Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1915-02-12

bill calls for the appointment Of a
commission of three members, one to
receive $4,000 year and the others
airy of not more than $500 year, to
have charge of the operation Of the
plan proposed. 1t virtually creates a
state monopoly of workmen's comper-
sation insurance, and calls for an an
nual appropriation of $125,OO0. Under
the bill the present Offices Of Indus
trial commissioner, having charge Of
the compensation law, and the labor
commissioner, would be discontinued.
New Laws for Publishers.
There seems to be a better oppor-
tunity for the amendment of the Iowa
newspaper libel law at the present
session of the legislature than has
been the case in many years. In the
first place there are several publish
ers and printers in the membership Of
the assembly, who are all deeply in
terested in the bill proposed by Sen
atOr Caswell, of Denison, himself a
publisher, and who are making their
interest felt with the balance of the
membership. The Iowa libel law has
long been felt to be unfair to the gen.
eral newspaper publisher, as it pre-
sumes malice in the publication Of a
libelous statement, and is such that
even the use, by mischance, Of the
wrong initials of a person referred to
in an article, and even though the
mistaken editor offers to retract and
correct the error, there can be no
escape from the liability. The Cas-
we'll bill is fair to both sides of the
controversy. 1t does not leave loop
hole through which the malicious edi-
tor may escape, but it does prepare a
way to absolve from injurious prose-
cution the editor innocently led into
making erroneous statements.
Fight the Railroad Bill.
A determined effort will be made by
the railroads to prevent the passage
Of the Rogers bill which would compel
all roads to construct either overhead
or underground crossings wherever
an intersection is made with a public
highway, outside of the towns and
cities of the state. The bill provides
that the work shall be done by Janu-
airy l, 1917, and provides for fine Of
$50 a day for each day of neglect to
comply with it's provisions after that
time. The railroad representatives
declare it will cost more than $780,
100000 to follow out the provisions OF
the bill in this state.
New City Primary Bill.
Representative Horchems has bill
providing for non-partisan nomina-
ton Of candidates for city Offices in
all first-class cities. It would print
the names on one ballot Of all candi-
dates who file proper petitions previ-
GUS to the primary, and selecting those
who received the highest number OF
votes, would print on the official bal
lot twice the number of names for
each office as there are places to fill.
In case Of candidate at the primary
receiving . majority Of all the votes
cast for the office for which he is an
aspirant, his name would be the only
one for that office to be printed on
the ballot for the regular election.
$4,000 for Panama.Pac1fic.
The bill for an Iowa exhibit at the
Panama Pacific exposition at San
Francisco, has passed the senate. and
will no doubt pass the house before
the close of this week. 1t carries an
appropriation Of $4,000, the legis-
lators refusing to allow an extra $780,
900 to pay for the Iowa building al
ready erected from subscriptions to
that amount made by private citizens.
Leading business men from Cedar
Rapids, Davenport, Waterloo and
other cities asked that the appropria-
ton total $125,000. but they were
turned down.
A Few Bills Are Passed. :.
While each house has passed a num-
Der of bills Of minor importance, but
very few measures have so far been
enacted into law.
The first bill, outside Of the regular
measure making an appropriation to
nay the expenses of the inauguration
of the governor, to- get through both
houses, was q measure by Represen-
tative Kimberly, of Davenport, amend
Ing the law, SO that vacancy In a
city council may be filled at special
election. Senator Henigbaum had the
same bill in committee in the senate,
but the quick work of the house
caused him to sidetrack his own
measure and support the Kimberley
bill.
Senator Gillette's bill legalizing GER
tain actions of the directors of the
Independent school district Of Chero-
kee, passed the house as it did the
senate without a dissenting vote.
The bill by Senator Crist. for the
printing of the index to the new code
supplement in separate volume also
passed the house without vote
against it.
The bill by Miller OF Bremen. making
the office of county superintendent
elective instead Of appointive. as pro-
rkl. Nlxy