The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1902-04-15
RAISE GOVERNORS PAY.
The Chief Executive of the State of
Iowa Has His Salary In
creased to $4,000.
WILL NOT 60 INTO EFFECT UNTIL 1904.
Compulsory Education of All Chill
dren Provided For-Pension Money
of Soldiers in the Home Disposed
Of-Other Legislative Notes of
General Interest.
Especial Correspondence

Des Moines, Ia, April 7.-After re-
peated recommendations to that eff
feet by successive governors the sal
airy of the governor of Iowa has been
increased to $4,000. This makes it
about the average of the eastern
states. The law passed by this as
sembly will not go into effect, of
course, until the close of Gov. Cum
Minis first term in January, 1904. An
officers salary cannot be increased
while he is in Office. The bill to in
crease the salary went through east
ly and without opposition either in
debate or on the roll call.
Property of Soldiers.
One of the big fights of the ses-
sion was over the exemption of the
property of the soldiers of the state
from taxation to the value of $500.
The old law made this exemption in
the case of those incapable of man
ual labor, but the law was unsatis-
factory, and the grand army desired
to have it changed so as to give
every soldier who wished it the ex-
emption. The senate amended by
making the exemption apply to the
estates of those not worth $4,000.
This amendment would make the
measure unconstitutional, it was
thought by many lawyers who are
members of the assembly.
Must Swing Out.
One of the most important meas
ures proposed in the legislature was
the bill which was passed by the SEN
ate without opposition providing that
all buildings of whatever character
intended to be occupied by more
than 100 people should have outside
doors which would swing outward.
This applied to Office buildings, opera
houses, boarding houses, hotels and
all factories, etc. 1t is estimated
that it would cost hundreds of thou
sands of dollars to change the OUT
side doors of the thousands of build
ings which are already erected and
the doors of which would be required
to be changed by this measure.
Effort Failed.
An effort was made to stop the
NY U11C SGdIC vi UllC 'Jul-
letins of the geological survey and
other bulletins, including treatises
by the professors of the state agri-
cultural college relating to matters
of great Importance and value to the
farming and manufacturing interests
of the state. One of these bulletins
related to the grasses of Iowa; an
other, which would be of great value
to the brick manufacturers of Iowa,
related to the clays of this state;
another related to soil physics of the
state, matter of great and prime
Importance to the farmers of the
state. An effort was made to shut
off the publication of these pam
phlets, which are in great demand by
the people of the state, but the leg
islature killed the proposition.
Public Salary Measure.
A public salary measure which
passed through the legislature with
out opposition, much to the surprise
of all the members, was that devised
by Senator Winnie relating to the
salaries of shorthand reporters of
district courts. The controversy over
the compensation of these officials
has been waged for great many
years, and the surprise came when it
was so easily settled in accordance
with the wishes of the reporters. I'm
der the law they will be paid six dol
lars day for actual service, but if
this per diem does not equal $1,000 in
any one year the deficit shall be
made up by the counties in which
their court is held, in proportion to
the number of days of court held in
each county. They are also to re-
ceive ten cents per hundred words
for transcribing their notes, and in
criminal cases and in cases in which
defendants are unable to pay for this
transcribing in cases of appeal the
boards of supervisors are authorized
to pay the reporters fees.
Sewage Disposal.
1t is proposed by the legislature to
take up and carefully investigate dur
ing the next two years the subject of
sewage disposal in this state. AS the
cities have grown larger the problem
mas grown ulOTc ScIlOuS, especially III
view of the fact that the towns along
rivers have begun to object most
strenuously to the dumping of sewage
by cities above them on the river into
the stream. The following resolution
was proposed in the legislature, and it
is thought that the Investigation
which will be carried on during the
next two years will be of great value
to the people of Iowa, if not to the
people of other cities of other western
states:
"Whereas, The disposition of sewage has
| become a serious matter in the state OF
Iowa, and
"Whei cas-, The methods of disposition
and publication are little known and un.
| derstood, and
| "Whereas, The law governing and con
| trolling the disposition of sewage Is some
what vague, ambiguous and deficient
therefore, be 1t
| Resolved, BY the house, the senate con
curing, that the state board of health b.
and is hereby constituted commission
without additional compensation, to inves
tigate the question of the disposition O
sewage, the publication thereof, the condi
| ton of our laws governing and controllin,