Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1919-02-03
Fixing the Primary Laws.

passed.
Fixing the Primary Laws.
A general assault on the primary
, election laws was begun Thursda!
were reported out of the elections com
mittee. One was to cut off the names
of presidential electors from the ballot
and to permit the printing of the pres
idential candidates names at the head
of the tickets, and another to make the
nominations of all state candidates be
low that of acknowledgement at the
Estate conventions of the parties. An
other bill is designed to place the cir.
Gle back on tile ballot. 1t seems to he
the general sentiment that such bills
may pass and become the law, as both
the democratic and republican cOnven-
tiOns last year adopted resolutions IA
voring change in the primary laws.
But another BILL offered by Senator
Price, seeks to repeal the nOnpartisan
judicial primary law entirely and pro-
vides for a county and district conven-
ton plan of nominating all judges for
district, superior and state supreme
courts.
| A joint committee meeting OF the
two houses and hearing on this bill
was held Wednesday last, when sew
eral of the supreme court judges spoke
on the proposition, all favoring the re-
tentiOn of the non-partisan Judiciary
lrather than going back to the conven-
ton plan proposed. 1t may be said
with confidence that Senator Prices
bill will not be passed. One who has
sounded the sentiment of the senate
says that majority are against lit
now.
Take Turned Down.
State Insurance Commissioner J. f.
Taake, who was appointed by Governor
Harding to fill the place of Empory
English, resigned, was reappointed by
the governor recently and his name was
sent to the senate for confirmation. A
committee on investigation of the APP
pointee reported Thursday morning and
for two hours Friday morning the sen
ators were behind locked doors Secret
ly discussing the matter of cOnfirma-
ton with the result that Mr.. Take
was turned down. Charges against
him were strongly presented by nu-
merous insurance interests, who claim
ed he was discOurteOus and incompe.
tent and everything else. 1t is said
some personal feeling may have enter
ed into the matter, also.
Road Legislation Coming.
Regardless Of all other reports, we
believe some real road legislation is
going to come out of this session OF
the general assembly. But it will be a
rewriting of all the highway laws as
well as the auto license and motor tax
laws. Road bills of dozen different
kinds and bearing on various phases
of the road question have been offered
in both houses, but they would muddle
up things, it is said, and would not get
the state out of the mud. With mil
lions of federal money sure to come to
Iowa, the disposition is to get prac-
tical road making program started here
that will meet the requirements of the
government and secure this help. A
joint meeting of the highways commit
tees of the two houses held recently
indicated that bills will be soon forth
coming that will be carefully consid-
cred and fully meet the situation. The
county option feature of bond issues
will, however, be about all in that line
that will come out of it in the end.
Legislators may be said to generally
favor the issuing of bonds to secure
the best roads possible, but they will
not permit it to be done without
vote of the people most directly con-
ccrlleu. LIKE IlNlHs III NitiNs, i. 10
regarded as matter of but a year or
two more when every locality will be
favorinE hard-surfaced roads OF either
or other permanent construc-
ton. The farm truck is here to stay,
and farm trucks demand good roads.
State Veterinarian Resigned.
DR.. j. l. Gibson, state veterinarian
of Iowa for most of the past eighteen
or twenty years, has resigned his posi-
ton and will engage as manager OF a
la rye serum business in Illinois. There
is a movement on foot among the vet
crinarians. horse and cattle breeders |
and others Interested over the state, to
have q board of seven named to guard
and handle the health of the stock of |
the state, somewhat after the plan OF
the state health board. Whether this
will be accomplished or not is hard to |
say, but if it is not the state of Iowa
will certainly have to pay its state vet
arinarian salary instead of only his |