Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-04-11
IOWA FISH CULTURE
State Depends Greatly ON Miss.
issippi Bayous for Fish for
Distribution.
Lincoln Checks in State Prop.
erty and Begins Duties as
Commissioner.
Tama County Contest Case De.
cided--Court Reads Lesson
to County Auditors.

TO County Auditors.
Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines, April 1.-THE property of
the state of Iowa used by the fish COM
missioner has been turned over by Mr..
Delavan to Mr. Lincoln and the new
commissioner is now responsible if the
fish do not bite. The state does not
own very extensive ish-breeding
but good use appears to
have been made of the material at hand.
The fish hatchery at Spirit Lake is per-
haps the most conspicuous thing the
State owns. 1t is not an up to date
hatchery and its usefulness has been
eouoted. For some years the fish COM
missioner has devoted himself more TO
fish from the bayous along
the Mississippi river to the lakes aid
streams than TO breeding fish. This plan
mas been very successful. 1t serves a
double purpose. The bayous along the
river fill with fish and when the bayous
dry UP in the summer or freeze to the.
bottom in the winter the fish are Killed.
The commissioner has a car and
launch for engaging in this work.
Messrs. Delavan and Lincoln went to
sabula to check up the property there,
where the launch Is stationed, accom-
panied by w. S. Richards. oftlle gov
ernor's office. Mr.. Richards says every
thing was found and transferred and
that it is evident no money has been
wasted by the commissioner in purchas-
ing equipment. Mr. Lincoln has all
lcady entered upon his duties.
The death of E. b. whiteomb in Des
Moines last night removes from the city
one of the persons longest connected
with newspaper work here. MIR. Whit
comb had been in Des A1oines since 1866.
He was first and for many years en-
gagged as bookkeeper or the Register.
hut went in with Mr.. Clarey on the Sat
5urday Evening Mali, which afterwards
became the Mail and Times, which
whitcomb owned at the time of his
death. He was affected with softening
of the brain nearly two years ago and
has been inca apacitated for work since.
Whitcomb was in early life a telegraph
operator and ait one time was assigned
to be one of the operators on the train
to- accompany a trip OF President Lin
coin over the New York Central Whit
comb was at that time at Syracuse.
The nine-hour day question Is before
the operators of the several planning
mills in Ies NIoines. They have about
sixty employees, who are members of the
mill workers union. These men some
time ago made formal demand for a
nine-hour day the year round. They
have a ten-hour day at this season of
the year and nine-hour day part of
the year. Yesterday the owners of the
mills refused the demand and said they
would not grant 1t at all The program
of the mill workers is to commence work
as usual each day and quit when nine
hours have been done They anticipate
that this will result in a lockout very
soon.
In the case decided BY the iowa su-
preme court yesterday from Tama
county involving the election of superin-
tendent of the schools the reversal Is on
grounds which may be urged in almost
any county of the state under similar
circumstances. The lower court erred
in permitting the original ballots 10 be
sent to the jury as evidence in the case
when as n matter of fact it was not
shown aairmatively that they We're the
original ballots and was shown that the
ballots night easily have been tampered
with during the time they We're sup
POSED to be in safe keeping and free
from the meddling of Interested persons.
The court Incidentally reads a severe
lesson to the county auditor of Tama
county He had followed the custom
prevalent in Iowa of stacking UP the
ballots. or packages containing the bal
lots. in the vault of the auditors office
where other records Were kept which
were faf. accessible to many persons
Who went into the vault to transact
business eft is evident from his testi-
imony. saws the court that the audi
tor allowed any ore in the vault in
whom he reposed confidence. Were II
certain that such confidence might new
er be BETRAYED there would be little diff
ificnlty in this class of cases, We have
at best only his opinion that others thar
those named We're not in the vault alone
That people might have entered without
his Knowledge is conceded else he would
rot, on hearing some one in the vault
have been compelled to learn who they
We're All members of the board of SUI
reryisors and three others may have
been there. He doesn't know Nothine
but the cobwebs and dust about the
open window kept still others from en-
tering. Could they not have gone OF
reached in and procured some of tbs
envelopes without disturbing the cob.
webs and ust. but casually noticed. Sc
that this might have been detected q
month later? No precaution whatever
was taken with respect to the ballots
save in throwing them in envelopes into
the vault; otherwise the affairs of the
office were conducted the same as at any
other time. That there was reasona-
ble probability of their having beer
tampered with is put beyond question
by this record. ut depended wholly or
the motive of evillv disposed persons ir
the community. Ballots so negligentlS
preserved ought to be given no consid.
Grafton whatever and should have beer
rejected" The court holds it to be the
DUTY of n collnty auditor not nere1x