Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1913-04-02

lie the department passed the ScHdIe
and almost certainly will get thro'
the house. The county text book uni
formity bill will probably yet be
passed in the house despite the desp-
crate efforts CT the lobby to defeat It..
A bill which passed the house con-
templates a special 7-mill tax levy in
*ies for fire department purposes.
~ is wanted very much by Sioux
~ ID some others in order that
the >oartment may be strength
ened ~ taking too much from
the genei !. There are num-
ber of props 1s not yet considered
for authorizing increase of city tax
levies, since some of the cities that
formerly depended on saloon licenses
are finding it hard to pay their bills.
Among laws to restrain people, the
house passed a few, including one to
forbid treating to intoxicating liq-
uors, another to forbid use of tobac-
co by persons in the schools, and an
other to legalize baseball on Decora-
tion day after o'clock. There was
also the bill to further limit the right
to carry concealed weapons.
The senate passed the bills to start
the probe of vice conditions and prob
ably in due time the house will do the
same but has not done so yet.
The house having reconsidered and
passed the Dixon bill to provide for
state examiners of county accounts,
it will probably pass the senate very
soon.
BY lining up representatives from
counties that already have adopted
uniformity of text books and will not
be effected, friends of compulsory un-
iformity of text books succeeded in
passing the measure on reconsider
a ON with a majority of one vote.
The bill was messaged to the senate
where 1t now is for consideration. If
passed 1t will force about forty-five
counties to accept county uniformity.
that have practically all voted on the
question. and voted it down.
Sitting aommittees have been au-
thorized n both houses and the pro-
|csss - rapi1 sliminatlpn y bilIA WI
soon bee(n,
o. re-co66l do4otion tG 16ae9 b14e-
ed the bill creating . state inspector
Of county oficials and providing un-
iform system Of bookkeeping. 1t also
makes supervisors contracts and pur-
chases subject to state inspection.
A bill has appeared in the house
giving all cities and towns the right
to levy tax and issue bonds for the
construction Of municipal theatres.
In a special message to the legisla-
ture Gov. Clarke suggested the pas
sage of resolution authorizing him
to appoint a commission of three to
go to Europe without expense to the
state to study the application of agri-
cultural methods so successful there
to Iowa. He pointed out that though
worked hundreds Of years the soil in
Germany, Denmark and other coun-
tries is producing more per acre than
Iowa. 1t is intimated he may appoint
James Wilson of Tama, former sec.
retary of agriculture in the presi.
dents cabinet for the head Of the
commission.
The Legislative Retrenchment and
|Reform Committee has drafted bill
providing the creation Of . commits
sion of three members to have charge
of appointing all non-elective depart
ment heads and employees in the state
with the right to discharge at any
time and re-employ and to fix salar-
les.
Sinews Of war for the battle in Iowa
for permanent surfaced country roads
are provided in q bill which was giv
en- consideration by the house COM
mittees on highways Saturday. Ita
provisions:
Permanent road Improvement dis
| tricts, set on by the board OF super
visors, with authority for permanent
roads and assessments Of 40 per cent
of the cost to the property in the dis
trict.
Special assessment for benefits lev
led against property go benefited.
! County tax levy of mills to be
used only for construction Of perma-
ent highways.
State levy tax of mill. levied by
counties, out of which to pay 80 pei
cent of the cost of these roads.
| Provision for bond issues and ant
Iicipation of levies. Permanent road
bonds may be issued by the county to
run for the time of the estimated life
Of the roads to be built.
| In case a county does not make
use of Its funds derived from the
mill state tax within year the mon
ey comes under control of the state
highway commission to be used else
where.
All work to be done under the
standard plans and specifications of
the state highway commission.
The hill was drafted in the Offlce OF