Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1886-01-21

1T is now Invested Of all features which once |
subjected il TO the charge of being local in |
stitution, and as fast as well-matured plans |
for extending its sphere Of action can be |
adopted, adequate appropriations should be |
made for their contamination.
| 1t Is a matter Of deep regret throughout the |
state, that the influences surrounding this in |
sttutlon are such as to weaken its claim upon |
| public favor
To enlarge the usefulness OF the university, |
it is as important to improve the moral atmos- |
phere OF its surroundings as its curriculum. |
The people Of the state will. never rest con-
| tent until the city on which was bestowed the |
| trust and favor Of holding our highest seat |
Of learning has become model of moral and |
social refinement
CORPORATIONS.
Division and combination Of labor, of energy |
and of means are the main elements of all |
civilization.
Private corporations a natural outgrowth,
| are among the principal factors Of the great |
pro ress which our are has witnessed.
Their creation is permitted BY the state for |
the purpose OF Promoting the welfare Of |
people, and their action should be kept strict
| ly within the sphere for which they we're !
| created. The authority Of the state to regu- |
| late and control corporations is now firmly |
established by the decisions Of the couVts and |
| should be exercised with tirmness, intelligence
| and discretion.
L
| as banks are now REQUIRED bv law to give pub |
| lcity to their business Such requirement
should be extended to other corporations |
| doing business in the state, and litigations
with them should be kept in our state courts
as far as practicable.
RAILROADS
1t has been the policy OF this state to en-
| courage the construction of railroads. The
wisdom of such policy is cvinced by the
rapid growth Of the system and the great
benefits arising from it to the various interests
| of our people.
We have at the present time over 1870
miles of railway In operation, yet our people
will hardly be satisfied until every township
| in the state is intersccted by the rail.
Many perplexng questions are constantly
| arising between individuals and the manage
ment Of railroad comDanies.
After experimenting with much profit In
| past years as to the prorer method OF
| dealing with them, we adopted the commits
| sioner s, stem. 1t has fully answered our ex-
| pectations, the board having rendered valuable
| servi es to the people by vigilant and careful
| attention to tkeir grievances.
| argely throu Ia the efforts Of this board the
rates OF transl ortation have been materially
| reduced.
Many differences are now settled with little
| or no expense to the persons aTgrieved, and
| the individual Is no longer conf elled to re-
| sort TO the courts to secure the correction of
1 abuses and impositions Friction between
| the PEOPLE and the railroads is less and less,
| each year, as the work OF the commission Is
| better understood.
/ The experience Of all orher states which
| have adopted this system confirms the o.Jion-
| ion that such course OF dealing with rail-
| WAYS is preferable to am other yet known,
| and there can be no doubt that the adoption
| of National Board OF Eailroad Commission
i crs would be the proper measure to regulate
| In err state transportation.
The Inn rovcmcnt OF our internal water
| rO inpillli1p
colsin rivers aud thu construction OF tho iro
roscd Hennepin Canal would prove great
| equalizers OF rates OF trans ortation.
TELEGRAPH.
| The success which has attended the postal
i telegraph system in those countries which
| have adopted it would seem to warrant its In
PRODUCTION into the United States.
Until that can be accom- lished, rates should
| be fixed by law, to protect the public against
the present unreasonable charges. Twenty
| five cents is sufficient CONF ensaton Tor the
| transmission of a message not exceeding
| twenty words, between any two Joints in our
state.
The present short-sight policy of exorbitant
charges can ONLY be justified BY the necessity
of earning dividends on watered stock.
INSURANCE.
The insurance business of the state has
| grown to great proportions, about four mill
ion dollars being now paid annually in pre-
| NUNS
The losses raid during the past year
amounted to less than Sl,6000Oo, thus leav-
ing in the hanIs of the Insurance companies
over 100000 as gross profits.
| Allowing 100000 to the companies Tor tax
| es and contingent EXPENSES, there would be
left to them $2,00o,000 for the LABOR ler-
formed. This sum would employ, at an an
nual salary Of $1,000 each. 1000 insurance
officials in the state, or say twenty III each
county. Compare this with the manage
nient of our county affairs. Two officers,
the treasurer and auditor, transact the entire
financial bus ness OF the county, at an ex-
pense not exceeding 5000 per annum.
| in view Of the intelligence OF the people OF
this state, further comments seem unneces-
sary, though am well aware that sopbisticai
arguments will be resorted to, to counterfeit
tie force of this statement
1t would seem that Iowa capital and Iowa
enterprise should be able to insure Iowa
| pro erty as safely as non resident companies.
Home companies, being entirely under our
control, should be encouraged TO do this bus
| mess at q reasonable rate OF compensation.
The character OF the property in our state Is
such as shoald entitle the insured to lower
| rates than are at present obtained Many
abuses are perpetrated upon unsuspectng
policy holders, who only learn OF the imposi-
ton when 1t is too late to correct IT Home
| companies are more likely to do justice to
th9ir patr ms, being nearer to them, and feel
inG therefore greater sense OF responsible
ity.
Owing to the growth of this business, the
auditor of state is greatly overburdened with
work. / therefore recommend that sepa-
rate department for the SUPERVISION OF the in
surance companies be established and placed
in charge of competent official,
to whom might also be entrusted the
examination OF the banks, The present
seems an OPP ortune time to make this change,
which as cen repeatedly recommended by
my predecessors.
AaRIcuITupE
Iowa Is pre-eminently adapted to agricul-
| tural pursuits, and tie true source of her
greatness lies in her healthy climate and the
capacity of her soil to produce those staples
most nece ssary for the sustenance OF man
kind, We came into the union the TWENTY
ninth in order OF time, and stand eleventh as to
20 ulation, yet rank hrst in the family Of
| states in the gross product OF their great
! careal-corn; first In the value OF domestic
animals meat cattle, horses and swine. The
annual value of the products of our soil and
| dairy and the increase OF our stock equals
| that of the total cotton crop of the Unitel
| States. The mines Of California and Color
ado have never been half as rich in their
out ut as the prairie mines OF Iowa, which
have the additional advantage over
: the former that with proper care
they will never become exhausted
, We should strive to understand the char
| acter and capacity of our soil, and engage in
that kind OF agriculture which Is best adapted
| to the production OF the greatest wealth 1t
: | would be much to our ADVANTAGE TO abandon
| the shipping OF grain and to direct our atten-
I ton to stock-raising and the dairy.
All reasonable encoura yement should be
I | given to the Improvement OF our stock. More
stringent laws should be immediately enac ted
to guard against the introdu ton or spread
ing of contagious diseas $ o cattle and swine,
even to tue extent that arb .trary measures
mi hit be taken to stamp them out when
: found within our borders Hog cholera alone
: has robaby caused loss of no less than a
! million dollars during the last year
Our dairy interests Should no less receive
, the attention OF the legislator. Toe present
, law against adulterating the products of the
, dairy, which is ractically imperative, should
! lie SO amended as to insure to our dair men
, | am lie protectioi. This gr. at industry, which
promi es yet TO become one Of the most inn
ortant in the state, entities it to more con-
/ siderat on than II has hitherto received
s TITLES OF SETTLERS ON PUBLIC LANrs
: Mention should here al be made of the
doubtful legality OF the titles to land In dis
Q ute between settlers and railway companies.
Y TIE Importance to farmer of clear title b
. bis lands requires that the utmost should be
I done on the part of the state to protect the
-F& Al.