Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-03-13
BATTLE OVER CHANGES IN THE
cLARksoN BILL TO BE FOUGHT
ON SENATE FLOOR
loeslEp AND LAMsAsrED
BY ITS OPPONENTS
No Report on Chase Bill to Relieve
Workn,en Of Carrying N ore Than His
Share Of Risk-Heuss Committee
Kills Proposed Amendment For lni-
tiative and Referendum.
Special to Times-Republican.

:. special TO 1lIueS-rNepuulICdl.
Des Moines. March 1S.-The in
surance committee Of the senate
brought to the floor today the Clark
son bill, S. F. 10, for undermining the
workmen's compensation law and au-
thorzing the state to direct the col
lection and expenditure Of the funds
for compensation to worknen. The
report was for indefinite postponement
which merely transferred to the floor
of the senate the fight over the meas
ure as such report had Ions been an
ticipated. The vote in committee,
however, was not lop- sided. as 1t was
8 to g. Clarkson will force the matter
to direct vote in the senate on the
merits of the measure. which has been
about as much discussed and lobbied
and lambasted as anything before the
legislature.
The committee has not as yet acted
on the Chase bill to increase the COM
pensation under the present law. 1t
is generally agreed that the compensa-
tion allowed in Iowa is much too low
and that the employee is carrying about
81 per cent of the burden instead of
the so per cent which would be re-
garded as fair A subcommittee is
working on this bill, but the sub-com-
mittee Is understood to be of mind
to kill it off and wait until a later time
for any change in the rate Of COM
pensation.
An effort is being made, however, to
attach to the Chase bill number of
things which it is agreed ought to be
done for the improvement OF the pres
ent law and making it more workable,
and this may be done.
In the first place it is agreed that the
work Of the industrial commissioner
will increase rapidly from this time on
and especially in matters of arbltra-
ton. Unless there is provision for
assistance to the commissioner it will
be impossible to carry on the work OF
arbitration when there is demand for
many arbitration boards
There must be clarifying Of the
law so that it will be certain as to the
status of a corporation which has &C
cepted the law but failed to get per-
nit to carry it's own insurance or to
insure. Some Of the corporations.
notably railroads, are slipping between
the lines because of this lack of def
niteness in the law due to patch
work method of framing it in the last
session.
~ Something should be done to clarity
rs to the complete disablement of an
already partially disabled person-the
socalled one-eyed employe case.
More defniteness is needed as TO
the payments to minors and whether
or not by paying compensation direct
to minor the employer is fully re-
aieved.
The house got it's report this morn
ing on the resolution proposing the
initiative and referendum amendment
to the state constitution. The COM
mittee voted unanimously TO recon-
mend the resolution for indefinite post
ponement and this settles the fate Of
direct legislation" in Iowa for some
time The resolution had passed the
previous assembly and was on its sec
opd round. The great objection TO the
plan proposed was that it didn't suit
either the friends or foes OF the
method. There was enough of initia-
tive in it to scare the opponents and
not enough referendum to suit its
friends. The plan was declared by
members to be entirely unavoidable.
The same committee of the hOuse-the
committee on constitutional amend
ments-recommende for killing the
amendment to permit Of taxation Of
property according to class. This was
for the purpose Of permitting a change
to plan like that in Wisconsin where
q great many classes Of property are
taxed by the state for state support
and the general assessment of the state
is relieved from the state tax levy.
1t would apply especially TO the prop
erty Of railroads, telegraphs. telephones
and express companies. The amend
ment would have looked to the adop-
tion of a law which would make this
class of property subject only to state
taxation. 1t was earnestly opposed by
many Of the cities because they would
have been the loser thereby.
The Kimball bill to pay the police
and fire commissioners of cities a
salary Of $1,000 year each for their
services was recommended for indef-
mite postponement today.
The Miller bill to repeal the law
under which the county superintend-
ehcy is taken out of politics and super
intendents are made appointive was
reported TO the senate from the schools
committee by Senator Roe with recon-
fhendation it be indefinitely postponed
This settles it that the work Of the
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