Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1897-01-22
GOVERNOR DRAKE TO TIIE STATE LEGISLATURE
SHORT DOCUMENT IN WHICH THE GOVERNORS
VIEWS ARE PRESENTED ---
Damage to State Institutions by Fire and Wind Should
be Repared---State Should Insure Property.
Good Laws Should Be Retained

Tie message Of Govt'.no'' f. M.
Drake 70 the Iowa Legislature which
met on the 10th was a short document,
concise and devoid of unexpected fea-
lures and recommendations. 1t is as
follows:
TO the General Assembly of the State
Of Iowa: The span Of years allOtted 10
generation has passed away since last
the general assembly of Iowa was called
toge,Sher in extraordinary session. For-
tunately, no questions so momeE!tous
and all pervading as those which con-
frontcd the people and their represen-
tatives al that session and the called
session of the year preceding are onW
dominant in the public mind. Then
the life of the nation was in peril. Null
itiplied thousands of Iowa's brave men
We're absent from their homes contend
ing for tn life and the integrity Of the
republic. Members and people were
alike oppressed with anxiety for both
country and loved ones; for the latter
session was held at THE darkest hour Of
the conflict.
Now. in time of peace, with the
fearful struggle Of those days long since
closed and closed Alright. you are as
sambled to pass in review the statutes
of the commonwealth and to put in con-
oise form the laws which are to begin
TO have force substantially with the
commencement of the states second
half century.
A learned and Industrious commission
has prepared a revision Of existing stat
utes and put them. with such changes
and notifications as to '.he commission
seemed advisable. in codified form, in
fnJ1 CHI ~ ~, -i,.1 oI>
has been before you for more than a
year. An opportunity has thus been af-
forded The members of the general as
senlbly, and to some extent the people
at large, to familiar:Za themselves with
the new measures proposed. with the
enaosments the omission of which is
contemplated, with the amendments
which are suggested to existing stat
utes, and with the form which it is pro-
posed to give the body of our stat ui.te
laws. Therefore the members of the
general assembly come together pre-.
pared, doubt net, with the aid of The
mature lslibera;tion they have been en-
abled TO give the work, promptly to en-
padiate the business for which the SEES
sion has been called.
1t is gratifying to know thai many of
the existing laws of this commonwealth
have been so founded in wisdom as to
commend themselves TO stat smen and
DubliciHts not only of our sister states
but dsher lands. Our state officers re-
ceive not few testimonials to this eff
feet. Imay merton the legislation per-
tanning to railroads. to insurance, to
dairy interests, and TO oil inspection
Lslt us hope that the ma tiers you have
in hand will show sill stronger de-
velOpmen;t of legislation thus found to
commend Itself
During the year just past, our public
institutions Were visited by an unusual
number Of casualties Through the pow
er OF elements. On the 9th day Of
March. a severe rain storm did extern
siVe damage to the roofs at The school
for the deaf The repairs nacessisated
s S2 araf toil7sire appropriation made for.
*idsn'sial contingencies" amount
ing sS97.O3
On the llth day Of Angus. the oldest
building 81. tle- Anamosa psni tertiary
was destroyed by fire. Ii contained the
dining room, Kitchen, chapel and H.
brary. The damage amounted to $4,000
The departments destroyed were fur
nlshed with temporary qua1',ars, and
nothing has been drawn from the ap-
propl.at ton on accoGr't of this disaster
IL will nos improbably, however, call
LOT dcLlOn on your pa1t.
On the 21sit day Of the same month !,
tornado cook off The roof of wing OF
the main building Of the normal school
and otherwise injured the structure, in
fhlctlng damageEhe repairmort of which
cost $541. Again on the 29th day of the
same month lightning struck the main
building of the institution for feeble
minded children at Glenwood, SCI. it on
1ire and notwithstanding the eXtraordi-
nary efforts on the pare of ,the officers
ana employees, the citizens of Glen
wood. and the fire department.: Of Coun-
Gil Bluffs, the edifice was destroyed, en-
cert the foundation walls and portion
OF the walls of the west wing Mos. or
she contents Of the building were like
wise destroyed. a contiguous structure
beionslnP@ the institution was also
damagea%$y water. and the rain con-
siderably injure/. c'sher property which
had been removed from o:her buildings
IN apprehension of their destruction.
The damage done was The mos.s extern
sive ever suffered by any inst:tution in
the state. The building itself had coss:,
with it's contents, rather more than
100000, and the whole damage is esti-
mated at $125,00O.
An extraordinary emergency there
fore confronted the board of trustees.
Tha dining room, kitchen, school depart
ment, the rooms of seventy-tive employ
ces, and those of seventy children had
disappeared. 1t should be remembered
that prior to the catastrophe the insti-
tuition was crowded beyond it's capacity,
and now a large part Of the facilities
which before We're thus inadequate was
gone. The members of the board came
before the executive council and repre-
scented the situation in which they were
placed. The appropriation for meeting