Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1897-01-26

extra session of the legislature by
Governor Drake:
To the General Assembly of the State OF
Iowa: The span OF years asotted to q
generation has passed away since last the
general assembly of Iowa was cal ed to-
gether in extraordinary session. Fortu-
nately, no questions so momentous ana
81 pervad.ng as those which confronted
the people and their representatives at
that session and the called SESSION of the
year preceding are now dominant in the
public mind. Then the life of the nation
was in peril Multiplied thousands OF
Iowas brave men were absent from their
homes contending for the life and the in
tegr.ty of the republic. Members and
people were alike oppressed with anxiety
for both country and loved ones; for the
OF the conflict
Now. in time OF peace. with the fear
ful struggle of those days long since
closed and closed Alright. you are assem-
bled to pass in review the statutes OF the
commonwealth and TO put in concise form
the laws which are to begin to have force
substantially with the commencement Of
,he states second half century.
Revision of the Code.
4 learned ard Industrious commission
has prepared "a revision OF existing stat
utes and put them, with such changes and
advisable in coditied FORM in which shape
the result of Their laSors has been before
you for mere than year. An opportun-
ity has thus been afforded the member or
the general assembly, and to some extent
the people at large, to fami.iarize them
selves with the new measures proposed,
with the enactmentS the omission OF which
is contemp.a ted, with the amendments
which are suggested to existing statutes
and with the form which ii Is proposed to
give the body OF our statute laws. There
fore the members OF the general assembly
come together prepared l DOUBT not, with
the aid of the mature elaboration they
have been enabled to give to the work,
promptly to expedite the business for
which the session has been called
1t is gratifying to know that many or
the existing laws Of this commonwealth
have been SO founded in wisdom as 10
commend themselves to statesmen ana
pubiicists of not only our sister states, but
other lands. Our state officers receive not
a few testimonials to this effect. / may
mention the iegislat on pertaining to rail-
roads. TO insurance, 20 dairy interests and
matters you have in hand will show still
stronger development Of legislation thus
found to commend itse.f.
Losses Of State Institutions.
During the year just past, our public in
situations were visited by an unusual num-
Der Of casualties through the power Of the
elements. On the 9th day of March, a
severe rain storm did extensive damage to
roofs at the school for the deaf. The re-
pairs necessitated draft on the appro-
pr!aton made for ''providential contin-
sencies' amounting to $39I.83.
On the 18th day of August the Oldest
building at the Anamosa penitent.ary was
destroyed by fire. 1t contained the dining
room, kitchen, chapel and library. The
damage amounted to $4,000. The depart
ments destroyed were furnished with tenn
porary quarters, and nothing has been
drawn from the appropriation on account
of this disaster. 1t will not improb2b.y,
however. call for action on your part.
tornado took off the roof of wing Of the
main building of the normal school and
otherwise injured the structure. inhicting
damage the REPAYMENT of which cost S5il.
Again on the 18th day OF the same month
lightning struck the main building of the
Institution for feeble minded children at
Glenwood. set il on fire and notwithstand-
ing the extraordinary efforts on the part
OF the officers and employees, the citizens OF
GlenWood, and the fire department OF
Council Bluffs, the edifice was destroyed,
except the foundation walls and portion
of the walls of the west wing. Most of the
contents of the building were likewise de-
stroyed. A contiguous structure belonging
to the institution was also damaged by
water, and the rain considerably injured
other property which had been removed
from other buildings in apprehension of
their destruction The damage done was
the most extensive ever suffered by any
institution IN tne STATE ne puluiHs itschl
had cost with its contents, rather more
than 100000 and the whole damage ~
estimated at $4,000.
Serious Condition Mt 0IenwOOd.
An extraordinary emergency therefore
confronted the board of trustees. The dim
ing room. kitchen schoo. department, the
rooms of seven;y-five employees and those
of seventy children had disappeared. 1t
should be remembered that prior TO the
catastrophe the institution was crowded
beyond it's capacity, and now large part
of the facilities which before were thus
Inadequate was gone The members of
the board came before the executive coun-
ell and represented the situation In which
they were placed. The appropriation
for meeting provident!al contingencies
amounted to only $4,000. OF which sum
several hundred dollars had already been
expended, and IT y.a.s manifest that there