Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1898-06-14


as possible the men from each county
will be kept together and will be given
their choice of companies to join, al
though this cannot always be done.
In Good Health.
The health of the Iowa troops, both
here and at the front, continues good,
largely owing to the excellent care they
have had since they were mustered into
camp. The comparison in this respect
with other states is very favorable to
Iowa; no other state in the union has
supplied its troops in camp with COM
mod,us bathhouse with warm wat er, as
Iowa has. The first Iowa soldier to die
was Thomas w. Muscain, of Cherokee;
he took cold in camp and died at Cot
tage hospital in this city, last week, of
pneumonia.
Killed In Africa.
DR.. Mary G. Archer, one of the United
Brethren missionaries located at Rota-
funk, in Sierre Leona, West Africa, who
was massacred by the natives May l.,
was native of Iowa, born in Madison
county and educnt ed in Des Moines. She
had studied at Callahan college for girls,
at Western college, the United Brethren
school at Toledo, Ia. and finally gradu-
ated from the Electric Medical college
in Des Moines in 1883. She practiced
successfully in Des AIoines until the
fall of 1895, when she started for Africa
to act as medical missionary. The mis-
sionaries reached the natives with
Christianity very largely through the
influence of medical treatment which
they freely dispensed. The natives
came by the hundreds from many miles
around to be cured from simple all
ments. The cures were regarded by
them as miraculous and they accepted
Christianity, believing il to be the cause
of the cures. This was Miss Archer's
work and she was very successful. The
trouble with the natives grew out of
the hut tax imposed by the English
colonial government; this was an an
nual tax of one dollar on each hut oc-
cupied by native; the natives objected
to this tax but were forced to pay it
by the English army and navy. The
natives did not distinguish between
white people. They regarded the mis-
sionaries as part of the English and
vented their wrath upon the defenseless
missionaries.
State Debt Reduced.
State Treasurer lIerriott has called
in $4,000 of outstanding state warrants
that have been drawing six per cent
interest. These warrants will be paid
this week as there is money on hand to
meet them. The state debt has been
greatly reduced during the past three
months and no more than 100000 of
six per cent. warrants are now out
standing. The debt will be largely in
creased during the summer, when ex-
penditures in state institutions are
heavy and tax receipts are light, but the
state will be gamer by having to pay
only five per cent. interest on state war
rants in the future.
The School Law.
A recent case appealed from Guthrie
county to the state superintendent of
public instruction called for the first
ruling under the new law in re-
gard to appeals from the coun-
ty superintendent to the state
state superint endent was required to
give notice of appeals to the county
superintendent and the adverse party,
but The new law makes ii the duty of the
applicant to give this notice. The case
at bar was one in which man named
Martin had asked for the establishment
Of school for the benefit of his ten
children. The township board had re-
fused, whereupon he appealed to the
county superintendent, who affirmed
the decision of the township board, and
under the new law taxed up he costs
OF the case, amounting to about $50.
to the appellant Martin. This is another
new feature of this law, allowing the
county superintendent TO tax the costs
in an appeal to the complaining party,
where in the Judgment Of the county
superintendent there was not sufficient
ground for taking an appeal. These ap-
peal cases consume great deal of the
tune of the state superintendent, who
must carefully look up the law on each
case and act as a judge. The new law
i'll regard to taxing costs makes him the
judge of money mat ters as well as other
questions. 1t takes time away from
other legitimate duties.
The Revenue Law.
Reports OF the operation of the new
revenue law are beginning to Gene in,
and they are not altogether satisfac-
tory. 1t is evident hat there will be
large falling Gil in valuation, owing to
the failure of assessors to carry out the
spirit of The law. They arc required to
list propertysa al it's full value and divide
it by four for purposes of taxation. 1t
has beenfso long the custom for persons
TO give in extremely low valuations of
their property that il is veryshard for
the assessors 10 establish a full cash
value, and 10 make property owners un-
derstand that they are 10 be assessed
only upon % per cent. of such value. In
some counties the falling off has been
as high as - TO 20 per cent. In some
counties they have escaped any falling
OFF, but IT is almost certain that there
will be falling off of ten to twelve per
cent. in the aggregate personal prop
arty valuation, and it may be more than
that 1t will take several years 10 id
just The state to the new law and estab-
hsh uniformity and equality of taxa
ton, something that the state has never
known. r. w p1cKrEIr
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