The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1884-01-24

L
fF'"bie, 10th In number OF banks and amount
of capital, and treble in amount of deposits.
Banks and banking institutions are necessity
to the business of the country. 1t Is estimated
that more than theee-fourths OF the exchanges
between different portions OF the land arc made
through the. medium Of banking associations.
Az the number Ut National banks decrease. those
organized under the lava df tile States will cor
ttspohdingly Increase. II is a matter Of prime
inn ortance, therefore, that the laws provide am
lle rro,e ttion to the people who transact busi-
hess and deposit their savings with these insti-
tutioEs. Il the law he strict ~ may be-thc
interests Of the many thousands Of the people,
FRI m the laborer with his weekly savings to
the wealthy business man who purchases
exchang -, who are customers OF these banks.
can not he too securely guarded. Upon you
rests the respon iblity of maintaining the integ-
legislation as will rtnducc to the advantage Of
all concerned. In my opinion. the business Of
supervising the banks should he placed under
The CO sr an should @ Be dataahea from a
the Auditor s office and plac Il In charge of the
Superintendent of Banks--the officer to he styled
Commission of Banks and Insurance. The in
surance interests of the State are already of
vast nlIo:tance-suffcicntly so to require the
personal attention of special officer lesigna' ell
therefor, II the state would secure to the people
The report of Nav, 1881, which IL the last yet
tssued. shows that tile risks written dnring
the year in the State amounted to S20 .ai9 2OT.4
shs nsar fs ETery
citizen Is Interested In this matter. and
this state can not excuse itself any indiiler-
ence az To this important subject favor the
transfer Of this business and the bank control
from tire present authority, because the Auditor
has all the responsibility he should be charged
with in the proIer management OF the revenue
the State, including the payment of alpro-
priations according to Your direction. and, as
well, the care of the school fund, and the dispo
sition Of the accumulations thereto lie Is also
member uf the Executive Council and in the
fit y9rinns RI
ant ca'isc to fully o@capy his time. 1t Is prac-
ticaliy impos -iblc for lm to give that personal
attention 10 the insurance and bank interests
which their importance demands.
Mofeoye', am firmly convinced that every
individual banker and copartnership advertising
to do a banking business should also be made
amcnable to the law governing incorporated
tanks tso far as applicable. and, for the same
reason, rejection to the public
OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
1t is with feelings of both pride and pleasure
that submit the report nf tho superintendent
OF lublic Instruction. From about 2.43o chill
aren enrolled as lu.is in the first year OF our
state existence, lsi1, the number has increased
with the growth OF the State until, by the last
report, we have total enrolment i'll school Of
I6+s4}2. The number OF teachers las also grown
from l2i until over - are now employed, and
In like manner, the school houses have increased
from les nearly all built Of logs to i,s25. val
ued at $4,000 0oo which for architectural beauty,
soidity Of construction, and capacity. are
State Of the Union: and the yolum.s in the
school issfict Libraries aggregate nearly $4,000.
And, II more evidence be nee ell OF the devotion
OF the people 10 the ublic school system, it IL
found in the fact that about one-half the entire
TAXA; ion OF the State tor I'll school purposes is
for the support Of the common schools. Such a
shom ing is indeed gratifying.
lhc Superintt ndtnt devotes much space i'll
aivo,a acy o, Il return to the township system as
the unit i'll all scht oil work. The reasons he
gives for the faith that Is In him are both clear
rGNpnt u u
in support Of his position. But refer You to
the report for complete information nroa thi.
all-iml ortant subject, AMI leave the matter in
yonr hahds, confident 1t will receive that care
full consideration which its grave Importance
demands. There are various other matt r. sug-
gested in the report Which will engage your at
tcntion.
rc@pec.fully ask your attention to a matter
no. mentioned In the report, but which believe
to be an important one to the State. l a!lude to
the subject OF
SCHOOL BOOKS,
which has grown to be a very serious enc to very
many at the people. Every head OF family Is cog
infant OF the fact that one of the NEST expensive
items connected with the education OF his
ch'idrea Is that for the purchase OF school
loohs. AMI when lie rcmuvas from one district
to another kc i often subjected to the necessity
OF urshasing an en- ircly new stres. different
from tha. obtaining in the locality where he
previously resided, although in the same
eoun Y. That this is serious and expensive
matter is known TO every pNrent, and oft times
the cause of real embarrassment Every one
knows, too, tn eno nous profit enjoyed by the
publishers of these textbooks. averaging, as ii
does, over 10 per eeat. the cost of publication.
In order To the relief of the larger portion OF our
people. and A. wei to establish uniformity
throughout the Safe, which in itself il great
dcsiieraiGm. l am earnestly i'll fivor ot the
state adopting and publishing series of elc-
men'ary books intended tor the earlier in
struction oi the lupils in cur schools. which
shall obtain In all our schools. committee ot
camre.cnt educators citizens of 1ur own State
lTpenrpI taDf
these works. and the State publish the same
furnishing tae books at cost prica, and thus in-
sure sreat savings 10 the people and tn State.
am thoroughly 81 isticd OF the feasibility OF this
suggestion, and would be glad seeit adopted b,
the General Assembly There is no good reason
why hundreds OF thousands of dollars should
thus lie expended without he State, To the pc
cnniary advantage of a few book publishers
when tie state. through It's own publication o
these works. can save so much 10 its own peo-
PIE. commend the subject TO your unireiudicet
consideration.
THE PUBLIC LANDS.
The report O. the Land Office, herewith sub
mitted. shows tn conveyanrcs OF lands during
the term. and also Il vast amount OF Information
relative To the different grants to the State, aae
the purpose thereof The proper limit of
message forbids any lengthy excerpts from thi
ments relative thereto. The number of con-
fiictng grants, and the douhts and unc rtaintie
which III many respects obtain, make the who'll
subject quite di;ncult of correct understand
rel ,tins to the sa!e and patenting of Ger
tain school lands, is clearly pointed cut on pa -
five OF the printed report, which trust will re
ccive attention. This done. the county author
tiles viii then have the full control contem
plated by sections lssl2-3-i, OF the code, and i
would also relieve both the Executive Office an,
the Land Office of any furthe duties in thes
cases.
Again, In respect 10 the Des Moiass rive
school lant.s sold by John Tolman. who was n
one time School Fund Commissioner. the law pro
Ni!es tor nv repayment OF the original lurckaS
money, with ID per cent. interest from day o
! that payment. which also applies TO ali int res
| payments as well. Inasmucl over twent,
! years have elapsed since the passage of the law
| and few of the holders of these contracts still
| Neglect To return them for settlement l recon-
mend that payments of this interest be forbid
den hereafter. 1t Is net necessary that the Stat
continue further interest payments.
| THE FISH COMMISSION.
| The last General Assembly appropriated s. ~
4 to he used, under the dIecfion OF the Fish Com
missioner. i'll Irouagatng fish. for distribution
| in the waters Of the State. Of this sum Sa,6la
! has been drawn from the treasury and the tx
! pendituge thereof approved Ivy the Executis
Council. The report of Mr.. Il. L. Shaw, Els
| Commissioner, supplemented by an additional re
| pori OF \. A. Mo>ler. Esq, Assistant Fish Com
! missioner. 10th OF which are herewith presented
! indicate the manner AMI purpose OF the eslend
| iture Both these gentlemen and very man