Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1917-01-17
LEGISLATURE ORGAN
lied FOR work
tContinued from Page cone).

Prohibiting solicitation of sales of
intoxicating liquors and making vio-
i lation felony.
q 1t is understood that every member
Y Of the committee on the suppression
Of intemperance is in sympathy with
the drastic issues covered by the bills.
House and Senate Take q Recess.
The general assembly adjourned
Thursday to reconvene Tuesday, Jan
T ,iary is, at which time Speaker Pitt
Will announce the committees for the
house.
Farmers Behind Insuraiace Law.
The insurance law passed by the
thirty sixth general assembly promises
Is create considerable friction when a
bill is prasnted providing for its re-
Hal. The law was drafted by the Ma
tinnRl Association Of Insurance Com
miasioners and it Is In force In sew
sfal states. It was supported by every
farmers mutual Insurance company in
Iowa and such organizations are in
every county, The Farmers Mutual
associations, which includes all of the
vfarmers' companies, had committee
on dirty while the measure was pend
! ing and 1t was through this Influence
\ largely that the law was passed. The
mutual companies claimed that COM
panies outside of the state were In
surfing Qroperty at about half what It
was worth In order TO beat the mutual
Z fellows out Of it.
The Road Question.
: In mingling among the members OF
the legislature we hear more discus
sion about prospective road legislation
than any nther one subject, or rather,
than about all other subjects COM
bined. Every member avows that he
Is In favor sf road improvement and
but few have any desire to 60 back to
the old system, but there is a wide
diversity Of opinion as to just how
far the state should 60 in supervision.
Those who are against the highway
commission favor state engineer
with powers similar to what the high
way commission have. Tie Better road
commission appointed by Gov. Clarke,
serving without pay, has submitted an
unusually interesting report. Briefly
stated 1t favors the following:
1-Give the people authority, in
townships, counties and special dis
tricts, to pledge revenues for reason
able times for payment Of cost Of
highways.
Build roads by large contracts.
thus reducing costs.
3Anticipate taxes by means Of
county bonds only, which sell at Tow
interest rates.
initiative and referendum with
the county as a unit for bonding for
permanent road building
Use Of the motor vehicle tax by
the county governments exclusively
for highway improv ement.
6-Provfde i state fund, il necessary
to secure to Iowa benefits OF federal
road aid, and derive this from ali d
taxes. III
Give power for the creation of
special road districts, which shall in
clude all benefited districts, including
towns to- which the roads lead.
8-Work c0nvicts in loading gravel |
for shipments from counties the. nave
q surplus to counties that are shy of
road material.
The state highway commission has
filed its annual report and among
other things suggests: p@ ''Sa Y.
That the general ASSEMBLY, accept /
the terms Of the federal actf r. ovid
ing federal aid for road build.tE in
Iowa.
That section 1927, 1913 supple |,
meat, entitled Permanent Road I'm
provement Dissatisfaction Formed"
be repealed, as satisfactory district /
plan can not be built on this founda-
ton.
That the snqsrsisoas be given power
to destroy weeds on highways.
Clarity road dragging law to do
away with township drag superinten-
dent. \
!. Repeal the obsolete township road
law.
Abolish road, poll tax or make it a
definite cash tax.
Permit township road revenues to be |
placed in one fund instead Of divid-
ing into three funds.
/, Provide method for doing emergency
road work s
Clarity law as to what projects must
be submitted to advertisement for bids
and letting by contract.
Restrict use of motor vehicle fund
to permanent road grading and sur
facing.
Authority be granted to cities and
towns to assist in improving the roads
outside corporate limits.
Establish patrol system of main
tenance of county roads.
The commission has found that in |
general 1t is not practical to use con-
victs on road work in Iowa. It de-
clares that the best use of prisoners
will be in the preparation of road max