Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-03-01

IS SPRUNG:
Representative Head Intro
duces Resolutions Aimed
at Executive Council.
GETS AFTER CoWNIE.
Wants That Gentleman to Explain
Also Desires Governor. Secretary
of State, Treasurer and AUDI
itor to be Investigated.

lore adjournment Representative Head
of Greene county, rose and asked to be
allowed to introduce resolution. Per-
mission being granted, Mr.. Head sent
his little bundle of dynamite to the
clerk, who read it. The resolution set
forth some interesting preliminaries
and then, getting down to business,
called on the governor, secretary, treas
urer and auditor of state to immedite-
.ly inform the house concerning their
connection with any building and loan
or insurance associations. The resolu-
tion follows:
Whereas, 1t is currently reported
that the governor, secretary of state,
auditor and treasurer of state hold inn
por1ant Offices and receive salaries as
officers, in building and loan associa-
tions and insurance companies doing
business in Iowa; which the attorney
general declares are oppressive upon
people whose only crime is their ina
bility to pay, etc; and also criticise
certain classes of building and loan
and insurance companies now doing
business in Iowa in which members
OF the state executive council are re-
ported to hold official positions to the
prejudice and injury of citizens of To-
wa; and whereas,
Section 1894 of the Code requires the
executive council to examine the arti-
cles of incorporation and bylaws of
such concerns and determine whether
they are in conformity to the laws and
are based upon plan equitable in all
respects to their members, and have
power to revoke the rcertificates of such
corporations, and have general super
vision thereof; therefore be it
Resolved, That the governor, secre-
tary of state, auditor and Treasures. -
state be and are hereby requested to
report to the house of represent atives,
as soon as possible, in what building
and loan companies doing business in
Iowa they hold official positions, if
any, the name of the company or as
sociation,i together with the salary
they receive, if any.
Resolved, That. the committee on
compensation of public officers be and
are hereby directed to investigate the
matters referred to in the preamble
and this resolution and report bill
to the house, prohibiting members of
the executive council from holding any
official position in any building and
loan or insurance company doing bust
ness in Iowa, during their term of Of
fce.or for one year after the term of
office shall have expired.
AS soon as this resolution had been
read Mr.. Head followed it with another
as follows:
Whereas, The law provides that no
member Of the board of control shall
be eligible to any other lucrative office
in the state during his term or for
one year thereafter; and
Whereas, 1t is reported that Hon.
John Cownie, now member of the
board of control. also holds and draws
the salary of the office OF crop re-
porter for the state of Iowa; therefore
be it
Resolved, That Said John Cownie be
requested to report to this house whe-
Their he holds the offices of member Of
the board of control and crop reporter,
and if SO, he is hereby requested to
resign one of the said Offices and pay
into the state treasury the salary he
has received contrary to law.
No action was taken on either of the
resolutions. They went over under
the rules. They We're of course the
talk of the day. The facts are that
the governor, secretary and treasurer
of state are all prominently connected
with the National Life and Trust or
the Northwestern Life and Savings as
ISOLATION, both of this city, the COM
panies against which the recent vigor-
Gus criticisms of the attorney general
We're chiefly directed. Theyinsist that
there is nothing wrong about this rela-
tion; that the business is legitimate,
and ready to be investigated. There
seems very wide divergence of opin-
ion as to whether these companies are
as bad as the attorney general paints
them in his opinion. At any rate the
resolutions by Mr.. Head will hardly
assist in deciding the merits of the
controversy. They will undoubtedly
be laid on the table.
1t is also possible that serious eff
to prevent state officers connecting
In the senate especially there is a
disposition to do some legislation along
these lines, and the opinion of the at
toihCy SShCAaI has given ~ new
strength. Of course there will be vig-
orous opposition to any such meas
ures, on the ground that they reflect
on the present state officers; bud the
men who want the bills passed say
that they have no such object; they
simply believe that the laws ought to
prevent such relations of state officers.
Woman Suffrasists Encouraged.
The woman suffragists are greatly
encouraged because the senate COM
mittee has reported their measure for
passage. Senators Eaton, Perrin,
Blanchard, Hubbard and Brighton
voted to report it for passage; Senator'S
Finch and Titus voted against report
ing it. The house committee has al
ready voted to report the measure and
it has been made special order in
the house. Both houses are very close
on the question.
The Iowa association of independent