The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1915-02-04
MUCH INTEREST
IS AWAKENED BY
TELEPHONE BILL
SENATE COM. RECOMMENDS BUT
$4,000 FOR EXPOSITION.
THE REPEAL OF THE MULCT LAW
If Secret Ballot is Taken by Commit
tee on Question of Recommends
ton it May Precipitate Fight on
Floor Which viii Be Bitter.

4 Des Moines, Feb. 3.-Much interest
has been aroused by the bill intro
duced to place telephone companies
under the control of the state railroad
commission as a common carrier.
Almost as much interest has been
awakened by the failure of the cor
poration lobby, particularly strong
this year, to put in a public utilities
bill to have the railroad commission
control the street car, water works,
gas works and electric light plants in
all cities and towns. 1t is expected
that after the telephone bill has been
out for a while an amendment will
appear placing all public utilities I'M
der the control of the railroad COM
mission. If it can be put through
the railroad commission will be in
fact public utilities commission and
the corporations will have won their
fight.
That Alleged Graft.
The Legislative committee investi-
eating the alleged graft about the
state house, that is unnecessary en-
ployes, has discovered two janitors in
the state Offices who might be dis
pensed with, but also find that their
jobs have been definitely defined by a
previous legislature. The commit
tee anxious tc learn the truth of the
charges has excluded newspaper re-
porters but complete report is prom
ised at the close of the investigation.
Free Text Books.
The labor lobby anxious for laws
to all the workers are boosting the
bin for free text books, the bill au.
lthorizing vote when away from
home, the bin requiring special shot
Itirers in mines, and the minimum
wage law for women and children.
also the bill concerning the hours OF
labor; the semi-monthly pay roll for
railroad men; the bill for full crews
on all railroads, and the bill to con-
troll the loan shark evil.
New Banking Bill.
punishment Of severe nature will
be imposed on all persons and organ
! izations not entitled to operate as a
bank who accepts the funds of the
public for investment in speculative
enterprises in bill being drafted by
Representative Horchem of Dubuque.
lThi5 will be introduced during the
next few days. Mr.. Horchem believes
no one should be entitled to accept
| peoples money in trust for speculat-
| i've purposes excepting such institu-
! tons as are under the control and reg
ulation Of the state.
Exposition Appropriation.
Only $4,000 was recommended by
the Senate appropriations committee
today as an appropriation for an eX-
hibition at the San Francisco exhibit,
and that amount is recommended on
| ly upon tie strict condition that it is
to be used for exhibit and mainten-
anCe expenses only and no part to ap-
iply on the building that has been
erected. Two years ago the Iowa leg
i5lature voted down a proposition to
be represented at the exposition
Then Waterloo boosters came before
the legislature and asked the privil-
Iege to erect a building there in the
name of the state. This was granted
Funds were subscribed and the build.
ing put up. Many of the men who sub
sCrbed big amounts were enthusiast
tic in trying to get through the ap-
preparation this year and the suspic-
ion became current that they were
seeking to get the state to relieve
them of the obligation they took on
two years ago in the face of the leg
i6latures determined attitude not to
Continued on Page 2)