Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1898-08-04
WILL ENFORCE THE LAW,
The State Board Of Control Making
Its Power Felt in Iowa State
Institutions.
HAS NO DISCRETION IN THE PREMISES.
Decrease in the State Tax Levy-rrav-
cling Libraries Are Popular - An
Interesting Report - Gov. shaw
Goes South-Other State News of
General Interest.
Especial Correspondence

Des Moines, Ia, Aug. 1.-The state
board of control is enforcing the law
which requires that a time book shall
be kept il each institution for the
employees and that every day and hour
shall be accounted for and the pay
roll for the month made up on the
basis of that record. The board has
no discretion but to enforce this rule,
and is doing it. Heretofore employees
and officers, or most of them, have
been allowed two weeks off, with full
pay every year, as vacation; no vaca-
tions can be allowed under this law ex-
cept at the expense of the employe.
Another rule that will be enforced
soon is that inmates and employees
shall not be allowed to quarter guests
upon the state. In some instances
people have been in the habit of COM
ing in considerable numbers to state
institutions and spending days and
even weeks as the guests of inmates or
employees, at state expense, eating up
what is supplied for the inmates. This
will be stepped. The superintendent
will have the privilege of entertaining
guests of the institution, as he always
has.
1t is beginning to be understood in
the institutions that the board of con-
troll is going to control, and that it
means something. Inmates have the
privilege of bringing complaints
against the officers or employees of an
institution, and the board will hear
such complaints and if we'll founded,
set them right, though it involve the
removal of the offending officer or en-
ploye. The governor visits the state
penitentiaries to hear the complaints
of convicts, as required by law, and, in
the same way, members of the board
of control visit other state institu-
tions.
Tax Levy Fixed.
The state tax levy has been fixed by
the executive council at 3.2 mills, with
L mill added for the state university,
as provided by the legislature. Last
year the levy was 81 mills. The APP
parent increase in the levy was neces-
sary because the legislature reduced
the basis of assessment from 33 to 25
per cent, and fixed the amount to be
raised at $1,000, 900. In effect the levy
is decrease of one mill, from nine to
eight.
The council reconsidered and re-
pealed it's schedule of equalization for
live stock assessment, which the men,
bers found to be impracticable. The
assessment of the telegraph and tele-
phone companies was increased. The
levy on the assessment was fixed at
3 1-3 per cent, with the total assess
ment $930,33S. The revenue will be
$31,O11.27.
The following are the assessments
of the leading lines: Western Union
Telegraph, $530,250, a decrease of 50,
465; Postal Telegraph, S6s,231; Iowa
Telephone (BelD, 1921 ,515, an increase
of $45,095; Nebraska Mutual of Des
Moines and Home of Sioux City. $10,-
900 each; American Long Distance,
with only stations in Iowa, $16,146
Travelling Libraries.
johnson Brigham, state librarian
for Iowa, has just returned from at
tending the national meeting of Ii
brarians, and is more than ever con-
WINGED that the new Iowa law provid-
ing for a travelling library for the
state will prove to be a wise enact
ment. The Iowa law more closely re-
sembles the law of New York than of
any other state, and is considered by
librarians as equal in nearly all re-
spects to the law of that state. There
are already in use SO libraries of so
books each, which are sent out to
clubs, associations and similar organi-
cations upon request, bond being
provided as security to the state for
the value of the books alone. Each
set is provided with a bookcase which
is retained by the club or organization
as long as books from the travelling Ii
brary are used. AS fast as the sets
are finished new ones are asked for
and those on hand forwarded to such
point as the state librarian may di-
rect. The case in the possession of the
organization is in this way kept full
continually of new books.
The demand has largely increased
since Mr.. Brigham took charge of the
office and there are now in use more
tina ntwice the number of sets that
ildu Dten IOdHeu dJ tHdI time. III idul-
ton to the field now being covered Mr..
Brigham contemplates extending the
benefits of the travelling library to
the various labor organizations of the
state that may desire them and will as
soon as possible arrange a number Of
sets of books to be loaned to these or
CARNATIONS on the terms described
above.
State House Property.
George Metzger, the retiring Gus
todian OF the statehouse, has made an
Interesting report showing what the
state owns in the way of furniture,
ETC., in the statehouse. The total ex-
penditure Of the custodian's office for
two years was $61,0s1.03, which is an
increase of nearly $1,000 over the pre-
vious period, made on account Of the
extra session of the legislature. This
amount covers the ordinary improve
ments, the repairs, janitor service.