Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1921-02-10


ance rates; forbiddfng rebates Of
premiums paid, and otherwise safe.
guarding the rights and equities OF
the many thousands of smaller in.
surance risks in this state.
Appearance of certal interests in
the halls of legislation and surround
ing vantage points has already been
noted since the offering of this bill
Possibly the people out over the
state will sleep on their rights at this
time and let them kill the bill as
they were able to do two years ago.
iOr will the aforesaid people get busy
\ with the mails and demand protec-
ton on a matter that amounts to far
more TO them than any additional
tax levy in this state can possibly
amount to?
Working on Code Revision
A plan has finally been adopted to
get the work of Code revision under
way as rapidly as possible. The Sen
ate and House have each been divid-
ed into eighteen committees or more,
these committees assigned TO certain
parts of the code revision work and
acting independently to get the COM
! PARSONS of the new compiled code
made with the old Code, with the
later code supplements and session
laws so as to preclude any slips or
additions not authorized by regular
legislation. Some OF these commit
tees meeting evenings in their hotel
rooms or otherwise already begin TO
feel that there is some real work
about this legislative business, and
they are not bit enthusiastic about
the promise of six month steady Of
1t before the code revision is finally
made.
4 The longest, hottest fight of the
session developed on last Wednesday
I over the Whitmore bill providing
that "as to school bonds heretofore
voted and not yet issued and as to
such school bonds as may be voted
hereafter and prior to January /,
1928, same may bear a rate of inter-
, est not exceeding 6 per cent per an
num-" From 1920 Wednesday fore
noon until 400 p. m. the Senate ses-
sion was intense and full OF ginger.
Senator'S Smith, of Madison county,
Price of Monroe, Meredith of Jasper,
Brookhart of Washington and Buser
OF Muscatine, all took raps at the
proposition and with amendments of
all kinds sought to change or rem
edy the proposed measure according
to their views. With a solid front
the advocates Of the Whitmore meas
ure voted down all amendments and
carried the bill over by vote of 80
to IL. If the bill passes the House IL
will map a way out for many school
districts with buildings and building
projects on hand that are worrying
them because of the inability 80 float
I their bonds at the fixed rate OF five
per cent.
Heclling the Highway Commission
Wednesday was also field day for
those who think they have bone to
pick with the state highway commits
sion. The highways committees of
4 both houses met in joint session and
heard the reports and explanations
OF the highway commissioners, and
especially did they question Chief
Engineers Fred White regarding the
act and projects of the highway COM
mission in various parts of the state.
They probed the cost of operations
generally, OF the office force and en-
gineers, of the cost of surveys and
field work, and the finances of the
commission. The commissioners and
the chief engineer met all these at
tacks squarely and invited questions
regarding their work. There has
been sort of feeling since the hear
ing that the attacks on the commits
sion did not develop very much, al
though those who demand a change
of the whole highway policy and the
abolition of the commission will still
be heard from, it is said.
Bonus Bill Presented
The House has passed numerous
bills of lesser importance during the
week, and committees are working
on some of the big propositions.
Representative Yenter on Thurs
day presented the big bill of the ses-
sion, House file No. 401, bill for
an act making provision for issuing
bonds to the amount of $4,000, 900
for the payment of a bonus "to per-
sons who entered and served in the
military or naval service of the Unit
ed States at any time between April
6, 1917, and Nov. IL, 1918, or their
Illegal representatives, providing for
a board to supervise and make such
payment, providing penalties for vi
olations and providing for a disabil-
ity fund" etc. II is commonly un-
derstood that this bill, if passed, will
mean that the people of the state will
have TO vote on the proposition of is
suing such bonds, at the next gem
eral election. and that therefore the
Ipropoed bonus will not be available
until after such vote is carried. The
bonus will amount to fifty cents per
day for each soldier in the service
during the time he was in such ser
vice.
A complication unlocked for has
appeared since the bill was offered
in the shape of demand from the
boys of the S. A. T. G. that they be
granted a share in the bonus to be
paid.
Appropriations Are Inspected
The big appropriations bills of the
several state educational institutions
and the board of control of state in
stitutions are now being scanned by
subcommittee to ascertain where
and how these bills may be pared
down to meet existing conditions. II
is no small job. These bills involve
many millions of dollars for the next
two years in the states business. The
appropriations committees are stand
ing pat on a desire to keep che tax
levy down to where 1t is, or at least
to very slight raise. The dividing
line between liberalty and conserva-
tism is well defined at this session,
and nothing will get by that is not
essential and which in the nature OF
things cannot well be postponed. But
progress in the state will not be
barred nor curtailments OF finances