Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-12-27
some USELESS SCIENCE
Publications OF Academy Of Sci.
ences Are OF Little Public
Interest.
Large Attendance at the Teach.
ers' Meeting..Old Timers on
the Ground.
The Way Kansas Statistics Are
Jussled to Make a Great
Showing.
Special to Times Republican.

eIHy VI SCleHCeS Coulu ue pllulSu diu
circulated in few weeks after the con-
cIusion of the meeting, as contemplated
by law and as desired by the members
of the Academy, the reports would have
some substantial value. For instance,
the last volume of proceedings contains
I the admirable address by the president,
Prof. William H. Norton, of Cornell
college, on "The Social Service of
Science" something of an academic
discussion Of nebulous subject and yet
full of interesting things of practical
value. It also contained valuable
papers on botany, chemistry, forestry,
geology, meterology, bacteriology and
other sciences by eminent scientific
students and Investigators of Iowa.
1t is hard for the lay reader to under
stand how any practical value attaches
to an essay on The Cupiliferae and
Juglandaceae,' or to notes on the time
Of sexual maturity of some Iowa unios,"
or q Study of reversible reactions" or
an essay on ..Diphenyl Ethers." but
/ there is not much doubt that the dis
cussion OF pure food legislation, the
analyses of Iowa building stone and
similar matters are of prime import
ance. The Academy which is now in
session here has given expression to
its protest against having to wait near
ly q year for It's published reports. If
the books could be got out quickly the
Academy would fare better with the
people. Two things that were consid-
cred at length last year are again un-
der consideration-pure food legislation
and forestry. In regard to pure food
legislation 1t is understood the COM
mittee on legislation will recommend
that the bill which was prepared two
years ago and introduced but not pass
ed will form the basis of a similar bill.
The members of the Academy realize
that4s Is impossible to frame a bill that
will meet all requirements. The real
trouble is that the scientists differ as
to what pure food Is. Neither the leg
islators nor the SCIENTISTS can frame a
bin that will cover the whole ground
and do it we'll. In regard to forestry
the Academy this year stands by its
position well taken last year in favor
of making national forest reserya-
tion or park at the headwaters of the
Mississippi and similar forest reserva-
tions elsewhere in the country to con-
serve the moisture and temper the
climate.
There are hundreds of the teachers
here to attend the state meeting One
of the leading educators declared that
the attendance will not be as large this
year as usual. The teachers do not like
the idea of having to remain away from
home over Sunday. 1t Is true that the
Sunday program is a fine one and will
be both interesting and Instructive. but
there is something about having a con-
vention over Sunday that is distasteful
to the teachers and many will remain
assurance of pleasant weather makes
sessions held just preceding a meeting
of the legislature the chief interest cen-
ters in the plans for furthering this or
that legislation. The real work of the
association is done by comparatively
small body of men and women. 1t is in
the committees and sectional meetings
rather than the general meetings.
Nearly all of the strong old-timers arc
here and but few of the familiar faces
are missing.
The meeting OF men interested in
forming the new allied party" is to be
held here this evening. AT the head Of
this movement Is ALI Reed. secretary
of the populist state committees Reed
is genius-no other like him. He
came originally from Jackson county
and grew to fame by running foot
race with Brann, the erstwhile editor
of the Iconoclast who died quick in
Texas one day. The new allied party is
to be the foundation for great reforms
in this country It's corner stone, as at
present planned. Is to be direct leglsla-
ton or the system of referring new
laws directly to the people to have
them pass upon it. In this respect the
movement Is one away from republican
ideals and in the direction of pure
democracy.
In view Of the remarkably good
showing of the state of Iowa In the
matter of soil products the past year,
dS l1iNiSSttCa Wy SIiS 1iiioi iSPoit VI sAAS
crop and weather service, 1t is planned
to make more extensive use of the fig
ures this year than ever before. 1t is
probable that a card will be printed ad-
vertising the date of the next state
fair and giving In briefest possible
form the statistics which were included
in the final crop report. For number
Of years Secretary Coburn of the Kan
sas department of agriculture has had
printed and sent out each winter
handsome card on which is printed his
statement of the soil products and other
farm statistics for Kansas. He has
done awonderful work advertising
kansas in this way. But it is pointed
out that his statement Is deceptive in
some matters. For instance, he in
cludes dairy products and cattle and
livestock generally and wool and all that
sort of thing, and adds the value of
these things to the soil products proper.
This gives Kansas a big total OF pro-
ducts But the Iowa statistics do not
thus double UP and deceive. Livestock