The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1913-04-24
lone OMISSION
| Of LEGISLATURE
AFTER ALL THE FUSS NO LAW ON
STATES WATER POWER.
COMMITTEE CLERK SEES END
State Labor Commissioner Looking
for Woman Factory Inspector
Insurance Companies Protest
ing Blue Sky Law.

Des Moines, April 23.-one of the
omissions of the recent legislature
which Is sensational in nature is the
absolute failure of the assembly to
pass any law whatever to protect the
states risnts in water power sites
and developments.
With all the agitation for the state
to preserve its rights to power of
state streams and it's right to control
transmission of power generated in
the state and on the border streams
to the middle thread of the stream,
the legislature did nothing.
Within a few years, it Is predicted
by many, the state win awaken to a
realization that powerful power
monopoly of water power sites has
arisen and has grown to such a size
as to be beyond public control. With
the rapidly depicting Iowa coal fields
the water power is to be the heart OF
the industrial future. When that
time comes the people will look Back
with condemnation, it Is predicted by
many, at the general assembly that
failed to preserve the peoples rights
by declaring in law the states rights
regarding the opening and develop
ing of power sites.
- - -
The committee clerk has seen her
day in the Iowa legislature, according
to the opinion of members of the Re-
Itrenchment and Reform committee,
which begins its regular work of in
stalling business economics in the
state may 9Th.
The committee clerk system" said
one member of the committee, costs
the state about $25, 900 every legisla-
ture. All this work could be done
with a much smaller corps of stem
ographers and by installing modern
office appliances a great amount of
the present printing bin could be
saved" ..
The committee will probably recon.
mend to the next general assembly
that the committee clerks be entirely
abolished and that IN their stead there
be established for use of House and
Senate department of stenograph-
ers and Office work.
Another matter being given serious
attention Is the suggestion of Lieu
tenant Governor Harding that state
editor be appointed to read the jour
nails of House and Senate, to edit re-
ports of departments, etc. 1t is be-
lieved he could eliminate from annual
reports more than enough surplusage
in printing to pay his salary over
many times.
- :: -
State Labor Commissioner Urick is
looking for a woman-the right kind
of woman. For on July he is to
have in his department Of labor
woman factory inspector and has con.
cluded that the position can be a very
valuable one If the proper woman can
be found to take up Inc work. 4 ne
salary is to be $1,000 per year. He
has no one in mind now, but wants to
get woman who will take an inter
est in the work. 1t is naturally large
ly sociological work. II has been
demonstrated in Minnesota that
woman in the labor department can
do great deal to help the working
class of girls.
-. - -
Governor Clarke will hold a public
hearing on the Thomas Blue Sky
law next Thursday tomorrow to
hear objections of the insurance CON-
pany representatives who have been
swarming into his Office during the
past few days and who have been
deluging him with kilograms urging
him not to sign the bill. They have
so far failed to make public their
chief objection to the measure, but
will De forced into the open Thursday
as the hearing Is to be public. There
was serious objection in the House
to the bill. When all measures were
referred to the sitting committee a
motion was made to except this bill.
That motion was defeated. But the
bill reposed in Speaker Cunningham's
possession and the last day he put it
upon the floor of the House without
committee report and it was passed.
The governor has signed the bill, but
can withdraw his signature. He is
holding il back from the secretary of
state pending the hearing on why 1t
should not become law. 1t is said
that insurance companies who are OPP
posed to IL threaten to test its legal
ity in court il the governor signs ii
on he ground 1t was irreguuarly pass
ed by the House.