Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-07-05

duties with the Fourth of July. One
OF these is the municipal code commits
sion, OF which Senator James II. Tre-
WIN OF Allamakee county, is chairman,
and which is to have charge of the re-
codification of all the laws affecting
the municipalities of the state. 1t will
report to the next general assembly.
lhe capitol improvement commission
assumes its duties at this time. Gov
ernor Shaw appointed its members over
a month ago, and they include Hon.
Peter A. Day of Iowa City, Henry S.
Josselyn of Cedar Rapids, and Profess
scr Charles A, Cumming of Des Moines.
The commission will investigate need
ed repairs and improvements for the
capitol building and report to the gov
ernor by the first of next December.
One of the important new commissions
is the one which is to examine voting
machines. 1t is composed of William
Blake, of Strawberry Point, S. C. Os-
born of Tabor, both republican mem
bers, and Henry NJ. Bevel, of Des
Moines, democratic member. Besides
these is the commission OF thirty-five
members, appointed recently by Gov
ernor Shaw, to locate monuments up
on the field of Vicksburg, and the vet
eran commission yet to be appointed
by the governor.
There is an important change
which affects the state library
interests, the new state library
commission, which becomes oper-
alive at this time. The ap-
pointive members of this commission
were named by Governor Shaw over Il
month ago. They are Mrs. II. NJ.
Iowner of Corning, Iowa; Mrs. d. w.
Norris, of Grinnell, Miss Jessie Waite
OF burlington and Captain w. L. john
son of Fort Dodge. These members
serve with the state librarian, the sup
erintendent, of public instruction and
the president of the state university
as members eN-officio. The commits
sion will meet about the 9th of July
to organize and name president and
secretary. 1t is to have general sup
ervision of the library interests of the
state, to give advice and counsel to.
all free public libraries. and to all per-
sons desiring to establish such. 1t may
send its members to aid in organic
ing free libraries and is to cooperate
with the trustees of the state library
cling library. The members are to re-
ceive only travelling and incidental ex-
penses. It's secretary, to be chosen
outside the membership, will draw a
salary fieNd by the commission. The
bill creating the commission carries
with 1t an appropriation of $4,000 to
ldefray the expenses of the commission,
including secretary's salary.
Change in state Fair.
After the Fourth of July the Iowa
tate Agricultural society will be mere-
ed into the state bureau OF agriculture.
with all state agricultural interests
under it. Under this head is to be
grouped the local agricultural societies
which receive state aid, the weather
and crop service, the dairy commission
and the state veterinary department.
The whole is to be managed by board
called the state board of agriculture,
consisting of a president, vice presi-
dent, secretary and treasurer, and one
director for each congressional district,
in addition to the. governor, president
of the state college Of agriculture.
dairy commissioner and state yeterrins
arian. The board is to conduct the
ototS iiefil stii$l StthlC
in connection with its annual meeting
in which delegates from each affiliated
organization is entitled to representa-
ton. The bureau will have superyis-
ion over all the agricultural interests
in the state, and will investigate all.
subjects which affect such interests
Including the diseases of animals. des-i
truction of insects and diseases affect
ing vegetation. The lowe agricultural
experiment station will;co-operate with
the agricultural bureau, and an elab-
crate yearbook will be issued by, the.
denartment annually. The leaders IN
| agricultural interests in Iowa have
been working for this department for
several years, and are much gratifed
over the change. 1t is not expected to
reorganize the interests until about
the time of the, next annual meeting;
of the society, which takes place in
January. An annual appropriation, of
$4,000 is provided for the new depart
ment, $1,000 of which is to be used for
insurance on the state fair grounds,
The department is to elect a secre-
tar who is entitled to an annual sal
airy of $1,500. The appropriations be-
cone effective the first of next wear.