Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-08-21
WORRY |BE OFFICIALS
New Laws Sure to Make Trouble
for Careless County Of
ficers.
Provide for Publication OF Com.
plete Report on County and
City Funds.
Big Soap Concerns Annihilate
Little 0ne--.More Army
Post Trouble.
cial to Times Republican


Des Moines, Aug. 21.-From inquiries
which are being made of state officials
in regard to certain of the laws which
have recently been placed on the stat
| applicaticn and enforcement. it is evil
dent that sundry town. city and county
officials viii be up against an ugly
proposition before another year rolls
round. The laws referred to are those
who aim at publicity in the matter of
public accounts and full information for
the public as to expenditures and re-
hceipts. 1t is ntimated that in only a
few towns. cities ana counties are ac-
: counts being so kept that the new laws
can be complied With when it comes to
making out reports for publication. In
regard TO county finances the LAW con-
templates that the county auditors
shall. during the month of January,
publish in pamphlet form a complete
statement of the county finances for the
past year. Thfs Shall be not merely a
collection of meaningless figures. but
| must be Il very complete ana intellig-
bic report. SO that every taxpayer may
know what is being done With the pub
lie funds. The law goes into details at
great length. In town and city affairs
il; is provided that accounts must be
kept so as TO show all details of city
/ financial transactions. Separate ac-
counts shall be kept for each depart
ment. public Improvement or UNDER
taking. and for each utility owned or
operated by said municipality. The sep
] arate accounts shall show the true and
! entire cost of the said utility and oper-
hation thereof. the amount collected an
Fnually by general or special taxation
for the services rendered to the public.
and the amount and character of the
/ service rendered therefor. and the
| amount collected annually from private
users. if any, for the service rendered
to them. and the amount and character
of the service rendered therefor" This
report shall be published in two news
papers ,of the town or city 1t is not
Z babf" tita, Wien t.le ti'sia ,.uf5s f,;s
making these publications All of the
city and county officials charged with
the duty of making such reports will be
prepared to do So The inquiries indi-
cate, however, that a close watch is to
Dt kept, ana III lllIIly cases. WiltTt lnG
reports are not UP to the statutory re-
qrirements. individuals will take steps
TO require better reports.
There will be the usual conference of
crop reporters at the state fair this
year. Last year. owing to the mistake
of the board in cutting off their passes.
the crop reporters did not come AS the
der the direction of the agricultural
board this did not look very Well This |
year the crop reporters will come again.
There are about 200 of them in all. but
of course not all will be present at the
fair. The weather and crop bureau has
been gaining steadily in favor in re-
cent years.
1t is planned that the board of tr,ls- |
tees of the state college will appoint a |
question of the presidency of the coll
lege and report at a later meeting I
There will be no lnseemly haste in
choosing president nor in disposing of
the claims of the various persons whose
names have been considered.
The experience of the Puck Soap
Company, of this city. with the big
concerns, illustrates how business is
being done that concentration may be
forced all along the line. The company
made an article which had merit 1t
could be sold regardless of what the
others might do. But, despite this bull
wark, AN effort was made to drive the
product out of the market at every con- /
siderable point. When the Puck people
commenced to do business in Des
MoncS on Il good basis some of the big ,
companies in the combine established 5
branch houses here and offered premi-
ums and prize packages and cut
rates. all that the local company might /
be driven out of business. What really |
made IL impossible for the company To
continue in business was the fact that
he big soap companies with unlimited
;apital could give terms such as the y
ocal company could not meet Then it
VAS forced TO d reorganization. ;
The army post and water main sham
controversy has taken another turn II
rom this ii appears that the predic- L
ions of those Who early familia,.ized Il
themselves with the situation here are o
o be fulfilled. 1t has been a long tight o
o get rid of a fund which has stood in q
he Way OF the freedom of the local MA o
er compallN and as an actual menace II
o that company. The water company
vas bonded for a large amount some a
ears ago and The bonds sold, and later O.
he stock sold and eastern investors are q
n control Then somebody conceived o1
ne idea of fund to pay for Il munici- b.
al plant and this WAS started. The b.