The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-01-30
THE ISSUE
The Iowa Normal School Bill May
Pass,
INDUCEMENTS OFFERED.
Numerous Cities. Governor shaw's Home
Town. Denison, Among Others, In
The Field.
Especial Des Moines Correspondence
to the Eimes-Herald.)

DIES NOM Els, Jan. 2s.-The bill for
location of additional normal schools
introduced in the legislature-in the
senate by Senator Hazleton and in the
house by Mr.. Byers OF Shelby-is Gre
atipg widespread interest throughout
Iowa.
The bill is a result of a suggestion
contained in Governor Shaw's recent
message. For number of years there
has been feeling throughout the state
| that additional normal facilities were
necessary, the one school at Cedar Falls
being badly overcrowded. The cover.
| nor's suggestion was for the location OF
several additional schools on the main
trunk lines running through the state
The idea met with the hearty approval
of the people, as Governor Shaw's ideas
usually do.
There seems at present to be no ques
tion as to the desirability of the add
tional schools, the only controversy be-
ing as to where they shall be located
and as to how many there shall be es
tablished.
Upon the converting of the legislature
it was found that, there would be at
least thirty candidates for the locations
| and this fact had at first a tendency to
| d!smay the members and threatened
the abandonment of the work. The
situation is now clearing itself and
many of the cities and towns at first
applicants, who had no other merit
than their ambition, have dropped from
| the list.
CANDIDATES FOR LOCATION
Among the remaining applicants may
be mentioned Fairfield, Abba, Wapello.
Knoxville, Newton and Creston in the
south and east parts of the state, Spen-
Ger, Algona, Emmetsburg, LeMars and
Storm Lake in the northwestern part
of the state, and Red Oak, Atlantic,
Harlan and Denison in the southwest
ern portion.
The bill, as now pending, provides
for the location of three schools, the
location to be selected by joint ballot
OF the legislature, and providing that
any town may be an applicant which
will offer to the state not less than forty
nor more than sixty acres of land. To-
Gated withina limit Of not less than
one-fourth of a mile nor more than two
miles from the business center of the
city. This measure bears evidences Of
having been prepared with the intent
to bar out certain applicants whose pro
positions to the state do not come with
in the exact limits named.
i Notwithstanding the fact that eau
Gus held by a few members gave ex-
preston to the desire that the citizens
of the various towns should not present
their claims in person, the past week
has seen Des Moines flooded with prom
inent citizens from different portions of
the state advocating the claims of their
home towns. The action of the caucus
is much criticised, not only by them,
but by a majority of the members, who
contend that citizens and taxpayers, no
matter where they may reside, have an
unquestionable right to present their
ideas and wishes to the members and
that they should be accorded respectful
and considerable attention.
OFFER BY DENISON CITIZENS.
Among the many towns represented
by delegation of citizens is Denison
the home of Governor Shaw. Those
advocating rival cities have sought to
bring the governor into the matter bv
asserting that he was unduly friendly
to his come city. Careful investigation
tends to absolutely refute this idea
In fact Governor Shaw is doing much
less to secure the location al Denison
than it is probable he would were he a
private citizen.
The Denison Speople have strong
case and have succeeded in bringing ii
before the legislature in a favorable
light. Their proposition consists in
the formal tender to the state of we'll.
equipped, successful normal school, now
in operation. The property includes
twenty acres of elevated land adjacent
to the city and two college bui ttlngs
the nam building is of brick, three
stories high, containing thirty-twc
rooms, and is already furnished aud
equipped with the best and latest school
apparatus. Chemical and physical
laboratories, library and gymnasium
are already equipped, and the building
which accommodates from 800 to 5O(
students, is i'll such condition that all
the state would have to do would be
merely to turn the key in the door and
, commence operations. In this way thu
first cost of the plant would be- elimi
mated and no appropriation necessary
for the establishment of the school
save the appropriation for its man
talnance.
Dehison is located in the middle tiel
+ OF counties Of western Iowa. 1t Ii
situated Oh the main line OF the Chicago
i, | u NprtnWeStei n, ON the main line ri