Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1917-03-09
received. Contracts In excess Of 5000
must be approved by the highWa!
commission. w..
s Harding Has Kept Hands on.


There is no gainsaying the fact that
/ Governor Harding is deeply interested
in the fate Of the house committee
road bill. 1t represents to the largest
extent what he advocated during his
campaign and what he has advocated
since. Its adoption by the house would
be taken as a vindication of the gov.
ernor's attitude and it can be properly
called an administration measure.
But the governor has SO far kept
hands off" of legislative procedure in
the matter, excepting the exercise OF
his constitutional privilege to COM
municate to the members in open ses-
sion his belief as to what should be
done, and as to the message which he
insists was given the members by
their constituents at the time of their
election. The governor has not advo-
Gated, as fact, the adjustment OF
the present highway commission, or
the decrease of the membership of the
same from three to one, but he has
called attention to the question as to
whether the commission should be re-
tanned or reduced. He has openly told
the legislators that he will feel 1t his
duty to do all in his power to prevent
the enactment of a law which would
permit the bonding Of the state or d.
visions Of the state for road building
purposes, and If bill for bonds is
presented and passed 1t is apparent It
will not meet with executive ap.
proval. 80. -. .s.-l a}#~
Close Vote Is Looked For. 3,sG
The highways committee bill may
be passed by the house. The indica-
lions are thought to be toward such
action. II the bill is passed, however,
it will be by close vote, and it's most
optimistic leaders do not anticipate
many more than the constitutional
majority in its favor. The lines are
tense now between the friends Of the
committee bill and the friends Of the
amendment proposition and will grow
in intensity until the final argument
has been made and the vote cast @
What Has Been Accomplished. n
The fruits of the six weeks work Of
the assembly, previous to its spring.
time adjournment is summed up in 81
completed acts and resolutions; that
is acts which have passed both houses
and have been signed by Governor
Harding. The more important are the
following: ~
House File No. /. Relating to the
duties of the document editor in pre-
pairing and printing classified index
of the bills presented, and their his
tory. - .-: ri ,a%
House File No. 3. Giving cities and
towns authority to secure street i'm
provement work by letting by COM
petitive bids, or by day labor under
direction Of the municipality.
House File No. 6. Repeating the
presidential preference primary law.
House File No. 15. Providing that
signers of petitions Of candidates for
nomination as councilmen need not be
freeholders. ,5.$
House File No. 20. Permitting coun-
ties to expepd motor vehicle fees for
Ioiling roads outside the municipal
limits.
! House File No. %. Providing that
levy of taxes for grading and building
of roads shall not be less than one
mill.
House File IS. Repeating the law
requiring posting of weed cutting no.
tees in school districts.
House File GO. Giving county at
torneys right to name assistants and
fixing compensation.
, House File 70. Giving cities of Co.
900 or more inhabitants right to levy
tax for construction Of municipal
court building. ~ 49,
House File ~. Permitting cities of
the first class to issue bonds covering
a period Of so years for the purchase
of real estate, parks and other NUM-
cipal improvements.
House File 308. Relating to the
publication of session laws under d.
rection Of reporter for the supreme
court.
Senate File 1. Regarding printing
and binding under direction of the
state document editor.
Senate File 81. Relating to vacan-
cies in civil offices and repeating par"
agraph relating to military duty. - ,
Senate File los. Creating commits
sion to receive subscriptions for a
memorial for General G. M. Dodge.
Senate Joint Resolution 3. Submit
ting to, a vote of the people the reso-
luton, providing for constitutional
prohibitory amendment. f. IIg
Senate Joint Resolution 6. Uphold
ing the act Of President Wilson in
bre aking diplomatic relations with
Germany, and pledging to tho presi-
dent the loyalty and resources OF the,
state Of Iowa.
-. New Banking Bill Not Signed.
Among a dozen or more bills which
have passed both houses but which
have not as yet been engrossed and
sent to the governor for approval is
the act creating a separate state bank
ing department. Although the crea-
ton of this department IL in direct op-,
position to the repeated declaration
Of the governor that he desired the