The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1919-04-03

was guilty of rape. and that the par
don should be annulled or set aside,
| if possible.
The Harding-H avner investigation,
we are told by Chairman harrington
of the judiciary committee, will very
mittee early the present week.
! The McFarlane-Moore hotel regu-
llation bill that passed the house two
weeks ago came up in the senate
Friday forenoon and passed almost
unanimously but one slight o amend "a
spection of hotels of Iowa, with
sheets covering the mattresses in
beds, certain free toilets in hotels,
and rates to be posted in each room
and in the lobby, so that rates can
not be boosted according to the
tons every time there is rush Of
Attorney General Also Investigated.
Thursday afternoons, examination
of the governor suddenly turned the
investigation toward the actions OF
Attorney-General H. M. Havner in
securing several indictments by the
Ida county grand jury and then hav-
ing them suppressed or squashed on
the agreement of young Rathbun to
surrender his pardon and 60 to the
grand jury was called and testified to
several indictments that had been
voted upon or agreed to affecting the
attorney. Clark, the elder Rathbun
and the younger William Rathbun'
tons to Jones led along the line that
, it is crime to suppress justice or
| compromise a felony, and ii these
men were guilty enough to be indict-,
ed by the grand jury, what, right had
the grand jury or anybody else to
Rathbun to the penitentiary: WAS
| this right or fair to young Rathbun
to jeopardize his life for these 9TH
ers?" asked the attorney.
The elder Rathbun and his son
William were both examined Thurs
committee and big crowd That the
old man made a poor witness and
repeatedly swOre to lies was the i'm
preston made. The boy was more
careful and only tripped up time
or two very slightly.
This trial now, brought before the
busy members of the Judiciary com
mttee is interfering greatly with
legislation and will delay the session
possibly week, maybe two weeks,
though it is being sandwiched in be-
tween regular sessions and at night.
Old Sunday Laws.
Woe unto the proposed new Sun
day observance law in this state.
After passing the Senate few weeks
manipulation, the bill went to a dis
graceful defeat in the house this
week, Thursday, and by vote of
two to one. Enforcing these
blue laws" stand as enacted some
siXty-tive years ago, and everything
in the line of unnecessary labor or
! , Sunday ic nv statute
prohibited excepting the operation of
toll roads, ferry boats, stage coaches
and livery barns. Enforcing these
blue laws" will now be a good pas
time for the Encouragement and
all the state agents that can be en-
| ployed.
The state board of health bill to
regulate and control venereal diseas-
es passed the senate this week, and
hopes are entertained by DR.. Sum
mer, secretary of the board. that it
will pass the house also. The bill
over certain social and sinful dis
eases which promise to engulf hui
! mainly if not checked. The provis-
ions are drastic and along the lines
laid down by the government during
the war.
The new state housing bill passed
both houses this week a.: ana becomes pc ones
of over 5000 people, the state shall
determine a standard for houses,
size and height of rooms, etc. to
comply with certain sanitary require
ments, and houses built for work
men and others cannot be less than
this standard. The idea is to pro-
mote better living conditions. This
is we'll worked out law, the joint
subcommittee having been engaged
on it for weeks
The bankers got their measure
across Tuesday evening providing
that no new state banks can be es- |
tablished without the consent of |
the state superintendent Of banking, !
who shall investigate and determine
whether another bank is required in
any community. 1t is supposed that
this measure is one drawn for the
protection of banks in this state
which have done their full share in
the war measures. liberty bond sales,
etc, and where disloyal citizens or
others may now be seeking to estab- |
lish banks to put these loyal banks
out Of business.
G. L. Caswell