Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1900-09-05
'FARM[RBRONNAT SCHOOL
Iowa Laboring Men Prosper.
A Lesson From the Reports Made by Indi.
vidual LabOrers to State Labor
Commission.
Third Lesson.

The next morning after breakfas
John asked his father if he had mad
any plans for the day. II though
you might like to go with me to tn
capitol and learn from the records
there some of the things which go IA
to prove the actually of the goOs
times we have been talking about"
Nothing would please me more, MI
son." replied Farmer Brown.
'Then we will arrange for day
school this time instead of a night
school," replied John, laughing. 81
will take day off from the store ant
we will do little investigating OF
our own hook"
the capitol and after getting seats in
a street car, John said: Il want to
tell you story of something l heard
yesterday which proves that even
Young America has pretty sound ideas
Of matters connected with this cam.
paign. The bookkeeper at the store
has a son who is a remarkably bright
lad. He is just at the dog and gun
age and, like all other boys, he wants
a dog that is little handler in fight
than the other fellows dog. Yester-
day he came into the store dragging
his latest acquisition in the shape of a
dog by cord around it's neck. The
dog looked as though he had been in
a fight and had been decidedly out
classed. In fact he was the most
thoroughly dilapidated dog 1 have
seen i'm many moons.
"'What's the matter withe your dog? 2
asked
Been fightin' and got licked, that's
all, replied the boy, as he pulled the
dog around so l could see the full ex-
tent of his decentralization.
Its plain he's been having trouble
and got decidedly the worst of it,
remarked.
81 should say so. He's no good.
He's nothin' but buffer, said the
boy contemptuously.
"'What do you call your dog. or,
rather, what's left of him?' asked
81 used to call him Jim,' the boy
answered, but amt 'goin' to call him
Jim any more. I'm goin' to call him
Paramount Issue
"Why are you going to call him
Paramount Issue? | asked. curious to
know what idea the boy had on this
question.
Cause he's all bark and no bite
said the boy. and with that he started
out of the store whistling and the dog
at the end of the string limped along
after him.
Il think the boy was right, father"
continued John. II believe l will be
able to prove to you that the para
mount issue in the Kansas City plat
form is, like the dog, all bluff"
maybe you will; wen see," replied
Farmer Brown.
AS the two left the street car at the
entrance to the capitol grounds, John
pointed towards the building and with
an expression of justifiable pride, said:
"Father, isn't the capitol beauty?
It's the pride of the state of Iowa and
any state might well be happy over
the possession of as fine a state house.
And another thing that it is well not
to lose sight of, father, is the fact that
although it cost about three million
dollars, there wasn't steal of a penny
in the whole job"
"Natural for Iowa Folks to be Honest"
"Well, it comes natural for Iowa
folks to be honest in money matters.
guess" remarked his father.
"Yes, and in political matters as
WELL" replied John. land that's the
reason Iowa has no use for free sill
YER"
To this remark Farmer Brown made
no answer and the two were soon i'm
the capitol building. Entering the
basement they passed down the long
corridor until they reached the Office
Of the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Here John introduced his father to
Wennerstrum, who re-
ceived them courteOusly, and in an
swer to Johns statement that they
were looking for evidences of prosper
lty among the laboring men of Iowa,
assured them that they were welcome
to inspect the records of the office and
he laid before them the biennial re-
ports which contained the compila-
lions OF the individual reports made
by the laboring men of the state to the
Bureau. He Informed them that un-
der the Iowa law the commissioner
has the power to require certain re-
ports from institutions in the state
which give employment to five or more
persons. From the compilation of
these reports, as shown in the biennial
reports of the Bureau beginning with
the year 1895. John quickly prepared
the following table:
Condition of Iowa Laboring Men $685. 1900 |
Insts. No. Employees.
report'g. Male. Female. Apr. Wages maid.
1896. 1,762 42,472 7,436 7W SlslI9OSO |
1904 7A2 Qal 2 7ao eo- ~ oao ~, |