The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1902-01-03
Numerous Bills for the Considera-
ton of the Legislature, Soon
to Convene.
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ASKED FOR.
Two Resolutions for Constitutional
Amendments to BE Introduced
Cummins Outlines Programme for
Railroad Taxation-Other Matters
of interest
Especial Correspondence

consideration of the legislature which
convenes in Des Moines January 49,,
and among which are bills for the APP
preparation of several millions of dol
lars in the aggregate, are the follow
ing:
To establish one teachers training
school in addition to the one now in exist
ence at Cedar Falls, involving an eXpendi-
ture Of perhaps $lO0,00O at once; to estab-
lish reformatories for men and women al
Anamosa, and incarcerate all prisoners of
the state above the age of 30 at the peniten-
kiary at Fort Madison; to establish state
inebriate asylum for the cure of drunk
ards; to create juvenile court in Iowa and
to provide for the separation of youth from
men In jails and prisons; to abolish child
labor; to compel the schooling of children
under II years of age; to change the
method of assessing railroad property In
lowe for taxation, SO as to remcye the
question wholly from the discretion of the
assessing body; to appropriate sS75,Oto for
the IA state institutions under the manage
ment of the state board of control; to
place the projected interurban electric troll
ley railroads under the jurlsdict of the
state railroad commission on a footing
with steam roads; to appropriate $250,OC0
each for the state university at Iowa City
and the state agricultural college at
Ames, and to appropriate 100000 for the
state normal school at Cedar Falls; to levy
one-tenth of mill special tax for build
ing purposes for the state university; to
construct state arsenal at a cost of $50
COO; to complete the State Historical build
Ing and Historical hall and to build a hall
of archives at cost of 100000; to appro-
pirate GOO for the Iowa exhibition at the
Louisiana Purchase fair at st. Louis in
1905; to increase the salary of the governor
of Iowa from s4,l0O to $500; to create an
appellate court of three members to relieve
the supreme court of half of its labors, 1t
being proposed to give the new court juris-
diction over all cases involving not to en-
coed 5000 and no constitutional question;
to raise the salaries of the district judges
of the state from $3.50 to $4,000 year.
Legislators have already suggested
these measures. An average of 1000
bills are introduced into every assem-
bly,.
In addition to the laws here men
toned two resolutions for the submits
sion of constitutional amendments to
the popular vote will be introduced.
These are:
To abolish annual ard to establish BIZ
ennial state elections in Iowa.
10 allow women to vote.
shaw in the Cabinet
Iowa man to be invited to accept
position in the presidents cabinets
United States Senator w. T.. Wilson
was asked to become Gen. Grants sec
rotary of state in 1869 and declined;
Senator w. B. Allison was invited to
the secretaryship of the treasury I'M
der both President Garfield and Pres
ident Harrison. He, also, declined.
The other seven Iowa men accepted
the tenders made. In addition to Gov.
Shaw, who goes to the secretaryship
of the treasury. they were: James Har-
Ian, who was secretary of the interior
in 1866, having been appointed by
President Lincoln, but not having be-
gun his services before the death of
the president; w. w. Belknap, who was
President Grants secretary of war in
1869; Samuel j. Kirkwood, who was
made Secretary of the interior under
President Garfield in 1881; Frank Hat
ton, who was postmaster general UNI
der President Arthur in 1885; James
Wilson, who is serving as secretary of
agriculture in the present cabinet, and
who was appointed by President Nc
Kinley in 1897. When Gov. Shaw was
asked to accept the secretaryship of
the treasury by President Roosevelt,
through Senator Allison. he made it
plain in his answer t!.at he would ac-
cept, that he would do so only on the
understanding that such acceptance
would prejudice the position of Secre-
tary Wilson in no particular whatever.
A perfect understanding existed
among the men interested, including
the president, Senator Allison, Score
tary Wilson and Mr.. Shaw. Almost
every president from Washington down
has had two men from the same state
in his cabinet at different times. The
presence in the cabinet of both Shaw
and Wilson is not remarkable. Gov.
Shaw will not assume the duties of the
secretaryship until after the expira-
ton of his term as governor, the in
auguration of his successor, A. b. Cum
minis, occurring on January 16, accord
ing to present plans.
Railroad Taxation.
Gov.-elect A. B. Cummins has out
lined his programme with respect to
lSAdtIUIl MS question
been more or less prominent in politi-
cal affairs in Iowa for several years.
During the campaign of 1901 it cut a
big figure. An announcement from the
governor-elect has been awaited with
wide public interest. Mr.. Cummins has
suggested the reference of the problem
of the assessment of Iowa railroad
property for taxation to commission
to be created this winter by the state
legislature, composed of two republic
ans and one democrat, appointed by
the governor and confirmed by the
senate, who shall investigate and de-
termine the actual value of the rail-
road properties of the state and re-
mort the same to the executive coun-
ell as a basis for the assessment of
1902. To carry out this plan change
in the time of making the assessment
will be necessary, removing it from
March, as it is now, 10 July or August,
the date at which the state executive
council equalizes the value of all the
INV