Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1919-04-07
LEGISLATURE ! | / IS
ON FINAL LAP
Report.of the RathbunS Par
don Investigating Com
mittee Expected
This Week.
:
ROAD BILL IS NEXT
Road Bill and Doubling Of
Auto Licenses Chief
Ri1lc loft
ROAD BILL IS NEXT
(By The Associated Press. }

4 llllEIy-elSHln general ASSEMBLY Is enter
ing the final lap of its remarkable SEES
sion, with comparatively few measures
remaining to be acted upon before ad
Ijournment sine die, probably about
April II.
The house of representatives has
passed resolution fixing that date as
quitting time" and it is likely the
senate will act on it either today OF
tomorrow. 1t is virtually certain that
adjournment will be taken not later
than. April 10.
Investigations, which have been pc.
culiar to this session, will be wound up
this week, according to present plans,
with the conclusion of the house Judi
CARY committees investigation of the
Rathbun pardon case. The committee
is expected to complete the taking of
testimony this afternoon at short
session.
There is the usual speculation as to
recommendations likely to be made to
the house by the judiciary committee,
Fbut no one is in position to state ac-
lcurately what form they will take, due
principally to apparent disagreement
among committee members over va rious
phases of the inquiry.
Report this Week.
1t is unlikely that .the committees
report and recommendations can be
completed before Wednesday, at the
earliest, but this presents the possibili-
| ty that the house can dispose of the
matter by the end of the week at least
so far as deciding what it's action shall
be.
The other major investigation-for
there have been several minor ones
was that conducted by the senate COM
mittee on departmental affairs into the
conduct of the secretary Of states Of
ftice; IN inquiry that ended in-the resig-
nation of William s. Allen, four times
elected to the office, and the appoint
ment of Walter G. Ramsay of BelmOnd
as his successor, effective next July 1.
When the senate adopted the report
of the departmental affairs subcommit-
tee, it approved Examinations OF the in
yestigation into the conduct Of the Of
flee, with particular reference to the
automobile bureau, SO the Allen inves-
tigation may be considered a closed af-
fair.
This clears the inyestigatory stage
for the curtain on the Rathbun inquiry,
which has been marked by numerous
sensations, charges and counter charg-
es, intersperscd literally with. personal
attacks.
So closely has the attention of the
public been conferred on the investiga-
tions-really "side shows Of the leg
islature, the main top" SO to speak
that the rapid progresspof both house
and senate i'm disposing of important
measures has gone virtually unnoticed.
AS a matter of fact, the only meas
ures considered Of vital Importance re-
maining before the general assembly,
aside from the usual omnibus apprO-
priations bill. are the automobile Ii
cense measure and the good roads bill
and the last named measure already
has passed the house.
Road and Auto Bills.
The automobile license bill really is
nothing more than a supplement to the
road bill, seeking, as it does, to increase
the motor vehicle revenues, which so
to the primary road fund. Under the
measure as drawn at present, it is pro-
posed to practically double the license
fees so as to produce total revenue
of SG,OOOOOO or 81, 100000. A minimum
annual license fee of S15 is planned ut
present by trainers of the bill.
1t is from the automobile revenues
and federal aid that "a per cent Of the
primary road fund is to come. The
other - per cent is to be raised through
special assessments on benefited pro-
perry in zone extending not more than
one and half miles from the roadway
improved
This primary fund would be applied
exclusively to improvement of the ''pri-
mary road system" consisting Of APP
proximatcly G.OOO miles of interc0unty
roads, connecting the county seat and
market centers. Federal aid is express
ly limited to this system. The remain
ing highways, known as the secondary
system, would be taken care of through
the usual two mill road tax.
Hard Surface Optional.
The bill, as amended in the house,
makes it optional with each county as
to what form of hard surfacing shall
In done either paving or gravcling and
|oiling and upon filing petition sign