Decorah public opinion., 1923-02-14
NEW IOWA BILE.
BY LEGISLATURE
House and Senate Have Passed a
Number of Important Bills
During Past Week.
WOMEN CAN BECOME
MEBERS LEGISLATURE
The Tax Administration Question
is a Big PrshIem and Receiv-
ing Plenty Attention Now.

Des Moines, Iowa, Feb. 12-The
Fortieth Iowa General Assembly last
week allowed the roads question TO
sleep almost undisturbed, while at
te.tion was turned to the tax laws.
"A Iull, during which even the road
committees have not been particu-
lahy busy, followed passage by the
house fortnight ago of the Pat
terson and Fackler bills. The most
Interesting development was an an
Nouncement by Senator Mead of But
Ter that he intends soon to propose
again his plan to reduce the state
highway board to a one-man COM
mission, and to move the highway
offices 10 Des Moines. Senator Mead
fathered such a bill two years age,
and it received seventeen votes in
the senate--only nine less than &
constitutional majority.
Early last week the senate cleared
the decks for work on the Legislative
tax committees report. In order to
give the ways and means committee
time for its huge task, the senate
all last week put off its morning
meetings until IL O'Clock. The cor
Inittee thus had about two hours TO
meet, before the session each morn
ing Up to Saturday the committee
had spent total Of perhaps ten
bours's talking over proposed tax
law changes.
The committee has fixed its plan
of procedure. 1t has started 20
crack the hardest nut first. Its rule,
az u the tax committees report, Is
TO take up the FIVE bills proposed in
the order in which they appea-.
Therefore the committee will entire
Nv dispose of the bill proposing to
create a state board of assessment
and a system of county assessors, be-
fore it does any other business.
The committee in its frequent meet
ings is in effect probably determin-
ing the policy Of the senate as to
whether the present state tax ad-
ministration system shall be changed
and how. Twenty-seven members OF
the senate-one more than half of
the entire membership--are On the
committee. Therefore any committee
Recommendation that has anything
like unanimous committee approval
will be through the upper house
without further argument.
The committee feels its response
bility, and it is going cautiously. Sc
far the time has been spent mostly
in informal debate. At the end si
last week there had not been com.
mittee vote taken that would indi.
cate a majority committee convIc.
tion upon any of the tax committee:
suggestions. But the talking hat
served an important purpose. Com
mitteemen had begun to grasp thu
tax problem. They had been i'm
formed of the facts of the Iowa ta'
system, and had been somewha
equipped with a vision of its actua
operation. When this vision be
comes a little more detailed ant
precise they will be ready, perhap
within week from now to take VI
the proposed administration bill
work il over to conform 70 the com
mittee's majority opinion, and re
commend the resulting measure Z
the senate.
Whether this job, when completed
will propose a system anything lik
the one urged by the Legislative Ia
committee Is a matter still securel,
hidden behind the curtain of th
future. When the report first wa
made public il Is doubtful " nor
than two Of the q ways and mean
committeeman were thorough
"soId" ON the assessment board
county assessor plan. These w
were Senators Smith gnd pdtcheI
who helped 70 write the report y
the other hand there we're "eyer
members Of The committee am N
formed OF at least half a DOZEN
,,Aa vs,a .inelmed off,hnnd 20 leay
80 ,,.ssr4 .ystem undisturhed Bu
I ~. - ,he committeeman hay
eyAepced deposition % ~ .''
ne p al their OF N'Td '' no'.
80 ,orly prnamntb ars
. I.r ,w pnder way with min,
~. o,, S. Gar Chairman SnIl