Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-01-11

iSAL AhAOl AhAIlOA IOSClNCu ITOu
the highest authority, am convinced
that the College Of Agriculture and
Mechanic Arts of Iowa comes nearer
conforming to the purposes contem-
plated In the act Of congress, appro-
priating land in aid thereof, than any
similar Institution in the United
States. I think the recommen-
dations Of the board of trustees are
conservative, and that a special tax
Of one-tenth Of mill per annum for
five years for Improvements can be
safely granted.
DRY LAKE BEDS.
The Governor Would Grant Them to State
Institutions.
"At the time of the original survey
of the lands of this state, quite large
number Of shallow lakes and ponds
were meandered, and the field-notes
and the reports Of the surveyors were
made to show the location of these
bodies of water. The wet and over
flowed lands, as distinguished from
meandered lakes, were actually sur
yeyed, and were also appropriately
designated. These swamps and over
flowed lands were granted, by an act
OF congress, to the: state, and the leg
islature gave them, in turn, to the sew
eral counties in which they were sit
uated. The meandered lakes, except
in few special cases, have never been
the subject of state or congressional
legislation. It is conceded, / think.
that, as long as they remain lakes,
they are subject to the exclusive juris-
diction Of the state Of Iowa. They are,
in fact and admittedly, the property
of the state. A number of those bodies
of water, which were at the time of
the original survey, meandered and
plated as lakes, have since become
dry; some from natural causes, and
some have been drained. Others are
in process Of drying out, and will
doubtless at an early date become ara
BILE land. Considerable litigation has
already occurred over the title of some
of these lake beds. and much more
is in contemplation. Many of the coun-
ties of the state in which swamp lands
are situated transferred the same by
blanket conveyanees to land companies
or individuals. These transfers were
usually for little more than nominal
consideration, and 1t was evidently
never intended to convey lands which
had not been surveyed-which, so far
as the state was concerned, did not
exist. q NS ~ = ailf'
Purchased IA . Speculation.
"rhese msapdered lakes were never
considered in computing the land area
Of the state. The plrGhasers from
these counties have, probably in every
instance, received the full complement
Of lands intendsd 10 be conveyed, and
no further equity exists. IN some in
stances, counties have Subsequently
auitclaimsg !. s saS. msahld Hs lakes
but never having title thereto. and
never having claimed title, none has
passed, and no equity has. thus been
created. The holders Of these quit
claims-I dare not call them purchas-
ers, for they have never purchased;
nor grantees, for nothing has been
granted-have gone into the enterprise
as a speculation; and while no criti-
cism attaches to the transaction no
sympathy should follow failure to
get something for nothing. To the
end that the temptation to speculate
In these lake beds may beremoSed, and
the property OF the state conserved, I
recommend that legislative grant be
made of all the lake-beds that have or
that may hereafter, become dry, either
to the State university or to the State
College of Agriculture and Mechanic
Arts; or perhaps better still to both.
these institutions Jointly; and that a
commission be appointed to make Sc
lection from time to time, and report
the same to the executive council for
confirmation, under such provisions
inn -
deemed wise in the premises.
Question of Pardons.
"It has been the custom for some
years to release conyicts, confined in
our penitentiaries, upon parole, condi-
toned that they scrupulously absent
themselves from saloons and places
where intoxicating liquors are kept or
sold, and in all respects demean them
selves as worthy citizens If the party
violates these conditions, he is rear
rested and returned to the penitentiary
to serve the balance of his term.
There are classes Of crimes, however,
especially larceny, robbery. and bur-
glary, the deliberate and habitual per-
petrator of which should be kept in
prolonged it not perpetual confinement
see no reason why the maximum
punishment III lnlS CLASS OIL cases
should not be materially increased,
and the limit universally imposed for
second offenses, subject always to pa
role, and the constitutional exercise
of executive clemency, upon satisfac-
tory evidence of merit. Such policy
would present the alternative of per-
manent reformation or constant in
generation. In other words, the sys-
TEN of indeterminate sentence, as
practiced in some states, impresses me
as favorable and advantageous. The
statute should not attempt to cover
every detail of the parole conditions,
but should leave much to the sound
discretion of the chief executive, and
subject to such modification from time
to time as experience might suggest.
In this connection, recommend that
the governor be authorized to release
at his discretion, and upon the recon-
mendation of the board of control any
inmate of either of the Industrial
schools, and that all persons confined
in these institutions, male or female,
be discharged upon attaining their ma
jority.'
SOLDIERS OF IOWA.