Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1917-03-14
ROAD
BILL IS DEFEATED
Iowa Legislature Retains Highway
Commission by Tie Vote.
PROGRAM
DEPENDED ON RESULT
Victory of Anti-Admin $ trait O n
Forces Will Influence All
Legislation.
fContinued from first page.l

the Johnston bill if it got through |
the house. A recent poll shows
thirty-two votes in the senate for
the retention of the highway COM
mission to eighteen against it.
Saturday was the last opportunity
| for house members to file bills. There
are 499 bills on file in the house. |
When the period of filing closed in |
the assembly two years ago, the |
house had ESQ bills and joint resolu-
tions on file.
The senate to date has had 49,.
bills filed. The total number last
year was 664.
The session is closing its ninth |
week. The house has a resolution |
to adjourn sine die March 81
three weeks distant. 1t is believed |
that the business of the assembly |
can not be cleared up in that time, |
but April is considered the prob |
able date for final adjournment The |
session then will have covered nine
ty-one days, in spite of the fact that |
the governor recommended only a |
iseventy-day session. The recon- |
mendation also made by the COVER
nor that a recess of several months
be taken has been ignored.
With the defeat of the Johnston
road bill in the house, it appears
that the entire Harding program may
be cast aside. :.
There are number of appoint
ments by the governor that the SEN
late will have the privilege of approx
ing or rejecting before adjournment.
These include three members of the
state board of education; two mem
bers of the board of control, MEM
Der OF the board of parole and SUI
perintendent of banking. The sem
ators are already guessing who will
get the places. If the persons named
do not meet the approval of the con-
trolling faction, they will be reject
ed by a big vote, it is said.
The governor last week signed the
bill creating a state banking depart
ment. This additional department
is contrary to the recommendation
for consolidation of departments
: and reduction of number of state
employees, which was contained in
, his inaugural address. So far the
effort to abolish departments has
been a failure.
The Foster road patrol bill passed
the senate last week and is said to be
certain Of passing the house The
bill pending an eighth judge of the
Supreme court is on the house cal
endar and it has fair chance of be-
ing passed
The teachers pension bill is on
the house calendar also. 1t came
from the committee on a minority
, report, after tie vote of II to II.
A big fight is ahead for it, it is said.
The house killed the bill to repeal
the anti-tipping law on Thursday.
The measure modifying the blue
law is on the house calendar with
; out recommendation It's success is
doubtful.
The suffrage amendment will be
reported out by the senate commit
te and its fate will be settled this
week
The bill to repeal the insurance
law still rests in the insurance com
mittee.
Lieutenant Governor Moore wants
! to get through the session without
a sitting committee in the senate
He will push the work as rapidly as
possible with that end in view
The house can not finish without
sitting committee, it is believed.
Many worthy bills will be subject to
the mercies of this committee.
The. senate last week reported
out four appropriation bills, reduc-
ing the state fair appropriation from
100000 to $32,5OO, indicating that
the committee will be stingy this
year. From now on appropriation
bills will get serious attention and
may have the preference over OTHER
measures.
: The bill for $4,000 appropria-
tion for law enforcement, asked for
by the attorney general is still wait
ing. The attorney general, however,
intends to make tremendous fight
to get the measure through in spite
of the opposition.
The Investigations appear to have
entirely disappeared. Several Of the
committees appointed to investigate
various things, did not take the trou-
Bile to meet. Investigations of the
| cement trust, coal trust, paving
trust, state fair board and several
Others were ordered.
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Children Cry