Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 35, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 February 1903 — Late Legislative Notes. [ARTICLE]

Late Legislative Notes.

Senator Hendee’s bill providing that county commissioners, township trustees and road supervisors shall keep roads need in rand free delivery in order and providing a fine of from $1 to $2 a "day for failure to do so. was passed on its third reading in the honse Friday. The prosecuting attorneys have not given up their fight for an increase in salary, although the honse bill was killed. They are pushing the bill introduced by Senator Lyons, whioh gives prosecutors in circuits of more than one oounty $750 a year, an increase of $250. A bill has been introduced in the House and mad 6 a caucus measure by the Republican majority providing for a state board to purchase eohool supplies, taking this power away from township trustees. The governor, auditor of state, superintendent of pnblio instruction and a superintendent of oity sohools are made members of the board. Township trustees make requisitions for supplies needed and the state board bays them in large lots and distributes them. It is a good bill and along the right lines. A similar reform will some day be applied to all county supplies, also. Representative Jesse E. Wilson has introduced two more good bill in the House. One of these provides an adequate punishment for euoh desecration of cemeteries as that recently committed by a rum orazed wretoh at Lowell. It provides for imprisonment for from two to ten years, or a fine of from $lO to $2,000 and disfranchisement as a penalty for wHfttFy or mischievously defacing or removing tombstonee, or any fence or railing around tombstones. The other bill provides a fine of from $5 to SSO for any owner or manager of any pool, bagatelle or pigeon-hole or any gaming table or bowling alley who permits a minor to play. Both of these are excellent bills and ought 40-become laws, without question. Another bill to prevent abuse of gravel roads has been introduced making it unlawful to haul over any turnpike, gravel or macadam road, when the road is thawing or is soft from rains; with any vehicle with tires less than three inches in width, a combined weight of vehiole and load of more than 2,000 pounds, and making a scale of weights for vehicles with a greater width of tires.

Under the law already passed county assessors this year will begin their work March 1 and continue until May 15, being thus allowed seventy-five days to complete their duties.

Another new feature of the law this year is that mortgage exemption affidavits must be filed in Maroh instead of April as heretofore. If these affidavits are made any time daring March they will be effective on the 1903 assessment Another provision passed by the assembly and sure to be signed by the governor is that increasing the term of office of county assessor two years. Thus Couaty Assessor Phillips will hold over two years longer.