Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1919-04-09
ACTIVITIES Of The
STATE Legislature
SECRETARY OF STATE ALLEN RE-
SIGNS POSITION. SUCCESSOR
is NAMED.
ROAD BILL PASSES THE HOUSE
Bill Passes Requiring All Schools to
Use English Language. Nearing
End Of Pardon Probe.
BY Ex-senator G.. L. CaswelI.

|
those who still have bills for acts they
| wish passed stand about one chance
in seven of getting them acted upon
favorably. A sitting committee is the
last resort of the legislature before
moving back to their homes. The sift-
| ing committee sorts over all pending
| legislation, decides in more or less
perfunctory way what is good, bad
and Indifferent among the many
bills turned over to it, let's out onto
the floor some of the bills and fills
the waste basket with the rest-and
many members fond dream of i'm
mortality in the way of latest law
creation subsidies right there. Both
houses will have sitting committees
in operation next Tuesday, April Sth.
Adjournment is now looked forward
to within two weeks. In fact, the
house adjournment resolution sets the
date Of adjournment at April 18th, in
which the senate may concur, and
then both houses will aim to have 1t
"all over over here" by midnight Of
that date.
Although it is surprising to many
the Kimbal bill for the erection of
law library and supreme court build
ing was passed by the senate last
week and it carries $750,00O for the
purpose of erecting magnificent
structure on the capitol grounds to
house the state supreme court and
the law library, both Of which depart
ments now occupy considerable room
in the big state house. 1t is regarded
necessary to relieve the pressure for
more room in the big building, and to
make the law library safe. The house
had killed similar bill week before
in which million dollars was asked
for this same purpose. Now it is
predicted the senate measure will
pass and the new building be provid-
ed within two years.
Road Law Passes House.
The House of Representatives on
Wednesday passed the big road bill
and incidentally showed what it, could
do in the way of speeding up on, big
propositions when necessary. The bill
came on for consideration Wednesday
forenoon, was attacked. by enemies
and amended by friends. But neither
enemies nor friends stopped it very
long. The discussion was good ma
tured and earnest with every purpose
to make it good bill and real road
law when it did pass. An amendment
hxy S1nccnr norunitfinr ppvnttoc 10
gravel instead of pave the roads with
the special funds provided was adopt
ed, and another amendment by Edison
of Buneau Vista provides for refer
epdum vote of the people of any
county as to whether the county shall
take advantage of the provisions of
the law or not.
The final vote on the good roads
bill was aye 66, no Al.
Up In Senate Next Week.
We are advised that the road bill
will not come up in the senate till
next Wednesday, the 9Th. There is
some doubt about its passage, we are
informed, unless radically amended,
but heretofore the senate has been the
good roads end Of the legislature al
ways, and unless personal differences
which have come up in the senate
during the session enter into the mat
ter this road bill will pass and be-
come law. -
1t is claimed by friends Of the road
bill that it is the best road law ever
passed in any state. This is Speaker
McFarlanes opinion, as we'll as Rep
resentative Santee's and many other
who know every line of it.
Must Teach in English.
The Dean bill, requiring that all in
struction in public and private schools
in Iowa must be in the English Ian
guage hereafter, passed the senate
Thursday, and the bill will become a
law. Permission is conveyed in the
law, however, that instruction IN for
eign languages may be taught in such
schools, but as regular course Of
study and not as means of instruc-
ton while religious instruction may
be given pupils as such German Ian
guage schools in Iowa are of course
the cause for the passage Of the act,
land severe penalties are provided for
violation of the law.
New state banks may not hereafter
be started in any town in Iowa with
out the consent of the state superin-
tendent of banking. according to the
bill that passed the senate last week
and got through the house this week
Tuesday. That is the banking super
intendent may investigate the field
and the requirements of any commun-
ity in which a new bank is proposed
and if he deems it inadvisable for a
new bank to be opened there he may
refuse to issue charter for one. The
real purpose back Of this bill is said
to be the protection Of loyal banks
and bankers who were forced by the
government to take, an active part in
handling the Liberty Bond sales last
year, and where now certain individ-
uals are taking advantage of the feel
ing in the communities to start op-
position banks and destroy these 10y