Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1897-04-09
Des Moines Correspondence.

binding investigation committee. 1t
was not what was expected. They got
one honest republican on the CON-
mittee and he LINED drives" with the
two democrats, who were not bound
by party strings to smuegle the truth,
and the report brought in was a
bomb in camp, and something must
be done to smooth it over. 1t does not
look we'll to adopt the minority re-
port, especially when it is so obvious
ly partisan, biased and groundless, SO
they have referred it to another com.
mittee composed of II republicans
and democrats, with Lamberts left
off. This insures majority white
wash report and no changes in the
law under which the printer and
binder find authority, vague thought
it may be, to charge four prices for
work done for the state. 1t is openly
acknowledged that the new CON-
mittee is expected to smooth the
thing over in such a shape as to make
Representative Spaulding tried to
get through an amendment dividing
the responsibility of taxes on mort
gagged real estate proportionately be-
tween the owner and MORTGAGE, but
although it was shown that such q
law works amicably in Massachusetts
and is only justice to the man who is
in debt, it was suggestion detrimen-
tai to the interests of the money oil
garchy and as our representatives
are not inclined to do anything not
satisfactory to the monied interests
the amendment failed of passage.
After having the attorney general
look the matter up, the legislature
has concluded it can legally have the
code edited, annotated, printed and
copyrighted by the state and thus
not only save thousands of dollars to
those who have to buy the book but
also save about $4,000 for the state
itself on the copies which it must fur
nish free to officials. Heretofore the
laws have been compiled, copyright
ed, printed and sold by Mclean who
had monopoly on it and the price
has been held at about $11, the state
having to pay the monopoly price
just the same as individual purchas-
ers. Under the new plan it is esti-
mated that an edition of Ii, 900 can be
printed at cost of 1925 each and
subsequent editions, the plates being
preserved, at $1.25 a copy. OF this
number 5000 can be sold at SIS each
and the balance be used by the state,
thus giving the state profit on the
the one band and saving itself and
many of its citizens from being rob-
bed on the other hand. If this ar
rangement goes through it will be
one redeeming act of the extraordi-
nary and expensive session.
A joint session of the two houses
was held to listen to Emery and Feu-
herman present argume nts in favor
of encouraging the beet sugar sugar
industry in Iowa. The Des Moines
sugar plant is practically assured and
the promoters of the move want to
put in others all over the state, and
also induce the legislature to main
tain one at Ames in connection with
the agricultural college, so as to carry
on experiments and educate experts
to take charge of and conduct fac
tories at other points.
j The amendment looking to state
control or supervision of privstt
banks failed to pass the house.
An effort was made to change the
law under which the state institu
tion boards must be made up of mem
bers from different political parties
but for some reason and wonderful
to relate it failed of passage.
The anti-cigarette law passed las
! having proven n. g., thoroughly in
adequate to stop the sale, new Law
is on the tapis and may be NOR,
effective if passed
The liquor manufacturing bill
has been reported by the senate
committee and will soon have to b,
/ considered by that body. Hopes hat
i been entertained by the enemies o
| the measure that it would be killed
, by the committee, but it got through
and now it's friends say it is all right
: as the necessary 20 votes are assured
for it's. passage.
| Giving Secretary Mcfarland full
rope to stuff the census report with
whole raft Of useless questions so tina
he could employ an army of clerks t,
couple the same, and then mule
each one of them to swell his owl
bank account, has stirred up such
roar that it was decided best to obvi
ate such trouble in the future, SO here
, after the census is to contain only
count of population.
l The basis of taxation was supposed
r to have been settled at 33a per cen
of the full valuation, but the matte
r was resurrected in the house agail
/, and the basis cut down to rs per cent
/ But q meritorious measure pendin
is the provision for assessing tele
8 graph and telephone companies
r Heretofore they have had to pay on
4 ly on 40 per cent of the actual valu
I of their wires and posts in the stat