Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1900-03-02

/ E. A. Christensen, Of Calamps. Clin-
!, ton county, has filed a petition in
bankruptcy, with liabilities Of about
$4,000 For number of years he has
been banker and leading merchant
of that town, and was considered
financially sound. ge
| The city of Dayton is the defendant
in damage suit brought by
Mrs. s. b. Watson. Mrs Watson
sustained injuries some time ago as
a result of fall and now brings
suit for damages in the amount of
$500. The case will be fought.
At the meeting of the Butter Makers
| Association at Lincoln, Nebraska, q
few days ago Iowa won the first prize
| in the state delegation competition.
The markings were as follows: Iowa,
| 19l entries. average 49, 75; Minnesota,
nineteen entries, average. COLT; Wis
| consin, seyenty-two entries, average
| S7.GO; Illinois, tifty-nine entries, aver
age 9O.52: Kansas. forty-five entries,
average 49, CT; Nebraska, ffty-one en-
! tries, average S9.O7; South Dakota,
! thirty-four entries. average $3.50.
Hawk. of Jasper, has introduced a
pure food bill in the house which is
is very comprehensive in its scope. It
provides that the state dairy commits
sioner shall be state food commissioner
as we'll. The commissioner shall re-
ceive $500 extra salary and $500 ex-
ira clerk hire. He may hire assistants.
Their expenses are to be allowed by
the state at a per diem salary. 1t
shall be the duty of the commissioner
to inspect all food products, such as
may deem necessary, in any way in
which he may determine. -
John West. alias "Joplin Red" who
was found dead in bed in a Des Moines
hotel, did not die a natural death.
This fact has beer established by the
autopsy just completed by County
Physician Shope. In the report fur
nished Coroner Anlleny he states his
opinion that West came to his death
from some unknown poison, taken in
to the stomach voluntarily or other
wise. 1t is stated that Vests former
pals were not adverse to his being
made away with, and that they sue
ceeded in accomplishing what they
may have considered necessary to their
own safety. Shortly before his death
West returned from Chicago with be-
tween 5000 and $7OO which it, is sup
posed he got by giving information of
a proposed attempt to rob the Adams
Express Company. ID
The foreign insurance companies,
who received an adverse decision from
the Iowa supreme court few months
ago, are going to take the matter into
the United States supreme court. It
will be remembered that the case de-
cided by the Iowa tribunal involved
the constitutionality of the statute
which compels foreign insurance COM
panies to pay more for the privilege of
doing business within the common
wealth than is exacted from home
companies. The court held that the
discrimination was legal one and
within the scope of the power which
confers upon state the right to regu-
late matters of that kind. A few days
ago Mcvey & McVey, attorneys, APP
peared at the office of State Treasurer
Herriott and paid taxes under protest
for twenty seven different foreign in
surance companies. The protest stip-
ulation is made in order that the
rights Of the appellants may not be
waived in getting the issue squarely
before the United States supreme
court.
Another blow has been aimed at the
building and loan business of the state
in a bill introduced in the upper body
of the legislature by Senator Lewis.
The author proposes to reduce the rate
of interest which may be charged By
these associations. At present the
building and loan business of the state
is exempted by statute from the usury
laws, and may lawfully charge II per
cent upon its loans, while no other
business in the state may legally
collect an interest rate of more than 8
per cent. This privilege was extended
to building and loan corporations
when the new code went into effect in
1897. There was fight before it was
placed on the statute books. : In 1898,
| when the twenty-seventh general as
! sembly convened, the question was
again taken up. Another fight ensued
upon the proposition to make the pro-
vision granting the right to building
and loan corporations to charge usur-
ious rates, apply to all contracts en-
tered into by building and loan asso.
| Citations prior to the new code. going
into effect. Senator Lewis has intro
duced bill proposing to repeal this
last enactment. which is chapter 4S Of
| the session laws of the twenty-seventh
| general assembly. He is; also prepar.
| inga bill to be introduced shortly
! which will repeal the original law
| placing the interest rate at ~ per cent,
which went into effect with the new