Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 22, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 February 1901 — Late Legislative News. [ARTICLE]

Late Legislative News.

A bill has been considered to repeal the present law authorizing townships to vote aid to secure railroads. The bill will prcbably be amended so as to limit the amount townships can so vote to a few thousand dollars, and then passed. The House Committee on Natural Resources, after hearing a number of speeches, decided unanimously to recommend for passage the bill providing for a State forestry board of five members, four of whom shall serve without compensation. One member, who is to be secretary of the board and State Forester, shall receive $1,200 a year, with S6OO traveling expenses. The House Committee on Railroads will present a favorable report on Representative Neal’s bill requiring railroad companies to sell 500-mile mileage books for $lO, each book to be good for any member of the purchaser’s family as well as for the purchaser himself. The bill will pass the House, according to a poll taken by Mr. Neal. The bill to repeal the county referm law has met with an early death in the House Committee on County and Township business. Eight of the nine members of the committee agreed to sign a report recommending the indefinite postponement of the bill.SOME NEW BILLS. House bill No. 296 fixes the time that the term of office of the county auditor, county k olerk, county sheriff, county recorder, county coroner, prosecuting attorney and county assessor shall begin. Attorney General Taylor prepared the bill and appeared before the committee on judiciary to recommend its introduction and passage. House bill No. 273, provides that no coroner’s inquest shall be held until three resident freeholders in the neighborhood where the death occurred make affidavit of their belief that there are circumstance that need investigation. House bill No. 276, fixes a minimum wage scale for country school teachers. It provides that the average license fee shall be multiplied by two and one-half, the result being the minimum wage for a day. It also provides that teachers shall receive pay for attending county institutes.