Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-01-13
HIGHWAY COMMISSION ENEMIES
NOT LIKELY TO GET FAR
IN IOWA SENATE
BALkEMA IN POSITION
TO FORMULATE LAWS
Friend Of Good Roads Heads Highway
Committee in Senate Temperance
Committees Notably Dry - Other
Committees in Progressive hands-
Labor Federation Program, Elaborate.
snec,a, to rimes-Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines, Jan. 1S.-With Senator
Nicholas Balkema, of Sioux Center. the
father of the bill which created the
state highway commission now made
chairman of the senate committee on
highways. there is little likelihood OF
any measure against the highway
commission getting by" the senate
The bill was passed by the Thirty
fifth general assembly and Balkema'
its author, has been its champion ever
since. -,
Ba,kena has been a member of the
senate since 1908 and is familiar with
road legislation for the past several
Years as he has always manifested an
interest in it, He is progressive in MS
ideas. He is also member OF other
important committees including the
committees on the suppression OF in
temperance, railroads, agriculture,
motor vehicles and transportation and
dairy and food.
The temperance committees are not
ably dry J NJ. Wilson, of Centervi!le,
chairman of the constitutional amend
ment committee. Is a well known dry
and all of the members Of the com
lni,tee with him are listed as dry. Sem
ator Whitmore, the especial champion
OF temperance, is chairman of the
committee on the suppression OF in
temperance and all of the members OF
that committee are also listed as dry.
Senator Foster, of Guthrie Center, s
another ardent advocate OF progressive
ideas on roads who is a member OF the
senate committee on highways. he
was a member of the good roads COM
mission appointed by Governor Clarke
TO study the roads question.
Senator "Cady" Chase Of Webster
City, "a member OF the senate commit
Tee on highways, - friend OF the
Johnson road crowd and fought with
them two years ago.
On all important committees how
ever the chairmen and ranking mem
be-s are recognized as of the progress
sIve type and not inclined towards any
reactionary methods of legislation.
Labors Program.
In addition to the anti-injunction
law bill introduced into the senate OF
the Thirty-seventh general assembly
and referred to the judiciary COM
state have . bill to restrict the hours
of labor on public works and another
bill which would authorize cities and
towns TO construct all street improve
ments themselves.
The bill restricting the hours of la
Dor ON public works sets out that cities
and towns be authorized, when sub
hitting bids on work, TO specify the
minimum wage and the hours which
shall constitute days work The city
itself also may submit a sealed esti-
mate on the work at the time the other
bids are submitted and il no bid sub
mitted Is better or lower than the one
made by the city, the corporation may
itself go ahead and do the work The
city may assess the costs and issue
certificates jus1 as is done now when
contractors do the work.
The bill authorizing cities and towns
rc construct all street Improvements
themselves specifies that workmen
shall not work more than eight hours
per day except in cases Of grave emer-
sency such as fire, flood or serious ac-
cidents.
]. H Strict president OF the Iowa
State Federation Of Labor, is here
looking after these bills and other leg
islatiou OF interest TO labor organiza-
lions. Much Of this legislation was
planned at the state meeting Of the
Iowa federation held in Marshalltown
June L. 1915 Resolutions embodyipg
The principles set forth N these bills
We're adopted. They will De introduced
into the legislatures Of other states as
well as Iowa.
Besiesed by Job Hunters.
About 5000 applications for thirty
appointive offices have been received
by Governor Harding. And the num-
Der of requests for JOBS is steadily in
creasing.
Every mail brings 70 the capitol sew
4 eral hundred letters suggesting the ap-
pointment Of certaJa persons TO certain
offices. Generally the fact thar the ap-
plicants were active in politics is men
e toned prominently IN the letters. The
higher paid positions are given the
preference ny the officeseekers.
The fact that the governor IS being
deluged with requests for positions
may be the result of the understanding
that a change of administration means
a change in the heads Of the state de-
partments. Ii is believed, however,
there will not be a Wholesale clearing
out OF the old officials. Some Of the
state appointive officers are expecting
reappointment while others are pre-
pairing to retire at the end of their
present term.
Some of the best paid Of the state
appointive offices will not become va
cant during the next two years, as the
terms OF the present incumbents ex-
Z tend until after Jan. |, 1919.