Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-12-03
Gan NOT PLEASE AL
Members Of the Board OF Con.
troll Often Subject to I'm.
just Criticism.
Sure to Be Criticized by Some
No Matter What Position
They Take.
Judge Robinson Tells Of Few
Unpleasant Features Of
His Position.
.necial to Times Republican.

HIS fOSlllOu.
Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines, Dec 3.-The only member
of the state board of control in the cit.
this week is Judge Clifford S. Robinson
the newest member of the board Hi!
attention had been called to tne attack:
4 which are being made personally OF
members OF the board in various news
papers, and to one newspaper attack IL
particular made here.
I'VE are not surprised at this" he
said. I'VE have come to expect just
such attacks from certain sources. But
I confess that as to most of the Articles
published In an evening paper here an
absolutely unable to determine what
1 the writer was driving at. The insinu.
atoms are obscure and appear to relate
| to matters unknown tothe board. We
| do not make 1t business to reply tc
such attacks. The board has pursued
| the policy OF going ahead and doing the
/ =
kindly and honest criticism of our acts
to the end that we may the better learn
| what we ought to do and how to do it.
We have. as far as 1t is practicable to
do so. encouraged publicity of the bus
| mess of the state. Perhaps this is what
Is complained OF as brass band meth
DDS 1t is true that we have left our
records open for inspection and II there
has been great publicity to our doings
1t has beer because the newspaper re-
p rters have been eager to get and to
give to the public everything being done
for the state institutions. But then
there are other complaints that we have
not done enough OF publishing 10 the
world our doings; for instance, in the
matter OF letting contracts and buying
goods on bids. AS understand it the
board started out by making public all
the bids made and all offers and prices.
The board met with criticism from the
jobbers and manufacturers at once.
Here, they said, we are making you
very low prices and we don't want our
offers sent out to all our customers In
the state. II you insist on publishing
our quotations we viii iiave to quit bid
take OF it. The board therefore followed
the plan Of avoiding newspaper motor
iety in reference to the Offers 1t was
done to protect those who are doing
business with the state. But all bids are
on file and any person having a right to
know what is being done can see al the
bids and know exactly how all the con-
tracts have been let. 1t is true we have
not always let contracts at the prices
first offered. For instance, there was
the new building at Eldora. On first adj
Nertlsing we received but one bid. It
was plainly too high and was beyond
the reach OF the appropriation we had
available for 1t. There was nothing to
do but try again. The plans We're light
~ modified to bring the cost within the
appropriation. and we got new bids
which saved the state a good many dol
lars But take the contract at the Cher
okee hospital, for instance, and that
was let without any change from the
bid. We were we'll satisfied that it was
a fair price and the papers were signed
up at once. The contractor was not
asked for any concessions nor was there
any suggestion of coming down in his
price. But. as said before, we expect
criticism, and when it Is honestly given
and is fair it will do good
The coming general assembly will be
asked to straighten out several minor
matters relating to the time of filing
the biennial reports and the period
covered by each. For instance, the an
nual reports of the railroad commission
were required at one time to cover
a period ending Dec. 81 of each year;
then there was change to make the re-
port year end June 80, the same as the
year OF the executive council: then the
whole thing became mixed UP in the
code at the time of the revision and
1t is impossible to know just what is
intended, as In one place reference Is
made to the year ending Dec. 81 and
elsewhere it refers to the other year
The mix-up on the report of the super
intendent of public instruction is equal
ly bad. Originally 1t was provided that
the statistic should run up to a certain
date, then 1t was changed by law, and
when the code was revised all refer
ence to 1t was left out. There is nothing
indicating when the school report shall
close except by inference. The old
custom has been followed. but some
day somebody might make complaint
and upset 1t all, hence some legislation
is needed.
Judge Mcpherson has gone home
after the close of the late term of fed
eral court and has the Morrison glove
case under consideration. He did state
on one occasion that he would decide
1t before ending the term here, but
it has become evident that he found
1t deeper case than at first supposed
and wishes to carefully go over the
citations Of authority. Those who fol-
lowed the case closely are of the opin-
ion that the court will decide for Nor
rison and incidentally give those who
tried to destroy his business and pre-
vent the establishment of the glove
making industry In Iowa something of
a hard fall. 1t is not generally known.
but 1t is fact that Iowa has two of
the largest and most important glove
factories in the United States outside
of the town of Gloverville, N. Y, where
an effort has been made to concen-
trate the entire business. A decision of
the court adverse to the arinnell manu-
facturer might affect this development
of the industry.