Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1898-04-29
PREPARATIONS FOR WAR.
Adjutant General Byers Is Putting
the Iowa National Guards in
Good Shape.
ONLY SOUND MEN WILL Be ACCEPTED.
perintendents Confer-Iowa Build
Ing mt Omnhn-A Carnival Week in
Des Moines-Cresm management
and other Notes.
Especial Correspondence

lies MONIES, Ia, April 25.-Prepara.
tions for war are being made in very
thorough manner by Adjt Gen. Melvin
II. Byers. His first step was to put the
national guard in the best possible
shape by ordering the examination OF
all men, both officers and privates, sc
that when the call for service comes the
Iowa troops will be acceptable as Unit.
ed States volunteers. They ure there
fore required to pass the same examina-
ton as that prescribed in the case OF
United States volunteers. The members
OF the guard who cannot pass this ex-
animation will be discharged, and all
applications for enlistment will be re-
CURED to pass and to agree to go to the
front in case the troops are called out.
All the present members of the guard
who cannot for any reason leave home
in case of war will be discharged. All
members of the guard under 81 years
of age who cannot produce written
statement of consent from their pa
rents allowing them to enlist for the
war will also be rejected and discharged
from the guard. The adjutant general
is determined that in case of the Iowa
troops being called out none but accept
able men will be found in the guard.
The national guard, will not be ordered
into the field as state militia, but will
be given the first opportunity to offer
their services as regular United States
volunteers. They will then be under
the control of the general government,
subject to orders to go wherever it is
necessary to send them, whetherin this
country or to Cuba or Spain.
Must BE Sound Men.
The 4S companies in the four regi-
ments of the Iowa national guard will
be brought up to 45 sound men in each
company and maintained at that num-
Der until they have been called into
service. Meanwhile other applicants
for admission to service as yolun-
teers will be accepted and drilled, con-
ditioned on their service being needed
If more troops should be needed the
additional recruits will be sent to join
their regiments to the numbers re-
CURED to fill out the companies to 100
men each. For this first enlistment
none but former members of the na-
tional guard or men having previous
military training will be accepted.
There are several thousand young men
in the state who come within this re-
quirement, having had military train
ing either in the national guard or in
some of the schools where military
companies have been trained, notably
in the agricultural college at Ames.
Troublesome Question Settled.
The troublesome question of the To-
cation of a site for the new Des Moines
public library, which involves also the
erection of the new historical building,
has been practically settled, and the
plan formulated last winter by the leg
1slature will be carried out. The meet
ing of the Women's club to protest
against the proposed location of the
city library on the river front was
very lively affair and resulted in the
adoption of resolutions agreeing to
support the library in that location.
bad feeling was worked
up over the matter between the east
and west sides of the city, and many
personalities were INDUCED in, but the
argument in favor of the proposed To-
cation was SO strong that it prevailed,
to the surprise of the women who
started the protest. Their objections
were based largely upon an assumption
OF facts which was shown in the meet
ing did not exist, and the fact that the
erection of the state historical build
ing depended upon securing the site for
1T out of the proceeds of the sale of the
arsenal to the city for a library site
greatly aided in this decision. The his
torical building will probably be COM
menced before many weeks, or as soon
as the formalities can be gone through
with and the new site purchased.
Educational Affairs.
r. c. Barrett, the state superintend-
ent of schools, is holding his annual
conference meetings with county SUI
perintendents at different places for
consultation on various subjects con-
nected with the administration of ed
vocational affairs. These meetings are
held this year as follows: Des Moines,
April 10 and 20; Sioux City, April 21 and
22; Ottumwa, April rs and 26; Council
Bluffs, April 81 and %; Cedar Rapids,
May and 4; Charles City, May and 6.
School Libraries.
Each county superintendent is re-
CURED to attend one of these meet
ings, and his expenses are paid by the
county. Sixteen subjects are listed for
discussion in these meetings this year,
as follows: "The Institute Fund" "Re-
cent School Legislation" Libraries"
Certificates and Examinations"
Course of Study for Village Schools"
Teachers Wages" Associations
Teachers and Otiicers'," school Visi-
tation," Mothers Meetings." "The
Last State Report, 1s96-o7," Teachers
Reading Circle "Our Great Needs"
Free Text Books" Uniform System
of Blanks" "A Perfected School Sys-
tenn" and Improvement of School
Property" The first meeting, held in
Des Moines Tuesday and Wednesday,
was attended, by IA superintendent and
many valuable points were brought out.
The question of the establishment of |
school libraries was discussed at some |
length and resolution was adopted in
dorsing the Wisconsin plan, which re-
CURES school directors to set aside q |
fund equal to ten cents per year for |
each pupil attending the school, to be
used to purchase library for every
schoolhouse. This is, in substance, the
plan proposed in the bill introduced last
winter by Representative Eaton, Of
Usage.
Superintendent Barrett has investi-
gated what the school boards have been
doing under the new law. which allows