Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-01-18
H0OSEOPPOy[D 10
KILLING PRIMARY
SENTIMENT FAvoRs RETENTION
OF LAW WITH SEVERAL
AMENDMENTS. !.
BILL TO REsToRE
CIRCLE TO BALLOT
Another Measure introduced Would
Eliminate Registration Of Voters in
Smaller cities--Represcntativs Viii
son Has New County Road Plan
Would Change Township System.

.
son Has New County Road Plan
Would Change Township System.
Des Moines, Jan. 1S.-Sentiment ir
the Iowa house Is in favor of amend
ing the present primary laws where
necessary. but for retaining the pri-
mary system principle to as large ar
extent as possible, i'll the opinion Of
chairman OF the house committee on
elections.
Mr.. Wormley does not believe thai
radical changes in the primary law
are necessary. He is non-committal
upon the presidential preference prs
mary, but sentiment in the house
seems strong for its repeal, two bills,
one democratic and the other republic
can, having been brought in to repeal
this law in the house.
Two bills have been introduced to
amend registration laws so that smas:
cities are not required to register thei:
voters. One by kinker. of Crawford.
fixes the limit for size Of towns not
requiring registration at 5000 and u
second by Giitner makes the limit TO-
000A
Registration is now required IN
towns OF $500 or more.
! "A bill to restore the party circle to
the ballot is being, drawn by Repre-
sentative Wichman, OF Hancock. It will
permit the voter to mark the CIRCLE,
and in addition to scratch" II he de-
sires by voting for candidates not OH
his party ticket A similar bill is to
be introduced in the senate by Senator
kimbail
The senate committee on elections
will have majority in favor of radl-
cal amendments 10 the primary Law,
but retention of the principle Tor gov-
eTnor, United States senator and coun-
ty and township officers. Senator KIM
bali has introduced bill for sucn
amendment.
Would Abolish Township as Unit.
Representative Thomas !. wilson,. of
Mahaska county, is advocating a law
taking the township roads from the
care Of the township trustees and plac
ing them in the county road system.
Wilson is not taking any hand in the
fight as to whether the highway COM
mission should be abolished.
He favors placing the present town.
ship road system in the county road
system and requiring the county board
OF supervisors to take care of all the
roads. ift
In every county there are sixteen
TO seventeen different ways of work
ing the roads said Representative
Wilson. Each township has its own
system. I.
There should be uniform system
of road work thruout the entire state
and the county. instead of the town
ship, should be the unit. &. n q I.
Where there are sixteen townships
to q county, there are sixteen town
ship funds and county fhnd for road
work, One set of officials can do more
with the same funds than cam seven
teen sets.
The township officers of Mahaska
are favorable to the plan of placing
the township roads in the county sys-
tenn and have the county look after
them. think that generally thruout
the state the township officers will ia
vor such a plan.
Townships now have to purchase
road machinery, and often duplicate
machinery is purchased by various
townships of county, only to lie idle
most Of the year. If the township and
county road systems We're combined.
the county would get what machinery
was needed, andl there would be no
waste in this direction.
Then, too. il the. county had all OF
the road work to do. there would be
enough to make it worth while for
contractors to figure on the work. The
counties would get better BIDS
Representative Wilson has not yet
put his bill into shape for fiilns.s
Bill to Pay iowa Guardsman.
A bill to pay every Iowa soldier who
went to the border $39 a month while
he was in federal service was intro
duced into the senate. Senator Greene,
of Clinton, introduced the bill. It was
a sfors document and didn't cause u
ripple until "Wednesday when the sem
ate awokes to what it meant.
Thirty dollars q month for seven
HUI INht lOT/s ALMOST s0,vOOgs IHeu WOulu
amount to about $1.00O,000.
AS the troops have not all returned
the million mark would be topped be-
fore many months. -.
The bIl was referred to the COM
mittee on military affairs. Is,
The money Is to be paid. the bill
says, from any funds not otherwise
u ;>.,
Senator Greene expects to get the
funds out Of the expected balance
Of 100000 or SO in the capitol exten-
sion fund. He said state pay is the.
only thing that will keep the guaro
from being broken up.
Toledo Items.
Special TO Times Republican.
y Toledo. Jan. 1S.--Mrs. d. T.. Witter
has been in failing health for some
weeks past and now is quite feeble.
Mrs. Rockford, OF Evanston, Ill, is
extended! s.sts!t with - her
~ y - y - -k~~