Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-03-31
,LlTTlE PROSPECT FOR Ao,
TOURNAMENT OF LEGiSLA.
TURe FOR THREE WEEKS.
PARDON INVESTIGATION
CONSUMES MUCH TIME
Many Important Measures Remain to
Be Considered by Ono or Both
Houses - Considerable Progress
Made During Past Week-Housins
Bill Certain to Become Law.
Special to Times Republican.

lDGS MOinCS, MHTVV III ~
eighth general assembly in the clos
ing weeks Of its session Is facing I'M
portant tasks. Altho II is customary
for the Iowa legislature to adjourn
about the second week in April there
is now a probability that adjournment
will not now be had until about April
10.
The Rathbun pardon probe OF the
house judiciary committee Is expected
to be completed by the end OF the
present week. While forecasts on the
committees report are only specula-
tive it is quite generally believed thas
both Governor w. L. Harding and At
torney General Fl. M. Havner will
come in for a severe reprimandiaS but
that no Impeachment proceedings Will
be instituted.
A report from the senate committee
on departmental affairs will be out
late today or Tuesday. II its plans do
not miscarry. dealing with the affairs
In the office of the secretary o. state.
Action on this matter Is also booked
for before the week is over.
The road bill and the automobile
license bill will also be threshed thru
during the coming four or five days
unless some hitch develops to cause
delay.
With these matters out of the way
the assembly will make short shrifs of
what remains. Night sessions are in
prospect II they are found 20 be neccs-
sary and the usual disposition along
i<,hN Ia, tn Nm. nv IN o
minor legislation drop without further
consideration is again in evidence.
The general appropriation bills
which must of necessity be left until
the close Of the session are being COM
pleted ready for introduction before
the final windup. The senate COM
mittee on departmental affairs which
undertook the task Of making a sort
of survey Of the various state depart
ments TO adjust salaries is yet to bring
in it's bill which will embody it's recon-
mendations as to increased salaries.
Increase and adjustment Of salaries OF
state employees which will be provided
for in this bill will be closely analysed
by the members and will probably
bring out considerable feeling as there
is more or less Of personal interest In
Its provisions.
! Work Of Past Week.
! The school consolidation bill by
Senator SMITH of Madison county.
which was drawn to clear UP the
school consolidation law passed two
years ago and meet objections raised
to 1t by State Superintendent Deyoe
and others, was passed by the house
this last week after having previously
gone thru the senate. 1t, simplifies the
machinery which must be set in
motion before school consolidation can
be perfected. It also seeks to get away
from a situation often arising thru
consolidation when strips of country
are left just outside Of the consolidated
district without being in any district
whatsoever.
The house this past week refused to
concur with the senate in amending
the present Sunday laws or so-called
blue" laws 50 that the present laws
will remain on the statute books un-
changed.
The housing bill has passed both the
house and senate and will become a
law. The general purpose Of the law
is to forestall in Iowa the growth Of
any tenement house districts such as
have proven the curse Of many Of the
larger cities of the east. It will further
regulate all buildings used for habita-
tons so that they will be sanitary,
have plenty Of light and ventilation
and proper plumbing. 1t prohibits the
use Of basement or cellar rooms for
living rooms.
,,,,ic a1, Nv
begun its work on code revision. The
| members say this is a bigger task than
Is realized by the layman and that 1t
will be many months before any re-
vised codes can be brought out. The
governor will probably have to call a
special session of the legislature to ap-
prove the revision.
Several Insurance bills by the In
surance committees have been intro
| duced this past week, among them a
bill authorizing rating bureaus, the
rates to be supervised and passed on
by the state Insurance commissioner.
A force of inspectors would be pro-
vided for in this bill to make inspec-
tons Of the risks with respect to the
ratings fixed by the bureaus. Two
years ago the legislature repealed the
state ratink bureau law after it had
been in operation a few years. The
proposed law Is similar to the one re-
pealed two years ago.
The workmen's compensation bill,
recognized as a far reaching measure,
has not yet been reported out by the
senate insurance, committee. This bill
is meeting with opposition in some
quarters by employers who do not
want to come under its provisions.
Further activity on the part OF suf-
fragists is being manifested In efforts
to secure the passage Of the bill by
Representative Weaver OF Polk
county. to give. women the right to
vote for presidential electors. This
bill passed the house and after being
referred to the senate committee on
elections it was recalled from that
committee and indefinitely postponed
by vote Of thirty one to seventeen.
However a motion was filed for recon
sideration and 1t Is on the senate cal
endar. It will probably come UP some
time during the week. Missouri this
past week passed such bill and a
number Of the middle west states have
| passed it. It will be urged that the