Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-11-15
A PLUM FOR BRIGHAM
Il is Said He will Be Next Com.
missioner OF Statistics
For Iowa.
Formal Announcement OF the
Appointment Will Not Be
Made For Months.
Is Union Labor Man and a Good
Republican..Some Needed
Legislation.
special to Times Republican.

Charles Brigham, who will probably
take Office about he first of next April
4 Announcement of the appointment
4 will be deferred for many months, but
those who are on the inside in labor
union circles are very confident that
Brigham will get the appointment. He
railroad and has long been one of the
members of the employees arbitration
committee. He is strong in the engi-
lneers' union and popular in union labor
circles. Aside from this he has some
political acumcn. 1t is asserted that
he is the man who went up into Fayette
county and did splendid work for Cum
command much influence. He is an
active member OF labor union element
which comprises considerable portion
of the total number of persons in Iowa
who make a living by daily toll demand
that the next commissioner shall be a
union man. The trades and labor as
sembly of Des Moines took some action
la few nights ago looking to this end.
Resolutions were passed expressing the
sense of the meeting that the commits
sioner should be a real union man and
not one who may join for the sake of
holding on office. The assembly re-
fused distinctly to indorse anybody.
In fact, the officers of the assembly
will send out circular to heads of
i labor unions to correct an impression
which has been circulated that the
assembly has indorsed Fred l.. Bar
nett. a candidate for the place, from
| this city. 1t is asserted that Barnett's s
friends have been circulating that he
has the Endorsement of the assembly
lin Des Moines. which is not true. at
least as far as any formality has been
done. Barnett has been active in labor
union circles, but it is asserted that
he has made himself Objectionable by
political activity sometimes in opposite
directions at the same time. The
strongest candidate for the position in
many respects Is Arthur f.. Holder,
present deputy commissioner of statis-
tics, who lives in Sioux City. He is an
old union man. having been a member
of the machinists' union many years.
Holder has made himself familiar with
all the details of the work and has put
into the office vast amount of native
energy. The contest is believed to lie
entirely between Brigham and Holder.
&c. +. Wennestrum, of Fort Dodge, the
present commissioner. would accept re-
appointment, tho 1t is not known that
he is making an active canvass for the
plcae. His report recently filed shows
that he has gone deeper into the matter
of labor statistics than any other of the
commissioners. A. L. Urick of this city
is also a possible candidate. The Des
Moines men are claiming that Des
Moines man ought to have the place,
and this would shut out both the pres
ent commissioner and his deputy. 1t
is also true that there is another can
didate for an important place from
Siuox City, and while Sioux City re-
recognition they can not hope to get
two good places. Those who are near
to him say that Mr.. Cummins is likely
to favor labor union candidate, be-
cause the labor unions have always
been his warm friends.
Secretary Wesley Greene. and others.
go to Ames tomorrow to help in the or
gaEization of q forestry and park So
ciety, for Iowa, the purpose of which
will be to further the cause of forestry
and especially of the use of trees fol
parking purposes. II do not go much
on forestry for commercial purposes,
said Mr.. Greene today. II do not be-
lieve much can be done for Iowa in that
line. Iowa was never intended for a
forest state. do not believe in the the
ory so often advanced that our prairies
are woodlands burned off by the Indians
and that all we need to do to have tim
ber is to prevent its destruction in some
such way. Our climate is not right for
timber. There never was any timber
in Iowa. The soil is too rich and causes
a rapid growth which will not stand the
climate But we need trees for parking
and ought to encourage 1T. Many other
states have their forestry and park as
sociations. They have them in Mime
sofa. Wisconsin, Tennessee, New York,
California, Pennsylvania and other
states, and they have done great deal
of good
One bit of legislation that is going to
be looked after by somebody relates to
the penitentiary at Anamosa. Pardon
CLERK IIlcudTuS CulIeu ateSheioAA " NiA1~
the other day. The supreme court de-
cided some time ago that prisoner who
hid on the way from the stone quarry
to the prison did not break out of the
penitentiary and could not be punished
therefor. The appellant in the case,
with companion, had dropped into
creyice in the rocks and was covered
over by his associates and when it was
dark walked away. And !nasmuch as
the stone quarry is not legally part OF
the penitentiary he committed no crime.
The governor will ask that legislation
correcting this state of affairs be en-
acted. There is also some fear. since the
experience of the prison authorities at
Leavenworth, that the quarry gang at
Anamosa will some day make a break
for liberty and cause a lot of trouble.
Something may be asked to make this
impossible.
The long controversy between the
rival railroad interests as to which
should build belt for freight purposes