The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1919-04-16

and the lieutenant governor becomes
governor until the Impeachment pro
ceedings are disposed Of. This will
make the chairman pro tenn OF the
senate the presiding officer during the
trial Senator Wallace Arney of Mar
shalltown holds that position.
The following were appointed by the
judiciary committee to draft the re
port for impeachment to present tc
the house:
T. P. Harrington, Kossuth county
chairman; j. B. Weaver, Polk county;
C.. F. Clark, Linn colpty; Will L.
King, Hardin county, and George B
Perkins, Sac county.
The report upon the action of Attor
ney General Havner for the part he
took in having the pardon set aside
will come up in separate indictment
if the committee votes to punish Mr.
Havner also.
The - highway mesEaged to the
senate after having passed the house
was debated the greater part of two
days, the discussion being over an
amendment offered by Senator Price OF
the Monona-M Marion district. After a
long and somewhat tedious debate a
subcommittee was appointed upon
motion of Senator Arney of Marshall
county to draft substitute for the
Price amendment. This was a com.
promise measure and after a cOrrec.
tion it was passed with but little op-
position and then the vote came upon
the completed bill, which passed with
only IL votes against it.
The amendment to the house bill
which was the bone of contention pro-
vides that the board of supervisors
shall not proceed with the hard sur
facing of roads until such work shall
have been authorized by majority
vote Of the electors of such county at
a general election or a special election
and that if the board does not sub
nit the question of it's own motion
they must do so upon petition of 10
per cent of the voters of the county.
1t also provides that such election
shall not interfere with any work un-
der contract at the time nor with fed
eral aid projects already approved at
the time of the election.
The. law provides that they may
submit the question of hard surfacing
on the same ballot as proposition for
bonding for the surfacing.
It is thought the amended bill will
meet with but little opposition in the
house. Both sides made concessions
and all factions seem satisfied with
the result. .e'rs. -.
The "spite bank" bill got back into
the house by virtue of a smooth piece
of strategy on the part of RepreSen-
tative Price of Dickinson county. The
bill was known as Senate File No. 476.
1t had passed the house but a motion
to reconsider had been filed. One day
last week when the members were
|busy, with various duties. Price made, a
motion that Senate File No. 476 be re-
referred to the sitting committee. But
little attention was paid to the matter
and so it was voted, to- refer. The
friends of the measure failed to recog-
nize the number of the bill thus re-
ferred and when it became known that
it was what is known as the spite
bank there was CONSERVATION in the
house. The bill came back from the
sitting committee so changed as not
to be recognizable. The friends of the
original bill got busy and another
days argument resulted and the bill
slightly amended again passed and
goes back to the senate for approval.
| The bill has created as much inter-
est and argument as any one before
the house during the session. 1t pro-
vides that no more private banks may
be established in the state. 1t further
provides that no new banks may be
established during the coming two
years without consent OF the state
banking department. An appeal may
be taken.Rto the committee on re-
trenchment and reform. ....,. 4. .
/ Il The main fight was over, the latter
part of the bill. 1t was shown that ac-
tivity on the part OF bankers in some
communities in behalf Of war activi-
ties had made bitter enemies of pro-
Germans and these people are now en-
gagged in organizing banks to even up
old scores. That is how the title of
"spite banks originated. Sc
Representative Bradley of Powe-
shiek county gave briefly the issues
involved when he said that ut has
been shown that pro-Germans in many
pidSCo III 1o"o w liz "Cl 1o1SSu w
buy Liberty bonds and contribute to
other war activities are now seeking
revenge by getting even with the bank
by starting new ones or forcing others
out of business. AS the banks are
asked, and expected, to give their time
and support to all war activities, do
not think they should be punished by
pro-Germans for SO doing. This,
sincerely believe, is being done in
many towns of our state. 4 know that
some newspaper are denying that
these conditions exist but we have re-
liable and sufficient evidence that this
very thing is being done and believe
it would be unfortunate, unjust and
unpatriotic to allow the banks to be
penalized by these German sympathiz-
ers simply because they have done
their patriotic duty.
We are approaching another Lib
erty loan drive and to me it would
appear very unfortunate for the legis-
lature of Iowa at this time to take any
action that would indicate we are in
|sympathy with any methods being now
used by disloyal citizens. I believe
that the banks which have so loyalty
supported and financed our Liberty
loan and other war necessities called
e.. l. ,1~~ L.