Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1921-04-13
STATE IS SAVED
FOR TWO YEARS MORE
LEGISLATORS ON HIGH GEAR AT
THE LAST, FINISHED SES-
ION IN GOOD SHAPE
BOXING BILL MEETS DEFEAT
Most Matters of Importance COnsid.
cred by General Assembly
Final Observations
Des Moines, April II, 1921.
If is finishedi

! Des Moines, April II, 1921.
It is finished!
The thirty-ninth General Assembl.
of Iowa come to an end sometime Fri
day night, April 3th. Those who stay
ed to the finish were Lieut.. Gov. Joh1
Hammil, presiding over what wa!
left Of the Senate, and Arch w. Nc
Farlane, directing what was left o.
the House membership. 1t may be
stated that few of those remaining
would have been grateful for an am.
bulance to carry them back to the
hotel, or any old place, SO tired and
"all-in" were they.
The last ten days OF Legislative
session is siege that "gets the goat
of most of them. Early and late
every hour and minute the members
must be alert, on the job and watch.
| ing their bills. Then so many outside
interests demand attention. Every.
body having anything before the leg
islature is at fever heat trying to
get action. Members are besieged
directly, indirectly, by subterroneous
avenues and by wireless. Good friends
lay down on them for just one favor
| other members try to get legislative
friends who are under obligations for
| past favors to "come across" with
something in return. Sitting commit
tee members are simply besieged till
they want to hide from everybody
And finally, when most of the bic
| things are out Of the way and over
or past resurrection, everybody be-
comes reckless, more or less. Even
sedate legislators who have not smil-
ed or chummed much with anybody
| feel toward the end letting up OF
tht strain, of swapping of nerves
as they relax, while thoughts Of home
and their own business intrude.. Then
| is when they answer roll calls with
out even knowing what they are vot-
| ing on, often. Sometimes they don't
care d. They vote against
anything suspicious or for anything
some friends want, knowing that 1t is
not important, or if it is, they car
perhaps hear about it in time tc
block 1t later.
/ have even seen the remnant ol
House members in the last hours Of
a last-night session standing in
groups near the speakers desk where
they might better hear and be heard
cracking jokes between votes, and
| waste baskets thrown half across the
chamber, or mayhap swipe with a
wet sponge or even spittoon shot
wild. Staid senators have also in
dulged in this last hour recklessness
sometimes, though with only half the
House membership the Senate is more
easily kept in due bounds and it's &C
tions circumscribed.
| And then home, and rest. Many a
member goes home sick and unfit for
anything after the three months
strain, and often you may hear OF
some who have been thirty days
getting Strengthened out and ready for
their own affairs again.
Little Left III hopper
1t may be said this session has left
less in the legislative hopper when
the works closed down than any ses-
sion in recent years. The House,
| with it's electric voting machine, has
set the Senate pace right along,
With night sessions and extra hours
all the scattered matters were brought
out for action, with limited debate and
without chance for reconsideration.
What tempest the public utilities
bill did cause last week. The House
passed the measure by a strong vote,
changed it's mind and wanted the bill
back. The Senate refused to send
it back and passed the bill. Various
resolutions and other moves were
made to kill the bill, but it went TO
the governor, and Governor Kendall
finally chloroformed it with veto.
The bill seemed to give a special
board of three district judges the
power to determine the need for
changes in street car, electric service
and other public utilities rates. We
hear that evidence was presented to
the governor to show that increases
in such rates to the extent of one
third to one-half and even sixty per-
cent were anticipated by some.
A second utilities bill, with some
of the features of the first, was got
ten out of the sitting committee in
the House last Wednesday, and a last
desperate attempt was made to put it
over. 1t failed, however, and the is
sue sleeps.
A Real Blue Sky Law
And then came the WeaverWhit-
more blue sky bill to prevent and re-
strict the sale of fraudulent or specu-
lative stocks and securities OF Iowa
concerns. 1t had passed the House
and in the Senate caused a fight OF
| days. Finally substitute offered by
Ethel received attention and the line
of battle formed on it. Amended and
strengthened till its teeth show across
| the continent, the substitute finally
| passed. Those who wanted to tenn
per the Weaver bill to mild and In
! nocent measure to prevent injury Il
legitimate promotion interest in this
state, got something for their efforts
but the scaly or suspicious proposition
! hereafter vii have but scant chance
to float in Iowa.
Cigarette License Law
The Dodd bill to require license