The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1878-01-24
NUMBER 4.


dience to the natural laws of trade. 1t may be
well to consider whether it would not be for
the best interest of the State to establish Board
OF COmmlssl0ners- has been done advantage
ously in other States whose duty it should be to
collate statistics in regard to the cost of con-
structinR, maintaining and operating railways:
with authority to examine into the causes and
nature of accidents. to receive, record and re-
port grievances, abuses and violations of law,
and to make recommendations in relation there
to. By this method future General Assemblies
would have reliable data on which to base legis-
lation.
EDUCATION.
Our system of public schools is justly the pride
Of all, and their efficiency should be promoted by
all proper means within onr power. The large
amount of money for their support, which IS
cheerfully paid by our people, year by year. evis
dences the interest taken by them in the cause of
education. While the average daily attendance
on the schools throughout the State large. yetit
will be found, on examination, that large per
and it is to be feared that many of these are
growing up in Ignorance, which g is near akin to
vice." The success of republican form of gov
large degree on the intelligence Of its citizens.
Recognizing, therefore, the broad fact that the
education of az the people is for the best interest
Of the State and Nation, has not the time come
for Iowa. which has even been fore
most in fostering educational interests,
to adopt some system of compulsory
eduSation3 This might. as an experiment be
who should be required by the law to attend
either public or private schools, at the option of
their parents, and the enforcement of the law
might as part of the experiment be left to the
local School Boards of the respective school-ds-
tricts. Compulsory education has been in opera
ton IN Germany for many years. In ls1o; En-
gland adopted q limited Compulsory Educa-
ton act, which left its enforcement to the local
School-Boards. In four years the law had been
put in operation by the School Boards represent
Two years later, the act was made general one.
Scotland adopted compulsory EDUCATION in 1872.
The operation OF these laws in Germany, En-
gland and Scotland, is reported as being emf
In our own country, Massachusetts, Connecti-
cut, New York, Maine, New Hampshire, Michi-
gan, Texas, Nevada, California, New jersey and
OHIO have adopted laws in regard Ito to compulsory conn
to work beneficially, and the opposition which at
first was manifested against the new system has
ceased. and the better its workings are UNDER
stood the more it is growing in public favor.
The State University is recognized by. the Com
stitution, and is under the guardianship of the
General Assembly. Its growth has been COM
mensurate with the growth Of the, State. In or
important factor in our grand system of popular
education, it should be supported by the State
with generosity and due regard to its increasing
necessities. Its revenues are not equal to
its requirements, and it is compelled to come be-
fore the General Assembly at each session as a
suppliant for pecuniary aid. The uncertainty OF
the Genea a assembly Tenders Il IL mposbe o for
the Board of Regents to make any definite and
comprehensive plan that would under more
favorable pecuniary conditions enable them year
by year to develop the University to its largest
degree of usefulness. permanent approprla-
ton of a certain sum annually-even If of a
small amOunt-would accomplish this object and
mt once place it on q basis that could not but
add materially to its efficiency, and in the course
of few years make the University what it was
intended to be-the cap-sheaf of our educational
system
CITIES.
The administration of the affairs of our cities
demands your consideration and attention
Gand be wse te adoS
uniform system of safeguards for the protection
of the taxpayers, in order to prevent the loose
and careless expenditure OF municipal funds OF
which the cities in some of the older States are
now experiencing the bad results. 1t IS already
a cause of general complaint by the Taxpayers
of our cities that their municipal affairs are con-
Quoted too loosely and without due regard to
their interests. Many of the cities are already
hampered in their growth by debts ncurred for
various purposes, which are increasing in amount
year by year. No city should be permitted to con-
tract an interest-bearing debt. without fir t sub
mitting the question OF incurring the same to q
vote of the Taxpayers. and it should be required
that gna pc 70 pas tho 10
cipal of such debt at maturity; and more strin-
gent statutes than we now have should be enact
ed forbidding municipal authorities from con-
tracing floating debts predicated on an antici-
patton of their revenues. 1t Is common occur
renee that Improvements of streets are author.
lied, and contracts let, involving large sums OF
but ae a. special benefit to few. This
is, perhaps, owing to the fact that
the Administrative affairs of our cities
iy composed of from six to fourteen. mem
bers, who are the immediate representatives OF
smaller municipal subdivisions-a fact frequent
cial to the general interests. 1t is well-ground-
ed conviction in the minds of many that the
financial interests of the cities of the State would
be better subserved by placing the management
of their affairs in Boards of Commissioners
elected at large somewhat similar to the system
under which the affairs of our counties are so
well managed and l suggest that Commission
be appointed to report to this or the next General
Assembly the propriety of placing the cities and
towns of the State under some more simple. uni
form and economical system of municipal gov
ernment than we now have.
COURT EXPENSES.
call your attention especially to the fact that
the expenses attendant on and incident to our
court system are large and increasing annually
to degree that causes serious apprehension and
complaint on the part OF the people. This dc.
mands your careful consideration, that remedial
action may be taken which will give relief to the
ROADS AND HIGHWAYS.
1t is thought by close and competent observers
that the present method of managing our public
roads and highways is neither efficient nor eco
nomical, and that the time has, arrived for a
change. That the general condition OF these
thoroughfares is far from being satisfactory. will
not be denied nor is it a matter OF doubt that the
losses imposed upon the community, by reason
thereof, are enormous. The closing month OF the
year Just past, during which an almost absolute
embargo was laid on traffic, has furnished VIVID
illustration of the importance of thus subject,
and its earnest and thorough consideration rec
ommends itself.
CONVICT INSANE.
Attention should be given to the report OF the
Superintendent of the Hospital for the Insane
at Mount Pleasant in regard to the Keeping OF
insane convicts in that asylum, and to the bad
results therefrom, for the reasons gwen IN a that
report It is clearly evident that this IS detrl-
mental to the other inmates OF that lpstltution.
suitable building could be erected on the
asylum grounds at a small expense to the state
in which the insane chnvicts would have the
requisite medical attention, and the other pa
tients be spared the disturbing and demoralizine
influences they are now subjected to.
PENTTENTARY.
Section 4667 of the Code permits the Wardens
of the State Penitentiaries to draw from the gen.
eral support fund of the Prisons fuel, lights and
provisions for their families and guests lhls Is
liable to abuse and should be amended by pay.
ing the Wardens certain per annum in lleu OF
all allowances.
FEES AND PERouIsITEs.
The custom of allowing State, county, or city
officials fees as part of or in addition to thell
salaries, is a most pernicious one. and Is dem9ral
izing in its effects on the receivers thereof rec
above the office Of Constable be paid into the
treasury entitled thereto, and that the State
county and city officialsbe paid fixed sum as
salary.
POLICE.
Section 1901 of the Code in regard to the
sale of coal-oil and burning fluids should
be amended. A large proportion G OF the
est Grade manufactured. Many of the acci-
dents resulting from the use of this article are
directly traceable to the fact that the low grades
of oil are highly infiammable at comparatively
low Temperature The sale of all coal-oil of less
than $50 to $50 standard fire-tAst should be pro-
hibited.
A statute should also be enacted regarding the
doors of buildings used for schools, churches and
other public assemblages, which doors should be
required to be constructed to open outward, IN
order that in case of fire egress from the same
could be safely and speedily accomplished.
MEDICAL.
have been earnestly requested by the medl.
State to call your attention to the necessity oi
establishinR State Board of Health, such as oul
neighborinR States have in operation, whose duty
* bo 10 s,r,Oy the 0nalIfiCQtlOns O1