Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1902-02-14
RAILROADS 70 TIE FRONT
Legislation Concerning Them Is Of
More Interest Than Any Other
Before the Legislature.
SUBJECT ALWAYS CREATES EXCITEMENT
State Fair Management Wants a Pa
Legaline Transfers of Title -
Changes In Salaries of Omcials
PrOposed-Other Notes.
Especial correspondence

Especial Correspondence
Des Moines, Ia, Feb. 10.-A deeper
and more general interest is felt in
the subject of railroad legislation than
in any other with which the present
legislature will have to deal. Owing
to the prominence which the railroad
taxation question assumed in recent
political campaigns the mention OF
the subject in the legislative halls at
once creates furry of excitement or
interest.JThe first time it was brought
forward was when Chairman I. ID.
Healy, of the judiciary committee,
moved in the ways and means commit
tee of the senate that subcommittee
to investigate the railroad taxation
question be appointed. Chairman y.
M. Junl1in was made chairman OF the
subcommittee and Senators Healey,
L. w. Lewis and Claude Porter were
appointed upon it. This committee
is holding frequent meetings to dis
cuss the subject, The second time
that the attention of the legislators
was called to the railroad situation
was when Senator E. ID. Hubbard
introduced a bill authorizing Iowa rail-
road corporations to own stock IN
other railroads in other states. This is
measure designed to legalize the So
called "merger" of the Burlington,
railroad with the Northern Pacific
properties III Wyoming and other
western states. The Burlington is
an Iowa corporation and the law does
not give it authority to own stock in
other roads in other states, except
those adjacent to Iowa. The third
time that the railrond question was
brought forward was when Senator
]. A. Smith and Representative Emory
English introduced bill requiring the
railroads doing business in Iowa to
keep uniform accounts and report de-
tails and net earnings on each ship
ment to the executive council, to en-
able it to tax intelligently. This bill
has the sanction of Gov. Cummins.
Wants Pavilion.
The management of the state fair
has asked the legislature to appropri-
ate $3S, 900 for the erection of a stock
show and stock sale pavilion on the
| fair grounds in Des Monies. Plans for
permanent and fire-proof structure
have been made. The building will
have show ring 200 by 173 feet in size
to halter can be shown in it at once.
1t will seat $500 people. 1t will be SO
enclosed that it can be heated and used
for sales in the winter. The principal
argument used by the directors of the
fair to the legislature is that the erec-
ton of the building will result in the
holding of shock sales in Iowa, which
| are now held in Chicago, Kansas City,
Minneapolis and Omaha, to which
iowa stock men ship their animals,
and from which Iowa buyers ship back
into Iowa so per cent. of the stock
sent from this state to the outside
shows. The state fair management
has decided not to mine the coal under
the fair grounds at present. 1t has
decided to give finer night attractions
during the fair the last week of Aug
ust this year than have ever been at
tempted.
To Destroy Liquor.
i II. H. Abrams, who has charge of the
campaign for temperance legislation
will ask for change in the law sc
that officers who arrest persons fol
the illegal sale of liquor can seize
their contraband goods and destroy
them without a warrant of search anG
trial. He proposes that the illega
liquor business be placed on the same
basis as illegal fishing, the law nov
providing that Illegal fishing utensils
can be seized where found and de
stroyed without warrant. Mr.. A. T
Flickinger, of Fonda, has proposed {
change in the mulct law relating tc
liquor traffic in Iowa, to require sa
loon men to renew their petitions Of
consent every five years. This propo
sition will be fought bitterly by the Ii
| quor interests.
Appropriation Bill Passed.
| The first large appropriation bill
passed by the legislature was fol
| $13sooO for completing the Cherokee
insane hospital. The board of !contro
hopes to occupy the institution witt
500 patients transferred from ths
other hospitals, which are crowded
on or before July 4.
Ask an Increase.
Both the state university and tn,
state agricultural college have aske,
for an increase Of their building Ia,
levy from one-tenth to two-tenths O
a mill. This would yield each institu
ton about $4,000 year for build
ing purposes, and would avoid tn
necessity of asking for special appro
priations to cover losses by fire, sucl
as those suffered during the last tw'
years.
Treatment Of Drunkards.
A proposal has been made by bill
introduced in the assembly to estab
lish wards in the state insane hospi
tails for the treatment of drunkards
inebriates and those given to overin
diligence in narcotics. It is propose,
to adjudge this class of people just a
i insane people are adjudged insane
according to their condition, and com
NIT them for scientific treatment an,
cure.
Transfers of Title.
A bill OF great Importance has bee
proposed by the senate Judiciary com
mittee, being the legalization OF al
transfers of title based on the deeds
of wife and husband in which either
, spouse acted for the other by powe,
of otf0rnev Thonsands, Yroha hi,