The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1891-01-23
IOWA ITEMS OF INTEREST
Gov. Boies' Recent Speech One
That Win Prove Benef-
cial to the Farmers.
1t Sets Them Thinking and Many
Are Now Figuring Out the
Cost of Production.
Our Schools in a Prosperous Condi-
tion---The Alliance Beaten
Other News.

DAVENPORT la, Jan. 22.-The speech
delivered In New York the other day al
the banquet Of the Reform club of that
city by Gov. Boies, of Iowa, may be- a
good or bad political paper. That de-
pends upon the point OF view. Certainly
no address by governor of Iowa in re-
cent times has been 40 much quoted, dis
Cussed and criticised. But aside from
politics there Is one feature In IL that
Will result In great good. IL has started
the farmers OF the state thinking. Hun
dreds OF them who have for years raised
| large crops OF corn without closely
counting the cost are new taking
out their pencils and making item
lied accounts OF just what the outlay Is
In labor and money to produce a bushel
| Of corn. After they arrive at the cost
they will naturally go on thinking, and
In this way they will discover whether IL
Is the wisest thing Cor them TO raise SO
much corn as they have been producing.
The yield OF corn In Iowa In 1890 was
larger by several million bushels than
| any other state In the union. If II does
not pay TO grow corn what crop will
| yield larger return? But II Iowa soil
| will produce corn more easily and stead.
| lily and certainly than any other crop,
| what is the best thing to be done with IL
when 1t has been grown? The farmers
OF Hawkeyedom are using the pencil and
this Is promise Of better times.
Farmers' Alliance Beaten.
DIS MONIES, Jan. 22.-The noted case
OF the railroad commissioners Of the
state OF Iowa VS.. the Chicago, MIlwau-
kee Il st. Paul railway was heard In
chambers before SudRe Scott M. Ladd at
| Sheldon. The case was commenced In
| November by the county attyrney to
| compel the Milwaukee company to obey
an order made by the commissioners TO
| allow the local Farmers alliance near
Hartley to erect coal sheds upon It's side
| track, TO be used by the alliance In its
shipments Of coal over the road. The
railroad attorney filed a demurrer to
plaintiffs petition, raising the question
Of Jurisdiction. The attorneys for the
defendant claim that the railroad COM
missioners have no authority 10 enforce
such an order. and hanae the
district court has no Jurisdiction
to enforce the order. Argu-
ments for and against the defendants
position were made by counsel, and
Judge Ladd then took the matter undor
advisement. 1t was understood that In
case the demurrer was overruled, de-
fendant will stand on the demurrer and
go 10 the supreme court. On the 10th
OF this month the attorneys for the
plaintiffs received notice from the trial
judge that defenAants' demurrer had
been sustained. As soon as Mr. Dunn
can advise with the attOkney-genera
who Is also In the case for tho plaintiff,
the said attorneys will decide whether
they Will amend the petition or go 10 the
supreme court on the peadings as they
now stand. The case Is one Of great i'm
pOrtance to the people of Iowa, and
especially TO the Farmers alliance peO-
pie, and the attorneys for the alliance
are determined that II the law In such
cases will afford protection TO the peo-
pie, such protection must and will DO
secured to them.
schools In - Prosperous Condition.
DEs MONIES, Ia, Jan. 32.-Tho forth |
coming report of State Superintendent |
Sabin will contain some interesting fig |
ures concerning the schools of Iowa.
From advance sheets just issued IL is |
learned that there are at this time ,2O2 |
district townships and 3,439 independent |
districts. There are l2,O49 ungraded |
schools and 1858 graded rooms. The |
average length OF the school year Is from |
six 10 eight months or the teachers |
employed there are 5, 400 males and 2l,- |
100 females, at average wages per month |
OF $500 for males and S30.2l for fe- |
males. OF children In the state |
between the ages Of and 90 |
there are 333, 166 males and 324, 32O |
females. The enrolment In the public
schools numbers 1926 and the aver
awa mEIauAanra ana 400 |
tuition per month per pupil costs 81. 80.
There are II, 1897 schOolhouses, valued at
SIC, ,7l5, 100, containing apparatus valued
at 1881, log. The school libraries CON
tain 81 OCT volumes, On the school
grounds are 10, 3O6 trees The effects
Of narcotics and stimulants are taught
In 1907 schools. The Iowa school
finances are In good shape. There was
on hand In the schoOlhouse fund at the
last report, year ago, S276, ,4l0.77.
Since that time there has been received
fr9m direct tax, S5l2. .225. &C; from other
soarces, S427, ,25s.2l, There now re-
mains In the fund 1884, 4,G99.3s
Sugar Beet Culture.
The farmers OF Iowa and particularly |
those OF the eastern half of the state, are
now giving more attention 10 the sub.
ieCt OF sugar beet growing than 30 any
other. For several years beet seed OBJ
tained from the agricultural department
at Washington, has been planted with
varying degrees OF success, but IL IS
noted that marked gains have been made
Ia the quality OF the beet grown In
late years. Samples sent TO the state
agricultural college al Ames, and also TO
the department at Washington, have
shown a satisfactory proportion OF sugar
matter. In some cases the amount has
run As high as l2 per cent The other
day, DIR. III. w. Wiley, of Washing ton,
who Is considered one OF the
best authorities In the country,
came to Davenport and had an ia
formal talk with the farmers about the
culture OF tire sugar beet. He satisfied
them that with nronar care Ef yynuIn nav |