Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1902-01-15

for the state normal school, 100000;
for the State university, $375.000; to
erect monuments on the Vicksburg
battlefield, $150000. In addition to
number of minor extraordinary ap-
preparations asked, a movement is on
foot and strongly backed for one or
| more additional normal schools.
All of these estimates will be mate.
rally scaled. although it is held that
the board of control has not been I'M
duly extravagant in it's recommends
tions, and the sum asked for the re-
pair and completion of the state
house can only be reduced by aban-
doning some of the plans made. The
commission which made the recon-
mendatiOns proceeded on the theory
that the floral and other decorations
needed to complete the building should
be in the highest form of art. This
sentiment is generally accepted and
it is believed that if the full sum
asked is not granted, whatever reduc-
ton is made will be secured by post
poning some of the improvements
The movement for additional nor
NAL school or schools Is strongly
backed. 1t has been in progress for
years and has reached a stage where
it will be difficult to resist. The State
Teachers association. at it's recent
meeting, adopted strong resolutions
on the subject. Friends of the school
at Cedar Falls, while not Directing to
additional schools, insist that the
legislature should first give to the
present school such support as will
develop its fullest possibilities. They
hold that more can be accomplished
by one well supported school than by
two or three or four educational weak
lings. The subject has been pretty
well threshed over by the general as
semblies OF the recent past without
result and definite action is expected
this winter. The people of Knoxville
have plan for another normal school
with but little I'M Il expense. The
legisla I've a dozen years ago estab-
lished e. Knoxville an industrial home
for the blind which was not a success.
The inmates were not self-supporting
as was anticipated would be the case
| and furthermore the blind people did
not take kindly to life at the home.
Their presence was purely voluntary
| and they were found to gen.
orally prefer to live among their
friends even If it involved hardships
/ to living in the home. AS result the
| home was closed two years ago and
the main building which cost S109. 900
stands vacant. The Knoxville people
hold that by an expenditure of SIG. 900
the building could be fitted for use as
a normal school and that no better
location for a school exists in the
state.
Some of the Proposed Legislation.
Insurance matters will demand at
tention. The valued policy bill will
be again presented and its enactment
into law strongly urged The insur-
ance men have had systematic cam
paign in progress for months looking
to the repeal of the Blanchard anti
combine law. Under this law agree
ments among companies or among
agents for the establishment and
maintenance of fire insurance rates
are prohibited. The insurance men
claim the. law has operated disastrous
| ly to their business without benefit
to the public. On the other nand the
supporters OF the law claim its opera
ton in general has been beneficent
and that the insurance business
should be kept on a competitive
basis. The establishment of state
insurance department is also urged.
The board of control has recon-
mended a number of what il deems
reforms, which will come before the
legislature 1t favors the parole and
indeterminate sentence system of
dealing with lawbreakers. 1t recon-
mends that but one penitentiary that
| at Fort Madison, be maintained and
that the penitentiary at Anamosa be
converted into a reformitory for wom-
en- and for men between the ages OF
| 16 and 80. 1t is proposed to send
| malefactors who are not hardened
criminals and whose offenses are not
vi the nuOle SeIiOuS SOTt 10 tulS re-
| formatory and there to teach them
| trades and inculcate habits of indus
try. with view to saving them to So
ciety.
The Iowa Anti-Saloon league is be-
| hind a movement for the establish
ment OF hospital for inebriates in
connection with one of the state hos
pitfalls for the insane. The establish
ment OF state colony for epileptics
| is being urged from many quarters
! and bill for that end will be pressed.
| The construction OF several lines of
| interurban electric railway in the state
| and the existence of projects for the
building of hundreds of miles addi-
! tional has led the board OF railroad
| commissioners to ask that such lines
| be placed under it's control. The com
missioners also want law giving
| them authority to compel the estab-
lishment of under grade or overhead
crossing by the railroads of the state
where they are deemed necessary.
Woman Suffragists Busy.
| Two old friends will come before
| the legislature i'm the form of 'joint