Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1898-05-27
FOOD PRODUCTS HIGHER.
The Advance in Prices Very Greatly
Embarrasses the Iowa State
Board Of Control.
REDUCTION IN EXPENSES NECESSARY.
statistic. from Insurance comp.nie.
Soldier Boys Go to Florida-Paid
by the Governor-WiM Hunt for
Gold In Alaska-Butter Makers Are
in Rebellion,
Especial Correspondence

Gold In Alaska-Butter Makers Are
In Rebellion.
Especial Correspondence
Des Moines, Ia, May 23.-The advance
of prices of food products is seriously
embarrassing the state board of control
in its plans for the management of the
state institutions under the new law
going into effect July l, which reduces
the support fund allowance of all the
institutions one or two dollars month.
The most important reductions are in
the hospitals for the insane, which are
reduced from $14 to SIP per inmate per
month at the independence and Mount
Pleasant hospitals, and from $14 to $13
at the Clarinda hospital, the latter be-
ing cut less on account of being far
Their away from the markets. These
reductions, when added to the rise in
prices, present very serious business
problem, for heretofore the hospitals
have been drawing the full amount of
the support fund, and with lower prices,
have been spending it all.
Must De Saving.
1t is estimated that saving of at
least $4,000 must be made in each of
the hospitals annually to enable the
board to pay its running expenses out
of the support fund. Besides, some
things will have to be cut off and the
supplies bought at the very lowest pos
sible contract price. The board of con-
troll is preparing to make large re-
duction in salaries paid to employees of
state institutions and to abolish many
of the offices now existing in the in
stitutions. After discussing the matter
thoroughly the salary list was turned
over to Mr.. Cownie, of the board, and
he is arranging it so that all will be
treated as nearly alike as possible, and
uniform system will be adopted.
Insurance Statistics.
The mutual insurance idea has been
gaining ground in the state during the
past year, as shown by the reports of
the various kinds Of mutual insurance
associations made to the auditor Of
state and compiled by him for general
information. The consolidation of pure
ly county fire mutuals, state mutuals,
hail mutuals and tornado mutuals
shows the following as the amount of
business done during the calendar year
1897, compared with the previous year:
Written during year: s2s. 155ss5i ,4ss5ooS,ssssss
ne ef year nsid 9 ss ~ 2osZ s sss
Cost per aHi $1,000 during; 'N'.''' ''s''s'
Average cost per $1,000 ''0- 900
for five years........ 9.S7 II.
The gain was principally in the coun-
ty mutuals and town mutuals. OF the
former 14s are now doing business in
the state, four new ones having been
organized during the year. They wrote
$2e,1S2,304 new insurance during 1897,
and the average cost per $1,000 of in
surance was only $2.44 per year. The
state, or town mutuals, wrote S., $780, GIG
new business during the year, but the
cost of insurance per 1000 in these as
sociations was $3.50 per year. The hail
mutual association suffered a heavy
falling off, writing only s1,91O,737 dur
ing the year, against 81, 700, 100 the year
before, while the cost per $1,000 in
creased from $23.0S to $34.9O. The tor
nado mutuals increased their business
$12,51S,031, a little less than they wrote
during 1896, and the cost per s., 900 was
only Go cents. The net result of this
demonstration seems to be that the
farmers mutual, when confined to a
single county, provides the farmers
with insurance at much less than they
can obtain it for in any other way, while
the state or town mutuals do not differ
very much in cost from the stock COM
panies.
Life Insurance.
Old line life insurance, while it shows
more business done during 1897 than
was done in 1896, shows considerable
increase in the losses paid and the ratio
between losses paid to premiums re-
ceived in the state. The comparison fol-
lows:
Policies written. s 5sssi 1895 sss5;
Amount written in
H force at end Of 81 il ~ 81
Losses paid. ............ 770,707 1929
Percentage losses paid
to premiums.......... 27.5 Bit
Gone to Florida.
The Fiftieth regiment of infantry vol
unteers from Iowa, formerly the Sec
ond regiment Of the Iowa national
guard, did not leave Camp Mckinley for
the camp of concentration at Tampa,
Fla, till last Saturday morning. Itwas
delayed in mastering by the work of ex-
animation and preparation of the mus
ter rolls, and in being supplied with
sufficient clothing to insure the COM
fort of the men. The ordnance equip
ment, which includes guns, ammuni-
ton, belts, horse equipment, ETC., is not
complete and will be supplied from the
headquarters of the army of invasion
at Tampa. The Fiftieth carries $4,000
rounds Of ammunition, but is short on
guns. The regiment went forward in
fine shape, composed of the pick of the
young men of the state, well Differed
and ready for any service that may be
assigned to them. The principal officers
| are:
| Col. Douglas v. Jackson, Muscatine. COM
manding; lieutenant colonel, q. E. Lam
| bert, Newton; majors, John T. Motif, Tip
ton; John A. Title, Davenport. and H. H.
| Coughlin, Ottumwa: surgeon, G. NJ Rob-
ertson. Davenport; adjutant Fred Goedeke,
Burlington; chaplain. s. ]. r. Hoyt, Daven-
| port; quartermaster. II. j. Huiskamp. Fort
| Madison.
Notable Incidents.
The mastering in of this regiment
was attended by some notable Incl
dents. The men were lined up, com.
pany at time, in the long, open