Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1917-03-07
LEGISLATURE in
BUSY SESSION
HOUSE VOTES FOR FREE TEXT
BOOK PLAN. GOVERNMENT
AID IN ROAD BUILDING.
AUTOMOBILE TAX IS ENORMOUS
To Encourage the Growing of Med
icinal Herbs. Numerous Banking
Measures Before Legislature.
BY J. w. Jarnagin.

! DeS MO1neS, Iowa, Marcn 8, l9l7-
| A number of engineers appeared be-
fore the joint railway committees and
plead for the passage of a law COM
pelling automobiles to make full stop
or have auto under full control upon
approaching railway in order that
oncoming trains may be detected in
time to avert a collision. The engi-
neers were serious in their plea. They
stated that nobody but an engineer
knows of the nervous strain under
which they labor because of the reck-
lessness of autoists. One engineer
whose engine had killed five people
actually cried as he plead with the
committee. "You men do not know
what terrible strain engineers are
under since automobiles have become
so numerous. People will make dash
for crossing when train Is ap-
preaching at full speed and put it up
tc the engineer to avert a wreck. said
/ the engineer. Representative Finley,
Of Henry county, took vigorous excep-
tions to the demand of the engineers
| and declared that a law compelling
autoists To stop at every crossing
would relieve the railways Of all re-
sponsibility should accidents occur He
urged the passage of legislation, to
eliminate the grade crossing entirely,
and spoke in behalf of his bill which
| is intended to establish a rule that the
railroads are to pay the full cost OF
building overhead or underground
crossings ordered by the state railway
commission. The bill under discus
sion by the engineers is H. F. As, by
Wilson of Louisa, which originally re-
oIired of the placing of warning signs
at distance of 200 feet from danger
GUS crossings, and which has since
been amended to include the feature
recurring automobiles to stop before
crossing tracks.
Would Pay for Iowa Building at
Frisco Fair.
Failing to get an appropriation from
the 35 general assembly to be used
for the erection of building at the
Panama Pacific exposition bunch OF
fellows from the Greater Iowa commits
Fsion went about over the state getting
commercial clubs to pledge money to
be used for the purpose. A dozen
cities contributed an amount sufficient
the building was erected, the state en-
| tsrta;ped ~-hu1Iu q rads--0f thousands OF
visitors in creditable manner, Iowa
carried off numerous priaes9and med
ais and artor it was all over the OOs..
general assembly was asked to make
an appropriation to roimbarac those
who had contributed and made the
erection Of building possible. With
out such building Iowa would have
cut sorry figure at the big show. II
Eseems that some Waterloo boosters
Jumped into the lime-light at the psy-
GEOLOGICAL moment and announced to
the people of the state that the enter
prising citizens of that city would
erect building and present it to the
state. Well, the last general assembly
refused to reimburse those cities that
had contributed, putting up as de-
fense the e>promise made by Waterloo
| to erect such q structure. And now
comes Senator Jackson, of the Floyd.
Chickasaw district, with a bill to ap'
propriate $4,000 to pay for the build.
| ing aforesaid. The Greater Iowa com
mission had charge of the state ex
hibit at Frisco and after making 6
most creditable display had severa
thousand dollars left out Of the appro
priation voted by the 35th general as
sembly on condition that none OF i
was to be expended in the erection o
4 a building and this money was Gov
cred back into the treasury. There II
some sentiment favorable to the pass
age of the jackson bill and an effor
will be made to create more.
House VOtes~fOr Free Text Book Plan
The McFarlane free text book bill
4 passed the house by practically
Unanimous vote. The bill provides
that upon petition of ten per cent. o
the voters in any district an election
may be called to vote upon the ques
Ition of free school books. All books
4 furnished under the operation OF th'
law will become the property of tn
jGistrict and when children remov'
from one, district to another the book
are left behind. Ofcourse parents ma!
4 buy the books for their children /
they SO desire and such would be tn
Individual property OF the owner
There is alsp a bin pending looking
4 toward the uniformity of text books b.
counties. The measure is intended t
1 simplify the present law which ha
mot met with favor in many instances
The present law providing for count.
uniformity of text books provides tina
1.-THE county superintendent, audito
and members of the board of super
visors constitute the county board o
education When petitions shall hav
been signed by one third of the schoo
directors of county, other than thos
in cities and towns, and filed In tn
tcounty superintendent Office at leas
thirty days before the annual schoo
leicction, asking for uniformity OF text
books in the county. Within fifteel
days r>filing the petitions tn
board of education shall meet an,
provide for the submission at tn
next regular school election.
Licensing All Food Establishments.
A bill by Senator Adams, of Kossutl
would license all establishments zen
gagged in the preparation or sale o
Of food" and placing them under direc
supervision of the state food and dair,
department. Bottling works, bakeries
candy factories and stores, ice cream
factories and stores, canning factOrfe
slaughter houses, meat markets, res
taurants, cafes and dairy lunches ar
brought under the provision of tn
bill. License fees of SIS year for bot
Ting works and So for the other es
j tablishments are fixed by the measure
Municipal Comfort Stations Provided
Representative Coakley's bill pro
viding for municipal comfort station
in all cities of Iowa Of more than 500
population was favorably reported b.
the house committee on public health
The bill passed the house last session