Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1917-03-23
MANY Big THINGS
BEFORE ASSEMBLY
Questions Of Importance Vel
TO Be Acted On
PRINTER AND BINDER FIGHT
Bitter Fight Expected Over Bill For
Adjustment - Woman Suffrage
Likely to Pass Establishment of Sew.
eral Departments Still to be Con-
sidered-Chase Has New Road Bill
What Assembly is Spending for
Employees.

What Assembly is Spending for
Employees.
(By George Gallarno)
Des Moines, Iowa, March 2O-(Spe-
ciaD-Of all the big battles for which
the pins have been set in the general
assembly, only one, the road bill OF
the administration has been fought to
a finish and disposed of. The others,
of which there are more than a dozen
of extraordinary Importance, will be
carried to the floor of the two houses
during the next four weeks. The
measures to be disposed Of under the
category here outlined, will include:
The bill for the appointment of a
commission Of lawyers to revise and
rewrite the code of the state. This is
a matter which Governor Harding ID
urging as a necessity and which was
made a part of his special Legislative
program, announced at the time Of his
Inauguration. The question which
will agitate the law makers will be
whether to create commission Of
five. with pay of $50 a day while en-
gagged in the work, or a commission OF
three. with pay at SIS day. The lat
ter 10 advocated by the executive.
Temple of Justice.
The resolution for the erection OF q
temple of justice for the use Of the
supreme court judges, the state law
library, and other officers, and also
an Office building, sent to the legisla-
ture by the state executive council,
has taken the form of a resolution call
ing on a committee from the senate
to secure plans for the court building,
and report as to the ACCESSIBILITY OF
its erection and the use Of the capitol
extension tax to be collected during
the next six years in paying for the
same.
Woman Suffrage Resolution.
The resolution looking to a consti-
tutional amendment giving women the
right of suffrage, which will be acted
on by the senate this week, and which
promises to pass that body, as we'll as
the house, is creating no particular
excitement, either for or against. 1t
was put on the senate calendar with
out recommendation. It has but few
ardent supporters. The large body of
both houses are lacking in interest as
to its fate, but most of them feel II the
matter is laid before them they will
be compelled to vote for its passage.
The house has taken no action, but
will await the action Of the senate.
Primary Election Amendment.
The Kimball primary election
amendment measure, which passed the
senate with good, safe majority, Is
not finding smooth sailing in the
house. There is strong opposition
there to any changes in the present
primary law. This is in accordance
with the attitude of Governor Hard
ing, who defended the primary system
strongly in his inaugural address, in
direct contrast to the lambasting
given the law by the retiring execu-
tive, Governor Clarke. The Kimball
bill, as it passed the senate makes all
state officers excepting governor, sub
ject to nomination by political party
conventions.
Bitter Fight on Printer and Binder.
Another of the big things on tho
program, for which neither house has
had an opportunity as yet to show its
strength, is the question of the abol-
ishment Of the offices of state printer
and state binder. 1t is probable that
action on this matter will come first
in the senate, where Senator Cady
Chase, of Webster City, has a bill do
ing away with the two Offices, and
creating commission on printing and
binding to be composed Of the COVER
nor, the state document editor and the
secretary of the state executive coun-
Gil. There are two bills in the house
on the same subject and practically
the same as the Chase bill. The fight
to do away with these two Offices has
been a biennial occurrence for the
past eight or ten sessions Of the as
sembly.
Other Adjustments Proposed.
The abolishers are busy on several
other offices and bills are in to dis
pense with the department of state fire
marshal, the board of parole, and the
state fish and game warden. It is pro-
posed to transfer the duties of the
state fire marshal to the Office of the
commissioner of insurance.: the state
board of parole work TO the board of
control, and the fish and game war
den, partly to the board Of control
which would have charge Of the pro-
pagation Of fish at the state institu-
tons and to various sheriffs Of the
state who would be given charge of
the enforcement of the laws as to H.
legal hunting and fishing. While all
of these bills will be up for action
within the next week or ten days,
there doesn't appear on the surface an
indication of sentiment strong
enough for the adoption of any OF
them.