Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1915-03-31
SENATOR ENCER'S
VITALSTATISTICS BILL
Measure Providing for System of
Registration IndOrsed by Senate
Committee
BILL PRO = 5 FOR
APPR q. ALTON OF si2,5oo
Night Session. ? t This Week to
Clear up the res. Assem-
bly, has En- q into Law
But per l2oi
Bills Inu d.

The senate public a commit
tee has acted favorabl, on bill by
Senator Enger of Decorah providing
for the establishment of a bureau
of vital statistics. 1t has been re-
ferred, however, to the appropria.
tions committee for further consid-
Grafton since it provides for an ap-
preparation of 800.
During the last three weeks, Sen
ator Enger has received letters from
women's organizations and others
from over the entire state indorsing
the measure.
The intent of the bill is to pro-
vide an adequate system for the
registration of births and deaths.
The secretary of the state board of
health is made the state registrar of
vital statistics. The board of health
is called upon to divide the state in
to registration districts and to ap-
point local registrars in each district.
For Licensed BARRIERS.
The public health committee also
has commended for passage a bill
by Parker of Polk creating a board
OF examiners for the licensing of bar
bers and providing rules regulating
the proper sanitation of barber shops.
In accordance with an amendment
tackled on the bill by the commit
tee, the board of examiner is author
lied to adopt reasonable rules for
sanitary regulation of the shops and
are given power to enter them dur
ing business hours for the purpose
of making an inspection.
If shop is found to be in an in
sanitary condition or if any barber
has been charged with imparting any
contagious or infectious disease, the
aT5oard is called upon to notify the
health officer so that the shop may
be quarantined.
Revocation Of Certificate.
4
Authority is given the board to
revoke any certificate of registration
for conviction of crime, habitual
drunkenness, gross incompetency,
failure to comply with the sanitary
rules or for having impaired conta-
gious or infectious disease. Notice
however, must be served upon the
holder of the certificate so that he
may make defense.
Night sessions of the house and
possibly of the senate will begin this
week in an effort to clear away the
great volume of bills in which the
general assembly finds itself prac-
tically buried three weeks from the
time at which adjournment ought to
be taken unless this session is to
last longer thar that of two years
ago.
Nothing but the most strenuous
kind of work will make it possible
for the two houses to adjourn at the
end of three weeks more, and il may
Ge necessary to let many bills die un-
considered on the floor if the session
is to be held within the usual length.
Only per cent of the bills whion
have been introduced have been en-
acted into laws The total number
OF bills has now reached 1924, of
which 5S7 have been introduced in
the senate and 6l7 in the house.
FOrty-nine Pass the House.
Only forty-nine bills have passed
both houses and been signed by the
governor. Many more have passed
one house and await the action of
the other the great majority have
been killed, and many have not yet
been considered by either house.
Work of both houses went slowly
last week. The house had two days
when it disposed of some thirty bills
but only twenty were considered on
the other four days and the total
number or Dllls passed for the week
reached only 81. The senate engaged
in the usual number of talkfests and
passed only SO.
The Whitmore prohibition enforce
ment acts were probably the most
important achievements of the SEN
ate. The whole series of bills to
guard against bootlegging and re-
strict so far as possible personal use
of liquor was forced through by the
strong dry crowd in the senate.
Passes City Court Bill.
The senate passed also the NUM-
cipal courts bill which had already
received the approval of the house, a
number of bills affecting the salary