The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-05-16
AT THE STATE CAPITAL
Des Moines. Nav Ia. 1901

Des Moines, May IA, 1901.
State Superintendent r. G.. Barrett
has secured an opinion from Assist
ant Attorney General vanVleck as
to what constitutes special teacher
in music. The opinion will be of in
interest to every teacher employed in
the public schools of Iowa, inasmuch
as the law requiring teachers to sat-
isfy county superintendent as to
their ability to teach music goes into
effect July 1. Necessity for the rul-
ing of the attorney general comes up
through a provision which makes ex-
ceptions of teachers in districts
where special teachers of music are
employed, as is the case in nearly
all the city schools. In many cases
special teachers are termed super
visors of music, and these visit the
various schools in the district semi
weekly. weekly, fortnightly or every
three weeks. In the interim the
teachers have charge Of the music
and the question arose as to the
meaning of the new law and whether
it is necessary for these teachers to
pass the examination. Mr.. VanVleck
holds that the supervisors are special
teachers and that the regular teach
ers are not obliged to teach music.
This ruling comedies with the law
providing that certificates of teachers
shall not grade lower because the
teachers are unable to sing.
The controversy over the question
Of furnishing the army post with
water has been settled. The Des
Moincs Water company, through its
local attorney, has agreed to extend
it's mains from the south corporation
limits to the post, distance, of one
and half miles. The company. had
already been ordered by the city
council to extend it's mains from
their present terminus on South
Ninuh street to the city limits, and
the action of the company now re-
moves all doubt but that the greatest
conultion imposed upon the city by
tie secretary of war-the demapd
for city water-will be complied with.
Steps will be taken Immediately to
comply with the other four condi-
tons, and it is again believed pre-
liminary work on the post, calling
for the expenditure of the 100000
appropriated by the last congress
for that purpose. will begin this sum.
mer. Persons interested in the work.
of securing the post are jubilant over
the water company's action, as the
unpleasant controversy is ended and
all danger of losing the post alto
gether past.
An order has been issued from the
office of the adiutant general in re-
gard to the school of instruction in
small arms practice for this year.
1t will open at the state range, nearI
Cedar Rapids, June 10, and will COM
tinue for five days. Col. Thomas FS
Cook of Algona. general inspector Oh
small arms practice, will be iHf
charge. A detail of three men frod
each company will be sent to the
range and instructions will be given
in firing the Springfield and the
krag-J orgenson rifles.
To is said that the fire insurance
companies doing business in Iowa
have decided to sc into politics for
the purpose of securing the. repeal
of what they believe to be unfavora-
BILE legislator and the enactment
of favorable legislation. A meeting
of representative of seven large COM,
panies, some Iowa and other foreign,
was held at the Savery hotel, at
which preliminary plan of campaign
was adopted. The state was divided
into districts and a special agent as
signed to each. Between now and
election the companies will go into
every county in the state and en-
deavor to convince the prospective
members of the legislature, through
the citizens of the various DISTRICTS
that extensive changes are needed in.
Iowa fire insurance laws. Most of
the work will be done by means of
the local solicitors, who will be asked
to participate in the campaign. In
every community the companies ein-
tend to make clean, frank fight
for what they believe they are enti-
tied to. They intend to organize,
among other things, bureau for the
dissemination of intorma ticn, which
will inform the public what the COM
panies want, why they want it,, and
what they believe the effects will be
if their requests are complied with
or refused
The governor has named the fol-
lowing gentlemen to represent Iowa
at the national conference on taxa
ton to be held at Buffalo, May 90 and
"a: John Herriott, Stuart; John
Cownie, Des N[oines; w. /. Babb, Mt.
Pleasant; w. w. Wilmer, Des Moines;
w. w. Baldwin, Burlington; George
D. Perkins, Sioux City; N. M. Pussy,
Council Bluffs; r. L. Chase, Des
Moines.
REMAIN IN FORBIDDEN CITY.