Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-10-17
GATHERED BY THE WAYsIDE
rBy Ora Williams. !

IBy Ora Wiliams.i
Des Moines. Oct 11.-Betore the ma
tional convention of attorney generals
in the city of Washington. on next
Monday Henry r.. sampson. special
counsel in the attorney generals office.
will present a paper on workmen $
compensation legislation. 1t is COM
pliment to Iowa that the invitation
should come that out III this state
there might be presented 10 the nation
the last word in this growing subject.
| MIR. Sampson has gone deep into the
subject because he was the member or
the attorney generals staff assigned to
handle this business, and consequently
he went to the bottom Of every ques-
ton presented. From legal stand
point. ii was not easy 10 ind prece-
! dents To guide in determination OF
many questions, The courts have never
done Very much constituting phases OF
( the workmens compensation laws.
They are TOO new for that Sut a con-
! siderable literature is being made right
now On the subject. There is a jour
I nal printed In Michigan .lev voted wholly
/ 10 The subject. Some OF the insurance
journals are giving ii special cens!d-
Grafton. \ good many states now have
laws on the subject and others are
headed that way. Because II This fact
iher5 was desire 70 have presented
- the attorney generals Sei.eral view
uf the subject and Mr. sampson VIII
do SO, ii suggests also. that in
great many states Of the union this
subject is gong 10 occupy ne atten-
iicn ~ legislators the coming winter.
Il i certain tn he . prominent feature
of legislation IN Iowa-and We; j, is not
being discussed as enc ot 5he things
Before the legislature.
TIE reference ;o workm"u'S conlpeH-
Sation - d legislative ionia i = re
l.inder that very rarely doeS a lesisla-
.ure come s,luaTely up u .,aV big topic
as ne result O. Intelligent public agi-
yatiom q: the same. All new things
cone because just i lew iiaSe the vis-
lon II >ee the ceSsity FOR a forward
step But there are mum Der Of things
that are certain 10 occupy pron!nen.
places N the legislative program If
mex; winter, and among them these
Proposal for creation Y , puhlic ser
Vice commission 70 handle the question
Is. franchises ana service is the cities
and towns u the state. Already the
lines are forming for = decisive battle
III THIS question ana The corporations
are seeing 70 il that tneir friends are
U saVe ..o,st seats il possible
Giving power to somebody IN some
VA 70 perform the wora tina; properly
appe.tzins - 3 tax comm ission in
he matter u investigating and re-
porting or all matters relating To uni-
form taxation: and an et.or: again TO
rnoderuize the ant.qu2Jed Iowa system,
~ -ax-,fr,,
The prison and convict labor prob
lem. with rela ton 10 establishment ot
industries ard modern methods Of
handling prisons and including the
parole and indeterminate sentence i
law
At effort TO abolish the safe board ,
Of health and similar boards.
The report Of the retrenchment and /
reform committee on plans FOR greater
economy II state adminis:ra ion. /
These are just few Of the things I
that are looming Up big before the
legislature, Il is a matter OF history /
and OF record that the last general as
sembly OF Iowa completed the most
notable program OF advancement il
the direction OF ali educational and So
clal reforms IN all history. l: was
aptly said al the time, and not dis /
puted, that the most extensive social I
program had been carried out known |
among the states. Iowa stands very
much higher among the states for ,
VIVA. was done the last .me But q /
goodly number OF those who were IN /
the legislature realized now Imperfect
was the wore and what a East amount /
remains TO be done They VIII come /
back prepared for 3 hard session :
WORK
incidentally and in this connection |
the next legislature is going 20 be IN
lsally fortunate There are two things I.
that VIII contribute greatly 10 ses-
sion Of good WORK i progressive men (
are able 20 guide the legislature.
The drsi Is the fact that the ne@ ;
code supplement is going 20 be real
putting together OF the Legislation en-
acted since the adoption az ;hs code 4
O. 1927 so that every line of legislation
VIII appear in its proper place and ia
It's proper relation 70 every other. and
for the further reason that having for
the hrs- time o real index it viii be
forced upon the attention Of lawyers
ard legislators that there Is real need
II revision in many respects AS .
FRS. step IN the direction Of intelligent
revision Of The laws-that revision
which must OF necessity go on from
session 10 session unceasingiy-tne
preparation Of the new code supple
aent IS au-inlportanl.
The second reason IS that there VII
be available Tor the GsE 8. .h@ gen
era! assembly d larger amount % leg
islative reference material than ever
before. The state lax library thru ifst
legislative reference department has
been doing q great work. II was start /
ed prior to the last session but could 7
not very well be made what il should .
De Now real work Is being accom-
plished.
These two things. with the report oii
the retrenchment and reform commit |
tee. xiii give the legislators fine start
for a busy and useful seaaon- ]
One Of the things that may come oe- |
fore the legislature in an unexpected
way is mat OF railroad legislation. Tho
the sky may appear clear TO the cas-
ual observer there are clouds gather
ing. For instance. the question Of re-
peal Of the Iowa cent fare law is GO
ing to come s1uarely before the legis-
lature The cent fare law is pro-
duct Of old agitation. Way back in
1886 it was before the legislature The