Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1917-01-26

indictment or prosecution Of any per-
sons carrying on any arrangement,
agreement or combination between
themselves made with view of less
ening hours of labor, or increasing
wages, or lettering the conditions of
workingmen, or for any act in pur-
suance thereof unless such act is OF
itself forbidden by law if done by q
single individual.
For An Eight Hour Work Day.
The Tucker bills in the house, con-
tinue the labor program. In one of
them the law would recognize eight
hours as the official work day for any
mechanic, workman, laborer. or any
person employed by any public officer
Of the state or any political division
thereof, or employed on work being
done for the state or any political d.
vision thereof. Exceptions are made
to the strict enforcement Of the law
in cases Of "emergency or accident or
such grave necessity as might be
caused by fire or flood, or work upon
public or military defenses or works
in time of war" Another bill gives
cities and towns the right to reject
contract bids for municipal work and
improvements and to perform the
work themselves, by purchasing nee
essary material and employing nee
essary workmen, and to issue bonds
and certificates for the same, in the
same manner as if the work had been
done under contract. A third bill
would make it compulsory on con-
tractors doing work for cities or
towns to agree to an eight hour day
for their employees.
Woman Suffrage Again.
Though the woman suffrage amend
ment which was defeated at the pri-
mary election last June, may come be-
fore the present assembly, and though
it may be adopted, there are signs
that It will not meet with the whole
hearted favor extended to it by the
members of the 35th and 36th general
assemblies. The women who are back
Of the movement realize this new feel
ing Of opposition to their pet measure,
and in order to aid more fully in get
ting the approval Of the legislators,
they have established headquarters at
Des Moines, with Miss Anna B.
Lawther, of Dubuque, in charge, and
have an active lobby at work in both
the senate and house. The women IN
their plea for resubmission Of the SUI
frage amendment will point out to the
legislators that in other states defeat
Of their project at the polls has been
met by renewed legislative approval
and that in South Dakota the amend
ment was submitted five times before
it was carried at the polls.
Fosters Road Patrol Bill.
The first good roads measure to
come to the attention Of the legisla-
ture is a bill by Senator Foster, of
Guthrie county, who was a member of
Governor Clarke's good roads COM
mission. The bill provides for the
constant patrol of established high
ways and roads, by men employed
constantly for that purpose during the
road working season. 1t is estimated
the cost of such a patrol system, and
the maintenance of the roads under
it's workings will be about $500 per
mile of road. 1t is pointed out that
during the year 1915 the cost Of main
tainance Of county roads was $74 per
mile and yet the roads were not salts
factorily maintained. The Foster sys-
tenn would increase maintenance cost
about 25 per cent, but it's friends
argue that it will be we'll worth the
expenditure, for under it the respon-
sibility for the condition Of any mile
Of road can be definitely fixed.
Prohibition Amendment on Way.
Outside of bill correcting some de-
fects in the document editor law, the
first measure of importance to get
through either house of the legisla-
ture was Senator Wilson's constitu-
tional prohibitory amendment resolu-
ton. Without any argument or dis
play of oratory the resolution was
adopted by the senate with As votes
for, three against, and two absent and
not voting. The opponents were
Henigbaum of Scott, and Frailey, of
Lee, republicans, and Schrup of Du-
buque, democrat. The absentees were
Greene Of Clinton, and Kimball OF
Pottawattamie. Senator kimball was
i'll at the Methodist hospital. The
amendment will be in charge Of Rep
resentative Roberts Of Ringgold, in
the house. has been made a special
order of business for Thursday Of this
week, and it will undoubtedly be
placed before Governor Harding for
signature within the next few days.
kimball's Primary Bill.
Senator Glen F. Kimball, Of Potta-
wattamie county, has introduced a
primary election bill which makes
many radical changes from the law as
it reads at present. He would change
the date of the holding of the state
wide and county primary election
from the second Monday in June to