Omaha daily bee., 1888-01-11
LARRABEE ON LEGISLATION.
Iowa's Governor Sends a Sensible
Document to the Assembly.
THE STATE EDUCATION SYSTEM
A Recommendation That Railroad
Free Passes he Abolished Except
~ OEmploycs-Wilson Rcnomt.
mated in Caucus.
Supnestjons For Iowa Solons.

SuRRestlOnS FOT IOWu SOiOuss
DEs MONIES, Ia, Jan. 10-Governor Lar
rabee this afternoon delivered his biennial
message to the senate and house. He reports
the finances of the state to be in excellent
shape and the public institutions to be we'll
managed. He says, however, that the ap-
propriations asked for, amounting to 81, 141,-
$50, should be cut down ohe-half
Speaking of the educational system of the
state, the governor says: The superntend-
ent of public instruction is able to report
most satisfactory and prosperous condition
of education throughout the state. The
number of school houses, their aggregate
value, the number of teachers and the school
population have steadily increased There
are now l2444 school houses, valued at
S1l ,36O,412 The number of schools is l4,S29,
and the number of teachers 24,675. The per-
manent school fund is gradually increasing
and now amounts to "a, lS7,s ,s93.94, and there
are 1892 1SS acres of school
lands still unused. The average monthly
wages paid male teachers is s3S.42 and
females s291O. The superintendent reports
that the law requiring instruction in the pub
lie schools in relation to the effects of the use
of narcotics upon the human system has
been generally obeyed. The last general as
the superintendent of public instruction to
embody in his next biennial report the ex-
haustive treatment of the subject of compul-
sorry education and the superintendent de-
votes some forty pages of his report to that
subject giving it's general history, opinions of
eminent educators and some comparisons of
the United States with other countries with
reference to school attendance not very flat
tering to our national pride. l commend
the subject, of compulsory education to your
thoughtful attention and judicious action.
The people have just pride in their public
schools and in the report of the last national
census which showed that our state then
had the lowest per centage of illlteracy of
any state in the union, but we may rest as
sured, when we look at the small average a.
tendance in our public schools in comparison
with our school population, that we shall not
maintain our previous advanced position
unless some decisive steps are taken to bring
in the scholars of the state, or at least a
much larger percentage of those who ought
to partake of their advantages.
In reference to the state board of phar-
| macy, he says the board has a record Of
about one hundred cases prosecuted for vio-
lation of the pharmacy law, % per cent OF
which resulted in conviction The fines i'm
| posed have amounted to nearly $4,000, OF
| which about 81, 900 have been paid into the
| school fund.- but only 1925 have been paid
| into the state treasury on the 25 per cent en-
| forcement fund according to the law of 1856,
| being % per cent of $500. 1t is not improba-
| BILE that the people generally have failed to
rightly estimate the many difficulties at
| tending the strict enforcement of this
| law. Undoubtedly amendments are needed.
particularly in reference to the sale of intox-
icating liquors, and l ask for the subject
your earnest consideration. The provisions
,t,,
| dealing with delinquents more direct and
certain.
The governor asks the legislature to appro-
| pirate round sum to be used in eXtermnat-
ing hog cholera He pays glowing tribute
| to the agricultural societies of the state, and
| IN speaking of the dairy interests says that
| state and national laws have driven away
| oleomargarine makers and increased the gen
uine butter product 0,0OO,00O pounds in the
| past year. " ,
The new capitolhas cost S2616, ,543.24; the
furniture Sl29 13l II; boiler house, S25, S44 10
street improvement, S249J4 80. These, with
some smaller items, make the entire eXpend
| iture SASH ,6S2.O5.
Referring to the judicial districts, the gov
ernor says: The enforcement of the prohib
ton law has been effective in reducing
crime and consequently diminishing the busi
ness of the courts that recommend consol
idatlon of the districts so as to reduce the
number of Judges from fortv-four to forty, as
l am satisfied it can be done without mucf
| Inconvenience to the service and will be {
saving financially.
He recommends also the holding Of ben
| NAL elections and is in favor of woman
suffrage.
Speaking of grants to railways, he says
| The whole amount of public lands in thu
state received by railroad companies as dona
tions is 4,393, 436 IS acres, or about oneeightl
| of the entire acreage of the state. In his re
marks regarding railway legislation he rec
ommends law against the granting of FREE
| passes to anyone not in the employment o
| the companies and that passenger fares b.
| fixed at cents per mile. Should the genera
assembly decide to make the railroad com
missioners elective by the people or nomi
mated by the executive and confirmed by tn
senate, such legislation will not NEE
| The salaries of the commissioners ar
now paid by the railroad companies
He recommends that the law be so amende
that they shall hereafter be paid by the state
: In closing the message Governor Larrabe
| devotes his attention to the prohibtory laN
| and says: Much progress has been made i
| the enforcement of the prohibitory law. Nc
only has public sentiment much improved i
relation to it, but judicial officers are NOR
| disposed to secure ITS enforcement. Man
Judges give strong endorsement in its favor
, | showing that where it has been well exc
cuted there has been marked reduction |
| criminal offenses and also in court expense,
| During the last year, and particularly durin
| ing off in pententary convicts and yer
large number of county iails have bee
5 empty some of them for the first time
Q | years. There has been "A marked improv
ment in the condition of our poorer peop
+ especially in the families of laboring men az
, | dicted to strong drink. While there
( very little difficulty now in el
forcing the law in the rural distric
and in very large majority of countie
there are still few portions of the stat
@ | particularly some of the larger cities, whel
4 the law is not enforced. This, however, dot
" not include all such cities, for in Dcs Moine
- Sioux City and Cedar Rapids, three of II
largest and most rapidly growing cities
c | the state, the prohibitory law is now and h;
g been for the past year well protected. III
a constitution makes it incumbent upon Il
s governor to enforce the laws. There
: not much difficulty in complying with this j
10 junction in reference to the laws general
Il The law for the suppression of intempGranc
however, is in some places an exception, Ci
liens have again and again called upon me
enforce the prohibitory law in few cou
l., ties and places where, as yet, but little 4
gard has been paid to it, | in turn ha'
> called upon the niudges, sheriffs and 9th
$ officers to aid in accomplishing this, but
d regret to say, without success, | know Of !
n means at the command of the execute
:, which can be relied upon to secure better 1
suits in the future. ] therefore recommei
" that a committee of the general assembly
r appointed early in the session to inquire in
l. f,,..tf f,.At fna nT