The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1917-03-28
BILLS ATTRACT
M0REATTENTI0N
Past Week One of Intense Interest In
Legislative Cireles-TeIephone Bill
Commands Attention.
PENSION FOR INDIAN FIGHTERS
Fighters Who PatroIIed Northern Tier
of Counties in Early Sixties
May Get Pensions.

Des Moines, Iowa, March "a, 1917
The past week has been one of intense
interest in legislative circles. While
10 measure Of great Importance ha!
passed both houses, each branch ha:
had up for consideration bills that at
tracted unusual attention. In the
house the bill putting telephone com
panies under the control of the rail
way commission drew the most per
sistent lobby of the session. The bic
telephone interests as we'll as the
private and mutually owned concerns
were all represented and were given
hearings. The bill passed the house
with the elimination of the perpetual
franchise clause. It's fate in the senate
is in doubt. The several bills either
repeating or amending the insurance
law will come up in the house Tues
day. The state printing and binding
fight will also come up the first of the
week. Two bills are pending. SEN
sation was created in the house when
Hall, of Taylor offered series OF res
Clutions censuring Nichols, of Hard.
in because of statements he had
made in his Iowa Falls Citizen relative
to certain influences that he averred
were interested in the passage of the
Pitt.JOhnson bill. An explanation OF
the part Of Mr.. Nichols and some hur-
ried conferences among the two fac
tions resulted in the expunging of the
. resolutions of censure from the rec
crds. More petitions are being re.
ceived in regard to the closed season
for prairie chickens and quail than
upon any other subject except that of
chiropractics. In the senate the bill
passed by the house making county
superintendent elective by the people
was defeated. The amendment to the
constitution providing for woman suff-
rage passed the senate and will be
taken up in the house the coming
week. The Balkema bill providing for
accepting federal aid in highway i'm.
provement was passed with but two
dissenting votes. The F'railey resolu-
fion pr0Y{ding Il for universal military
training passed the senate unanimous
ly and the house will perform a sim.
liar service. The resolution is direct
ed to the Iowa delegation in congress-
The possibility of war has made it
incumbent upon the state to take ac-
tion to guard public property in case,
of an open conflict with Germany and
Gov Harding has asked that a half
million dollars he appropriated, its use
being contingent upon future develop
ments. The Ball bill passed the senate
forbidding supervisors to issue bonds
without vote of the people.
Hospital for Afflicted Children at Iowa
! City.
BY unanimous action the house
passed Roberts bill, granting $l5O,OOO
for a. hospital for treatment of crippled
children in connection with the medi-
cal department at the state university
Two years ago senator Eli Perkins. of
Delhi. got bill through the general
assembly providing for free treatment
of crippled children of parents not
able to stand the expense. The de-
mands upon the department have
been so much larger than anyone con-
ceived that special building is ne
cessary. Senator Perkins died last
summer but his name is associated
with the great work being accomplish
ed and the new structure will be call
ed the Perkins Hospital fitting mon
ument to one who contributed so large
ly to the relief Of thousands OF cripples
that can either be permanently cured
IcllcNcu
Pension for Indian Fighters.
The past, is linked with the present
in a bill pending to give pension to
the surviving Indian fighters who
were commissioned by Gov. Kirk
wood to patrol the northern counties
of Iowa after the Spirit Lake massacre
in 1862. The official title of this group
of men was the Border Brigade" and
Gov. kirkwood decreed that all who
in the service were to be
immune from military service in the
war of the rebellion. About 2SO men
enlisted in the service. Senator Chase
believes that the remnant of this band
should be pensioned the same as the
government is pensioning the veter-
ans of the Civil war. 1t is not known
gust how many survivors there are,
probably not more than 20. Mr.. Har-
Ian, of the State Historical department
estimates that the youngest Of those
who enlisted is now II and the oldest
81. That brief span Of years covers
the transition period from a wild
prairie state upon the western from
tier to great and prosperous COM
and this has all happened |
within the memory of men and women [
how living. There is living today on
the very site of the Indian massacre |
Abbie! Gardner Sharps, who as aolittle |
girl was carried away captive by the
Indians, the only white person spared |
by the red.faced savages.
Mutual onsurance to be Revived.
Mutual fire or livestock insurance
can be organized in Iowa
under bill introduced by Senator
TAYLOR of Buchanan county and known |
as senate file 299. Strange as it may
seem the Thirty-fifth general assem-
bly, enacted a law which prohibits the I
of such companies in this
state. 1t is claimed further for this
act that it will make possible greater
in fire and livestock in
surance companies and therefore have
a tendency to lower rates. There is
also in the bill provision for admit
ting outside companies to do business I
in this state provided their home state
admits Iowa companies.