Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1900-08-09
NOTES FROM THE CAPITAL
Des Moines. AUGUST q, 1900.

Des Moines, August 9, 1900.
The work on the Auditorium has
been recommended. The completion
will be rushed so as to make ready
for the numerous fall conventions.
Morris Shein has commenced suit
against the Des Moines Insurance
company for damaging his character
by accusing him of burning his build
ing and stock for the purpose of de-
frauding. His suit is for $4,000.
Shein was tried in Ringgold county.
The inspection of factories by State
Labor Commissioner Wennerstrum
was begun last week. In company
with his deputy, Arthur +. Holder,
Mr.. Wennerstrum made the rounds of
number of factories in Des Moines.
Thus far no instances have come to
light in which there is any serious in
fraction of the requirements for the
welfare of employees. Mr.. Wenner-
strum some time ago prepared blanks
containing an exhaustive list of ques-
tions, and the filling out of these
comprehends thorough summing up
of the conditions in each place visited.
1t is the intention of the labor COM
missioner to make very careful ex-
animation into conditions in factories
in all the leading cities of the state.
The legislature has placed at his dis
posal for the purpose only $500, but
it will be the policy to stretch this
out as far as possible. Mr.. Wenner-
strum will examine the majority of
the factories personally. Mr.. Holder
will assist him by doing part of the
inspecting. 1t is the intention TO be-
gin on cities outside of Des Moines
as soon as possible.
Free text books in the schools of
the West Des Moines district have had
trial of year. Superintendent
Sheakley and members of the board
are more than pleased with the exper-
iment and pronounce it success,
both from an economical and educa-
| tional standpoint. Just at present
the district is receiving several thou
| soDd volumes to be used in the parts
of the district recently annexed. the
| texts to be the same as We're in use
last year in the big West Side district
The work of sending them out to the
schools is progressing rapidly. Sup
| erintendent Sheakley has kept track
of the cost of books, the enrolment
and the number issued to pupils. and
| from his statistics has compiled some
| interesting figures relative to the
cost of the system. To a reporter he
| said: Our experiment, though il is
but year old and represents the
| first cost of all the books in use. has
demonstrated to us the practicabilitf
of the plan and ought to recommeI
the system to every other district
the state as money saver. We
| pended total of S7.0S2.27 for te
books last year and the cost per cap
tia for supplying the average enroll
ment was just S1,70s. For supplies,
| which includes pens, pencils, paper,
scratch pads. erasers. copy books, etc.
| etc. the cost to the district was
| $l,72S, or S0.417 per capita on the
average enrolment.
Prices of all kinds of iron and steel
used in building operations have been
| going down during the past two or
| three weeks. Indications are now
that il the present prices hold and
looked for breaks in the lumber mar
ket occur, great deal of building
projected for Des Moines this year
but which was dropped for the time
being on account of the unfavorable
prices will be carried to completion
during the fall and early winter
months. Architects and builders at
tribute the break in prices TO an un-
expected falling off in the demand.
One architect embodied the express
sion of a number of his associates and
contractors when he said: Last year
! the building boom which spread over
| the entire country created demand
for steel and lumber that manufac-
| turcrs had not experienced since 1891
| and the boom came so suddenly and
| unexpectedly that most of the mater
| ial was out of first hands or under
| contract before the manufacturers
could catch their breath and advance
prices. They concluded, however that
they would not be caught mapping
again and believing the boom would
continue this year. an unprecedented
advance in prices of all kinds of build
ing material followed. They antici-
pated desire of many to invest large
sums in Improvements but they over
reached themselves in fixing prices
and the result was that millions OF
dollars worth of building that was
projected during the winter and in
| the early spring was held up. In Dies
Moines alone. dare say, there is up
wards of million dollars worth OF
work in the hands of architects that
would be under construction II prices
were right when bids were asked for
and estimates taken. Well. the result
of this was that manufacturers found
themselves overstocked and as the
season advanced and the prospect OF
having to carry stocks over the win
ter months increased. they have drop
ped their prices to unload with every
indication that prices, except ~
northern lumber, will be within reach
of prospective investors in short
time"
ROBERTS RETURNS TO PRETORIA
| The British General Does Not Want Il