The Leon reporter., 1900-11-22
NOTES FROM THE CAPITAL
Des Moines. Noyember 90. 1000.

Des Moines. November 90. 1900.
Attorney General Remley disagrees
with the people of lowe on the bien-
nial elections proposition. He says
if the biennial elections amendment
carries and the constitutional con-
vention fails, and latest returns in
dicate that is the way it will stand,
some sorry complications will result.
Biennial elections, the attorney gem
eral says, demand that the term of
state officers should be made four
years. Under the Titus amendment
1T will be possible for complete
change of officers to be made at the
state house and chaos would result.
The attorney general also thinks the
constitution of Iowa needs fixing.
1t was made forty-three years ago
and the state has outgrown it. The
law on corporations, he says, is very
bad, and in many respects a change
is desirable. He holds convention
would not be dangerous, as delegates
are elected by the people and what
they do must be ratified by them.
An attempt would be made by the
woman suffragists and prohibitions
lists to have the constitution amended
to their liking, but it would be
straight fight made in the same way
it has always been made before the
Legislature.
An action has been brought in the
district court, presumably in the in
terest of the Mutual Telephone COM
pany, to oust the Iowa Telephone
company from the streets, alleys and
public places of the city of Des
MoiEes. 1T is charged that the Iowa
Telephone company is now maintain
ing poles, wires, cables and conduits
through strets without color Of
right, that it has no franchise, and
that it is enjoying privileges to which
1T has no right and is unlawfully car
rying on it's business. The title of
the case is the state of Iowa, ex rel,
z. E. Campbell and r. NJ Hubbell VS..
the Iowa Telephone company. Attor-
ney McLennan, in whose name actions
OF this knd are generally brought,
refused to bring the suit and this
placed the plaintiffs in position
they desired. They represented the
conditions to the court and an order
was made forthwith, authorizing the
commencement of the suit BY Messrs.
Hubbell end Campbell, both of whom
are stockholders n the Mutual Tele-
phone company and vitality interested
in It's success. The company will re-
sist on the ground that the city coun-
cli has repeatedly reco. nized it's en-
istencea since the franchise expired.
and also on the ground of vested
rights. having more than 100000
invested in its plants.
Steps toward most important
changes in the National Guard or
carnations of the different states
will be taken December 13, at meet-
ing of the Interstate National Guard
association at Washington. Adiutant
General Byers will attend this meei-
ing from Iowa and the adiutants
general of nearly all the other states
will hn present, these officers being
eN-officio members of the Interstate
association. At this time the adult
ants general will confer with General
Miles, with Adiutant General Corbin,
with many leading officers of the
regular army and the nav and wi
members of congress for the purpose
of promoting national legislation
that promises to work sweeping
changes in the national guard of the
country and convert it into nothing
less than Il reserve force for the req
ular army.
Aftera personal inspection of every
county and private institution in the
state in which insane are kept, the
board of control has adopted rules
by which hospitals shall be governed
IN the future. While the new rules
cannot be called radical, the board.
having made an exhaustive study of
the situation, has attempted to make
some needed reforms. There are
l,20o insane patients in county insti-
lions and several hundred more in
private hospitals. In not more than
ten of the county institutions were
the insane found to be we'll cared
for. The rules will go into effect at
once, but managing Ulcers are given
until January l and board of super
Vlsors until February to make th.
required changes. Under the new
rules paupers and insane patients
Will not be permitted to mingle and
male and female patients will have
to be cared for separately. Female
attendants will have to be employed
to care for patients of that sex and
only men shall care for. male pa-
tients. Night attendants will be re-
quired, and one attendant will be de-
manded for each twenty insane per-
sons. The new rules are very ex-
pllcis regarding care of the pa
tlerts and sanitary conditions of the
buildings. The best physicians only
(. can be employed, and physicians will
not be allowed to furnish their own
drugs. Not Is, than two fire es-
capes will be required on each build
ing. The board also demands that
records of the institutions be kent.
The supervision of county and pri-
vate insane hospitals was put in the
lands of the board of control by the
Twenty-eighth general assembly be-
cause of the deplorable conditions in
which many of them were known 4,
be-
The monthly report of the state board
of control shows that there is a credit
balance in the support fund of SlO7 .l54
which IS bnt $1,000 less than in Noye,n.
ber. 1889. This is regarded as very cred.
liable showing. in view of the notable
rise in prices in the year that has lust
passed. The report also shows that there
has been an increase of thirtv-siX il. the
number of conVicts at the state prisons
due. of course, to cold weather and the
reconvening of courts. There are now
$50 convicts. 46l at Anamosa and $40 at
Fort Madison.
GRANT ROUTS FILIPINOS
infic,s Great Loss Upon Them and