Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1919-04-23
IOWA ASSEMBLY
CLEAN UP SESSION
3sth General AssemCa. u Go
Down i'm History as b..
Greatest "Clean-Up" Sc 20.
MUCH CONSTRUCTIVE
LEGISLATION ACCOMPLISHED
Present Legislature Most Diligent
Investigating Body Ever Con-
yened Under the Dome of
the State House

Dly stopped the CLOCK at noon odJul-
day to conform to it's resolution to
adjourn sine die at the hour Of
twelve but continued to function
vigorously for several hours.
Investigations were on up to the
time the gavels fell and special COM
mittees authorized to act as being
continued to complete the probes.
The statement that the present
legislature has been the most dill
gent investigating body ever con-
vened under the dome Of the state
house stood unchallenged up to the
time of adjournment and the pre-
dictions were freely made that its
record along this line would not be
equaled for years to come.
The first "crack out of the box"
the senate refused to confirm Gov
ernor Harding's reappointment Of
State Insurance Commissioner J. A.
Taake but placed its stamp of ap-
proval on Senator Arthur Savage.
Then came the Rathbun probe in
volving the governor and the at
torney general, touching on all of
the passions of the human heart over
a circumstance that was full of
tragedy and bringing on an investi-
cation that was at all times dramatic
with touches of comedy and an all
prevailing pathos.
Too Much to Watch.
Ringling's three-ring circus never
had anything on the Thirty-eighth
general assembly when it came to
putting on more than any one mortal
could watch. There were various and
sundry investigations going on at
one and the same time Every few
days some new Investigation would
break. OF course the main show was
over in the judiciary committee
room adjoining the house chamber.
1t was past the midnight hour on
Wednesday night of this last week
of the session when the vote was
taken which freed the governor from
a trial on impeachment charges and
the next day after voting a mild cen
sure of the attorney general the
Rathbun case so for as the legiS-
1ature was concerned was laid in it's
grave,
Some Important Bills.
Among the measures over which
the legislators have been battling
thruout most of the session on which
concluding hours of the Dean bill,
the Rule cigarette bill and the Schaf-
fter bill granting women the right to
vote for presidential electors. The
Dean bill was amended by confer
ence committee to appropriate S37,-
500 annually to the attorney gener-
ais department for use Of the state
agents passed both houses. The
Rule cigarette bill which passed the
senate was killed in the house. The
Schaffter bill was passed by the
house, having gone through the sem
ate some two weeks ago.
The legislature also came thru
with bill for a course Of patriotism
in the public and private schools over
which there has been more or less
controversy. The measure was also
a conference committee bill amend
ing the Powers bill. The superintend-
ent of public instruction Is to pre-
pare an outline OF the studies on
American citizenship to be used in
the grades and the high schools must
offer an approved course in Ameri-
can history and ciyics.
Constructive Road Bill.
The road bill and motor vehicle
Dlll pdSSti ny DOJu HOuSeS uuliiiS
the closing weeks of the session are
acChrded the distinction of being
among the greatest constructive
measures which were ever put on the
Iowa statute books. 1t is predicted
that under these measures Iowa will
undertake roads building projects
which will involve the expenditure
of from fifty to one hundred million
dollars annually and will change the
road map of the state in many To-
calities. Many communities are re-
ported to be ready to at once begin
preparations for hard surfacing un-
der this bill which is now in full
force and effect, The motor vehicle
bill does not become oDerative until
December l of this year. 1t will
double the pleasure car fees and
bring it under the present registra-
tion some $7,O00,000 annually.
No changes were made in the laws
affecting public utilities, much to the
disappointment of public utility men.
No imDortant changes were made in
the railroad laws.
After much labor the principal pri-
mary election reform bill which
would have put the nomination or
state officers below lieutenant gov
ernOr back into the conventions was
defeated. 1t passed the senate but
never got by the house. The present
nonpartisan judiciary law was wiped
off the statute books and judges who
are out for office will now have their
names on the party tickets. Another
election bill by Kimball restored the
party circle to the ballot but with
out the possibilities for spoiled bal
lots which existed under the old
form since under this law voter
can mark the party circle and then
Continued on page 4)