Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1903-05-15
NOTES FROM THE CAPITAL
Des Moines, May IA, 1908.

The state camp meeting of the Mod.
ern WOodmen of America closed after
q stormy session. The result OF the
convention was q unanimous victory
for the supporters Of Col. G. G. Saun.
ders, Of Council Bluffs, who was the
candidate opposed to Jerry Green for
the endorsement as head director. The
election Of officers, which was held at
the night session, resulted as follows:
State consul, Frank X. Stebbins,
Iowa City; state clerk, Peter Steph.
any, Manning; E. HI. McCutchen, of
HOlstein, was selected as chairman
of the delegation to the head camp
meeting at Indianapolis; John d. Den
nison, Of Clarion, was endorsed for
auditor over A. w. Maxwell, of Sey-
mour; Dan B. Horne, of Davenport,
was endorsed for head advisor with
out opposition; Colonel Saunders, for
director, defeated Green by almost
two to one vote, the figures reading 80
to 81. No action was taken on read
justment.
Secretary Dawson Of the executive
council has received the report Of the
Chicago Great Western railroad COM
pany for the year ending December
81, 1902. 1t shows something of q
falling of in earnings in 1902 as COM
pared with 1901. On the Great West.
ern system proper the gross earnings
| on mileage in Iowa in 1902 were
$2,8S8,452: the operating expenses,
S2,642.l65; and the net earnings,
| $246,2s7.
| The Iowa Federation of Women's
| Clubs elected an entirely new board
| for the first time In its history. The
following officers were chosen: Pres.
ident, Mrs. T. J. Fletcher of Marshall.
town; vice-president, Mrs. M. C. Cory
OF Spencer; treasurer, Mrs. Gibson Of
! Ames; recording secretary, Mrs Men
"a r. Burks of Oskaloosa: correspond
ing secretary, Miss Harriet Lake of In
dependence; auditor, Mrs. Leopold
Levy of Waverly.
| The building and loan business is
rapidly dying out in Iowa, as reports
] to the building and loan department
of the auditors Office indicate Audi
tor of State Carroll says the associa.
lions are rapidly closing out their
business. Inquiry at the Office of Sec.
| rotary A. H. Dawson of the executive
council discloses the fact that for q
number of months, in fact nearly two
years, no new association has been
| authorized by the council to transact
business in Iowa. The reasons for
| this state of things are not far to
seek. The legislation of the Twenty
| eighth general assembly knocked The
bottom out of the business. The law
| passed then provided the amount of
premium and interest charged by such
associations should not exceed S per
cent per annum. Under this restric.
| ton the business ceased to offer the
| inducements to promoters that exist
ed when there was no limit on the
premium and interest that might be
charged. Loss of confidence on the
part Of the public in building and loan
business and cheap money are also
ascribed as strong reasons for the de.
cline of the business. There are but
about Is associations now transact.
| ing business in the state. How rapid
a decline this has been in five years
is illustrated by the fact that in 1898
there were 81 domestic local associa.
tions in the state and 20 domestic,
aside from the foreign associations
that were transacting business here
The attorneys for C. A. Albrook and
other defendants in the famous tax
ferret attorney fee case from Hardin
county, have filled their argument IN
the case brought by taxpayers to COM
pei them to refund money paid on
a contract to pay Is per cent for
attorney fees in addition to the Is
per cent for the ferrets. Judge Ken.
yon held that the contract was lille
gal and rendered Judgment for $1,000
against the defendants. The plea made
to the court in printed brief is quite
long, and goes into the question Of
the necessity for such employment Of
lawyer to assist in collecting taxes
discovered by the ferrets, and claims
that it was very necessary. Two
thirds of the pay that was given the
attorneys went to the tax ferrets
themselves on side contract. The
case will call for some interesting
arguments orally before the supreme
court.
According to the Kindergarten An.
| uudl, W1llCu UCCA ACSO1SSu az SAAS
office of Superintendent Barrett, and
| which contains a list of all the active
teaching Undergraduates in the Unit
ed States, Des Moines is the center for
kindergartners in Iowa. 1t has the
largest number by far of any city in
the state. There are total OF 80 &C.
tive kindergarteners here; Council
Bluffs comes next with 20; Oskaloosa
| is third with IA; Dubuque has II;
Creston, s, and Marshalltown, I. The
number in the profession does not
| at all keep pace with the size OF the
cities, as Cedar Rapids has but four,
! Davenport but 5 and Sioux City but
L.. On the whole, however, the state
of Iowa averages up well with the
| other states. There are two associa'
tions in the state concerned in kind.
ergarten work. They are the Des
Moines Froebel association and the
Davenport Kindergarten association.
| Governor Cummins has authorized
| the offer of reward of $500 for the ar
| rest of George Matheson, the young
imam Of Pottawattamie county, who
shot Deputy Sheriff ]. G. Baker at the
town Of Weston, when the officer was
| making an arrest of Matheson Math
eson is a handsome young man 19
| years old, with blue eyes and light
brown hair, 5 feet inches high, weigh
ing $50 pounds. The sheriff of Pot
tawattamie county is making every
effort to locate the fugitive and ap
pealed to the governor for this offer OF
/ reward, which was readily granted.
when q woman wishes to retire
from the world" says the Manayunk
Philosopher, "she enters a nunnery.
All a man has to do is to marry a
| famous woman #&