Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1913-01-22
Attorney General in Annual Report
Advises Many Revisions.
IMPROVEMENTS RECOMMENDED
IN OUR COURT PROCEDURE
Advises Abolition of Justice Courts
Change i'm Jail and Penitentiary
System, New Antitrust
Law, Etc.

annual report Just issued, makes
many recommendation to the legis-
lature concerning matters which
come under his supervision and eff
feet every resident of the state. They
comprise some radical changes from
present day methods, and yet are a
long step in the direction of simpli-
flying and systematizing public work
plish as far as possible. The recon-
mendations are as follows:
/. The passage of law similar to
the law of Wisconsin and England
providing that no judgment shall be
reversed or set aside or new trial
granted in any action or proceeding
civil or criminal, on the ground OF
misdirection of the jury or the i'm.
proper admission of evidence, or for
error as to any matter of pleading
or procedure, unless in the opinion
of the court to which the applica-
ton is made, after an examination
of the entire action or proceeding
it shall affirmatively appear that the
error complained of has affected the
substantial rights of the party seek
ing to reverse or set aside the judg-
ment or to secure a new trial.
2. A law similar to that of Eng
land and Massachusetts, providing
that when insanity is urged as de-
Tense in any criminal case that the
jury shall bring in a special verdict
showing as to whether the defend
ant committed the offense, as to his
insanity, and providing for his de-
tention for life in hospital, unless
released by the executive authority
or proper tribunal.
A. A provision in our law similar
to the law of England, giving the su-
preme court the power of substitu-
ton of sentence in the event that the
evidence shows the defendant was
guilty of crime of the general nat
ure of that charged in the indict
ment and distinguishable only by sta
tutory refinement.
s. An amendment to the law
whereby the county attorney may
comment upon the attitude of the
defendant in the event that the de
PENDANT does not become a witness
in his own behalf.
g. Limit the time of appeals in
criminal cases to three months.
z. The indeterminate sentence Law
for felons and limited indetermin.
ate sentence law for misdemeanants
s. The abolition of justice courts
in the city and provision for NUM-
cipal courts and an amendment tC
the constitution giving municipal
courts power to infiict sentence for q
period of at least one year in work
house or district farm.
9. A fundamental change in the
jail and penitentiary system in &C,
cordance with the report Of the com.
mittee appointed to Investigate con-
ditions at Fort Madison, filed with
the governor on the 25th day of May
1912.
10. An amendment to our anti
trust laws by the passage of bill
similar to the Miller bill introduced
in the thirty-fourth general assem-.
bly,, and the Stipe bill, for the pur-
pose of securing evidence, and the
Cunningham bill relating to unfair
discrimination or the Stipe bill for
the same purpose.
IL. A law prohibiting the carry,
ing of revolvers or other dangerous
weapons concealed except by a per-
son who holds license from the
proper tribunal upon the giving OF
bond, violation of which is made
an indictable offense.
IL. A special agent to secure evil
dence in cases similar to the Willis.
ca tragedy and evidence of violations
of the trust laws and other viola
tons of law, with the same power as
peace officers to make arrests.
13. Sufficient funds to gather data
for the trial of the rate cases now
pending in the United States circuit
court of appeals.
IA. A provision made for "a physi-
cal valuation of the trunk line rail
ways of the state.
Is. The non-partisan election OF
supervisors at large, requiring them
to give their entire attention to the
business of the county.
16. The non-partisan election OF
the judiciary.
II. The passage of a workmen' S
compensation act and blue sky law
prohibiting the sale of fraudulent
stocks and bonds.
IS. A recognition in the medical
practice act of chiropractors with a