Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-03-10
SECOND ROADS Bill
READY 1O REPORT
MILEAGE TAX MEASURE Is THE
MOST IMPORTANT OF
ALL
REAL PROBLEM OF ROADS
Is TO SECURE MONEY
Measure Agreed Upon in Committee
Certain to Be Amended Regarding
Pay Of Highway Commission and in
Other Features-Zeal in Pushing Tax
Lobby Investigation.
Specia! to Iimes-Republican.

Specia! to Iimes-RepublicaI
Dies Moines. March Io-In a day or
two the second Of the bills for good
roads will be presented the Legislature
by the committee. This will be the bill
for a milage tax Much work has been
done to get this in excellent shape be-
fore it is brought out.
The members OF the committee re-
gard this as by far the most important
OF the bills. The real problem IN 1e-
gard to good roads, said one OF the
members. as the problem Of how TO get
the money TO build them. We have road
experts who are going to be able to ;eil
us about road materials and road con-
structton. when we get the commission
organized. but over and beyond that IS
the one great question of how 10 get
the cash TO pay for the work to be done
II is easy enough TO offer advice about
just going to work with concrete ana
gravel and brick and make the roads:
but somebody must pay for the roads"
Now that the bill. which might be
called the administration highway
bill. has been before the full member
ship for over week. and most OF them
have had opportunity to consult with
The farmers and small property owners
about It, an effort will be made this
week to find out II it can be passed. II
is certain that the bill will be amended
on the floor. in fact that is just what
has been planned by those in charge of
the bill. since ii was known TO be i'm
possible to reconcile all differences by
committee agreements.
There will be offered on the floor
amendments affecting the pay Of the
members Of the commission. some in
sisting that they should be we'll paid
and others that they should no. be paid
a all.
It is known that members IRE ready
to make fight to take the commission
entirely away from all connection with
the college. The feature Of so organ
izing the commission that it will have
its actual headquarters at Ames rather
than in Des Moines is very obnoxious
to certain large interests and much po-
htical pressure will be exerted to have
this changed. Already there is much
talk by the lobby to the effec. that it is
not advisable TO have an engineer on
the commission. since the commission
will be authorized to employ an en-
gineer. This is regarded as first step
toward making the commission purely
political in character.
There Will be amendments offered to
affect the status Of the engineers who
are expected TO work for and in mar
mony with the county authorities ard
an effort TO have them selected by the
commission. Against this it will be
urged that there is great danger of
counties who are not wanted.
The administration highway bill is
on the calendar IN each house and may
be taken up ct any time now. Since It's
distribution in printed form to the tax
payers not petition has been received
advising its defeat.
The unique experience OF a
committee meeting gatherd about
the desk OF senator was seen
Saturday afternoon. Senator Fran
els, whose illness kept him
from work during half the session, has
a reclining wheel chair al his desk.
which gives him some measure Of COM
fort from the twitchings Of disturbed
nerve running from hip to toe. That
he might participate, the committee on
prisons ana penitentiaries gathered
about his desk, and at the suggestion
Of Governor Clarke took up and dis
cussed the various bills to effect prison
reform in Iowa, a subject very dear TO
the heart OF the governor and ON " iIiCn
he has expended considerable thought
There was an interesting discussion Of
the subject on the senate floor by mem
hers of the committee and others. In
the meantime Chairman Lounsberfy
had called his corresponding commit
tee together on the other side and 1t
rad been decided he should recommend
at once the passage Of two of the bills
enc to abolish the contract labor and
the other to appropriate money to
equip shops at the prison and reform
atory SO that the men may be kept at
work. There is no doubt, either, that
committees will recomm end the bill to
establish a state custodial farm, and
possibly the bill for district custodial
farms.
The bill to reorganize the state
board of health has been recommended
to the house for adoption. It would
create board OF i've members on SAL
airy to handle the entire health business
of the state. II is certain that the re-
port of the committee on retrenchment
and reform will indicate that the pres
eiir system fer the board OF health is
not the best that could be devised. Con-
ditions are better than they have been.
but the perdiem plan Of having doctors
take charge Of the health work is de-
clared to be not satisfactory. Under
the reorganization plan the board
would be able to extend Its activities
and usefulness in the line Of preventive
medicine, sanitation, quarantine and
education OF the people.
The committee on retrenchment and
eeform is showing great deal OF zeal
in probing into the origin and charac-
ter Of the fight that is being made upon
the tax reform measures and on Friday
and Saturday called before ii a number
Of witnesses who told Of what. they