first act of the members was
to take up for consideration the
Bruce constitutional amendment res
olution providing for the submission
of the question of woman suffrage to
the voters Of the state in the form
Of an amendment to the state con-
stitution. Senator Joseph Allen Of
Pocahontas county was the leader of
those favoring the Bruce measure,
which has already passed the house
by nearly unanimous vote. Sena-
tor Allen is good fighter and it has
been only through his qualities as a
general in debate and in parliament
airy tactics that the resolution was
placed on the senate calendar. An
effort was made to throttle it after
the senate had adopted the Chase
resolution, which provides that at
the next general election of the state
the women may have an opportunity
to vote on the question of whether
they desire to have the ballot or not.
Senator Allen contends that the re-
publican party in its last state plat
form declared for woman suffrage
and if the party would not stultify
itself its members in the legislature
must carry out that pledge. So.
Compromise School Measure.
It appears possible that an ami
cable settlement of the trouble with
the state board Of education may
have been reached by the legislature
in the adoption Of the bill fathered
by Representative Klay of Sioux
county. The bill which passed the
house after a discussion Of several
hours with only ten votes in the neg
alive provides that the schools shall
remain intact as they were in Sep
TENDER of last year, before the board
ordered the changes which would
have transferred the engineering
school from Iowa City to Ames, the
domestic science department from
Ames to Iowa City, and would cut
off two years of the university course
of study at Cedar Falls. The action
If the board on this proposition has
been repudiated and the Klay bill,
as amended, provides that no chang
es of these courses can be made in
the future from one school to an
other unless ordered by vote of
seven members Of the educational
board. Representative Klay in his
original bill fixed absolutely the
standard Of the schools, but was per-
suaded to make the concession as to
vote Of seven members being req.
uisite to make change, on the in
formation that only by so doing
could he be assured of fair sailing
for the measure in the senate. The
friends Of the board and it's enemies
are alike claiming a victory in the
Klay bill. The real fight Of the
schools on the board will come before
Governor Clarke if the bill is sent to
him and approved. During the next
few months the governor will have
the naming Of at least four members
of the educational board, and much
pressure undoubtedly will be brought
to see that only friends Of the diff
ferent schools as they now stand
shall be named.
Bills Near Limit.
Though there is no limit by law
that can be placed on the number Of
bills which can be introduced during
session of the Legislature, the num-
Der for several sessions has hung
close about the 1000 mark. If that
number is not to be exceeded during
the present session the members will
have to begin taking a reef in their
"Be it enacted sails pretty soon. Up
to date the house has had presented
to it for consideration 5O4 bills and
half a dozen joint and concurrent
resolutions, while the senate, with
343 bills, has nearly the same num-
Der of resolutions to consider. This
makes total of SAT bills in the two
houses. A number will undoubtedly
be rushed into each house this week
and by the middle of March the 1000
mark will have been reached. Prob
ably 200 of the number will be en-
acted into law. ".
Session May Be Long One.
Though the general impression has
been that the legislative session
would adjourn about the 18th or 18th
Of April, since coming back from
their vacation many members are
talking of a May 1st adjournment.
That would mean a session lasting
1O7 days, or longer than any assem-
bly, Of Iowa has been in session in
many years. The law does not fix
the length of the legislative session,
but it has generally been from sixty
to ninety days.
Committee To Get Busy.
Senator Mates, who has been
made chairman of the committee on
of intemperance in the
senate, in place of the late Senator
Gates of Butler county, and who was
taken to task in the senate by Doe