Omaha daily bee., 1903-02-04
MUSIC PROVES ITS CHARM
Works Wonders in Promoting Discipline at
Indu trial School.
INMATES PRESENT ORIGINAL OPERA
Effort to Extend Limits of city Of
Perry Fail Acting Mayor
Instead Of the Mayor
Signs Ordinance.
INMATES PRESENT ORIGINAL OPERA


the State Industrial school presented a
complete opera before a select audience
composed almost exclusively Of state off,
Gals and their families. The opera was
written, both words and music, by the SUI
perintcrdent OF the Industrial school, r. 2.
Fitzgerald. He has made a wonderful sue
cess with music at the institution. having
organized two good orchestras and devot-
ing much time to vocal music, in addition
TO the Industrial work, which has not been
neglected. AS a result of the introduction
Of music in place of harsher methods of In
teresting the girls in their surroundings.
the school has been completely transformed
in four years, and is now a model Of its
kind. The opera presented at the audito-
rum Of the school tonight was THE
Queens Messenger" and about fifty of the
girls Of the school took part. A special
train over the Interurban electric road car
ried about 100 persons from Des Moines,
headed by Governor Cummins and the state
officers and the members Of the State Board
Of Control. it was strictly a private pres
e~ntation OF the opera, and II Is regarded as
probable that the girls of the Industrial
school will at an early date come to Des
Moinos to present the opera here. 1t is
the first time anything Of the kind has
ever been attempted at any reformatory in
the state or elsewhere, and the experiment
is regarded as entirely new.
State Dairy Commissioner Wright and
others went from here TO Cedar Rapids to-
day to attend the annual state meeting Of
the Iowa Dairymen's association in session
there.
Soldiers Exemptions.
Attorney General Mullan has rendered
an important decision relative to the ex-
emption on tho property of former soldiers
and their widows and orphans. The home
steads of soldiers have been exempt for
many years from taxation. but last winter
the legislature provided that all the prop
erty of soldiers and their widows to the
extent Of $500 shall be exempt from as
sessment. A question arose as TO whether
this exemption was, applicable TO the taxes
of 1902. and the attorney general was held
that, inasmuch as the assessments had been
made and completed and the taxes placed
against all property before the Jaw went
into force. 1t will not apply until the taxes
Of 1903 are collected.
Circular to Manufacturers.
The St.. Louis commission has just is
sued a circular TO the manufacturers o.
the state urging upon them that they make
arrangements for a manufacturing exhibit
at st. Louis. S. N. Leach, the member
from the Seventh district, is in charge of
this part of the work, and finds that there
is no organization of manufacturers through
| which the exhibit can be secured and thus
it is necessary to work for individual in
terest in the Iowa exhibit. Some effort is
being made to form a manufacturers as
ISOLATION in Iowa as the result of the work
being done in this direction.
| New Iowa Corporations.
The following new corpoEation papers
were filed with the secretary OF the state
today:
Nelson Gas Engine and Automobile COM
pany OF Harlan, capital $4,000; T. X. Nell
! son, president; s. O.. Dummon, secretary:
Farmers Mutual Telephone company Of
Hi dent; { cd B, Fgss iiis secretary.
Farmers Mutual Telephone company OF
Postyille. capital S5,So; Evan swenson'
City Expansion Failed.
The Iowa supreme court decided today
that the efforts of the voters of the city
of Perry to expand the town failed by rea-
son of Irregularities in the preliminary
proceedings. 1t appears that at a regular
meeting of the council a resolution was
passed looking to the annexation of terri
tory. Adjournment was taken three or
four times and finally the resolution orler-
ing the election was passed at a time when
both the clerk and mayor we're absent and
an acting mayor and acting clerk signed
the resolution. On this the mayor ordered
the election. But the court holds that
this is one of the cases where the resolu-
tion should have been submitted to the
mayor for his approval, but IT was never
even submitted to him. A temporary chair
man might authenticate a resolution, but
not give approval where such approval is
essential. The mayor cannot thus escape
the dUaies of his office, so the court holds,
in an opinion by Justice Deemer, sustain
ing the ruling of Judge Applegate. Those
who elected. the mayor are entitled to his
deliberate judgment as to the advisability
of the proposed action properly and legally
expressed. and the other members of the
council should not be allowed to hurry a
matter through without giving the mayor
time and opportunity as provided by the
statute for the exercise OF his preToga-
tives. Amy other rule would be fraGght
with great danger and be provocative Of
intolerable mischief. The annexation pro-
ceedings are therefore declared TO have
been illegal. About 200 persons live in the
annexed territory surrounding Perry.
Date for Tax Ferrets.
In deciding another Of the many taS
ferret cases which come before the court
a date was fixed today, for the first lime,
from which the hve-yesr limit is TO run
within which tax ferrets may operate. This
was in a case from Blackhawk county
where a matter OF a few days amounted &c
a great deal in taxes on hidden property
The court holds hat the time limit begins
to run for the hve-year period from the
first Monday in March of each year a
which time the assessors are required e
turn over their books to the county ON
cials.
Court Decisions.
The following we're the decisions OF tn,
court today:
Robert Donnelly, appellant. against w l.
Mitchell, Pocahontas county, Judge Bailie
recovery OF property levied on; reversed
opinion by Mccain.
; Robert Nehls against Charles Sever. ap
! pellant, Buchanan county, Judge Plat; re
Versed by Weaver.
: JRres T. Stanley against Charles Core
, appellant, Mahaska county. Judge Dewey
b. luT TOr oamages; affirmed by Ladd.
L II. II n rRnnnan an