The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1902-07-18

known az the Griswo,d law, regulating
tontine building and investment COM
panies which have sprung up in large
numbers all over Iowa within the
past year. A friendly case was taken
before Judge McVey by the companies
and submitted to him, and he was
about to hand down decison when the
attorney general of the state notified
him that he would like to be heard.
He objected to the issues in the case
being made up by friendly attorneys
in order to secure test decision. The
law requires the companies to put up
securities valued at $4,000 to secure
the investors, the securities being de-
posted with the auditor of state. 1t is
this feature of the law to which the
concerns object. They believe that
such a requirement from them consti-
tute class legislation, and it is on this
basis that they are fighting the law.
To Abolish Grand Jury.
At meeting of the county attor.
neys of Iowa in Des Moines July 20
and 90 the question of asking the COM
ing legislature to amend the law and
abolish the grand jury, which is now
a portion of the court machinery in
every county in the state, will be dis.
cussed. Many of the county attorneys
favor the adjustment of the grand
jury with its secret inquisitions and it's
enormous cost. The plan proposed to
take the place of the grand jury in the
matter of returning indictments is to
allow the county attorney to file AMI in
formation with transcripts of what he
expects to prove by them and try the
accused person on this basis instead Of
on an Indictment returned by the
seven members of the grand jury. tits
argued that in this way better evil
dence could be procured, the county
attorney would not be called upon to
prosecute some Indictment which he
cannot indorse and which may be il
legal. and the expense would become
a minimum. U. G. Whitney, of Wood
bury county, will deliver an address
before the county attorneys in favor
of the proposition. D. w. Telford, Of
Mason City, is president of the assoc
citation and John McLennan, of Des
Moines, is secretary.
Insane on the Increase.
An increase of 1876 inmates of the in
sane hospitals of the state has been re-
ported by the state board of control
in a statistical review of the pastyear.
This rate of increase is regarded by
the board as extraordinary. 1t is not
the plan of the board to ask the state
for additional insane hospitals, there
being one in each corner of the state,
but as more room is required the pres
ent institutions will be enlarged.
Care of Dipsomnnincs.
A law requiring the board of control
to set aside ward at one or more of
the state insane hospitals for the care
and cure of dipsomaniacs and those
addicted to the excessive use of drugs
and narcotics went into effect July 4.
The board has begun the work of ar
ranging for the establishment of the
ward. 1t has received
hundreds of letters of inquiry since
the law passed in the recent legis-
lature asking for information relative
to the measure. 1t gives the courts of
the state the power to commit persons
of the kind described to the ward re-
ferred to.
Camp Abandoned.
The national guard camp at Fonda
had to be abandoned on account of the
floods this year. Adjt. Gen. Byers
hopes that the legislature of 1904 will
see to it that the state owns its own
central camp grounds, where the ma
tional guard regimental camps may be
held annually. He has recommended
this in several reports, but the legis-
lature never has acted on the sugges-
ton. He now proposes that the camp
be located alongside of the Des
Moines army post, ground for which
was broken the past week. This would
furnish an invaluable object lesson for
the young soldiers. The expense to-
the state would be very greatly less
in the long run.
Damage to Corn.
Director Sage, of the crop service,
believes that the damage to corn from
the high water, and a large quantity
of it is irreparable, amounts now to
more than the increased acreage,
which was more than 100000 acres.
The damage to the small grain has
been large also. The injury has been
more on account of the inability to
take care of the fields than anything
else. The condition of the different
crops this year and last in the first
week in July is given by Director Sage
as follows:
1901 1902.
Per Cent. Per Cent.
Corn OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 90 80
Winter wheat ............... SO IS
Spring wheat ................. 81 80
Oats NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. IS IS