Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-01-03
GOOD BEGINNING NAD[
None OF State Officials for 1903
Connected With Any Ques-
tionable Concerns
RADICAL REFORMS IN IOWA LAWS
Recent Disclosures Concerning Insur-
ance Examinations, Etc, Influence
Governor cummins to Strive for
Some Definite Action to be Taken
for Improving Conditions.
pecial to Times Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Mones, Jan. 3.-When the
change in state offices is made next
Monday, and especially the change in
the office of auditor of state, there Will
not remain In the state house OF Iowa
one state official who is in any manner
whatever connected with any of the
questionable concerns about which
there has been more or less trouble
these many years. Not one of the state
officers is an officer or director in any
insurance company, or in any building
and loan company or any "home CO.
| operative" fraud, or in any gold BOND
scheme, or any company about whlch
there may be complaint. This Is an
unusual condition of affairs. A few
DAYS ago the Cedar Rapids Republican
contained the following editorial par
agraph:
When the state auditor-elect, MT.
Carroll, takes his office 1t is to be hopeu
he will not Immediately connect nun
self with the quasi insurance and
qua si-inyestment business as that
nrae eticed by innumerab Bile companies IN
the capital city. Governor Culnmihs
| has wisely kept himself from lending
tina influence of his name to those semi
fal,a concerns. Secretary of State Mar
tin and Treasurer of State Gilbertson
would greatly strengthen themselves
with the public If they took occasion 10
Withdraw their names from such com
panies."
This was manifest injustice to both
these gentlemen. Just what was re-
ferred to is not known. Gilbertson has
been in the real estate ard banking ana
land business for NUMBER OF years
and is q director in bank or Two IN
northern Iowa. Martin has been IN the
same business for longer period, save
that he has not been connected direct
7 ly with banking. They are both inter-
| ested in a company which is nothing
49,. than a corporation to buy land.
using their own money therefor, and
not dollar of stock being on sale; but
this is not In the class of companies
| mentioned. Neither one Isl in any
| quasi si-insurance or quasi
I company nor ever has been. Governor
! Cummins is not in any such, neither Is
Senator Carroll. soon to be state audit
or, nor superintendent Barrett, nor
| Attorney General Mullan, nor the rail-
road commissioners and judges. The
! fact is that for the first time Buren,
! r. Sherman organized an Insurance
| company until this time some one or
more state officers have been interest
| ed in some of these companies that
! Ia fhnr
or scandal upon the state, or have pro-
duced enbarrassments that were not
right. Now the state house is cleared,
and there is more than one state office
who sincerely hopes that it will be
/ kept cleared.
| AS the result of the recent disclos-
ures concerning the insurance examin-
ations and the controversies over the
| insurance policies and the investigation
! of some of the bold bond companies, and
because of other matters which have
come to light at the state house, it is
certain that Governor Cummins will
send a message to the next legislature
| that will compel some definite action
!! for radical reforms in the Iowa laws. 1t
may be that the laws are good enough
! and not greatly different from those in
other states but the opportunity for
crooked work is too plain and the
chances of scandals is serious. There
lis going to be such an overhauling of
the insurance and general corporation
| laws of the state as was never known
| before in Iowa. The "home co-opera-
tives" appear to have sufficient influ-
/ ence to cause to be held in allegiance all
/ decisions affecting adversely their in
! terests, and the people do not yet have
| any knowledge whether or not the laws
| passed by the last general assembly are
good or otherwise. In the meantime
they continue raking in the dollars. All
these companies are likely to come up
| plump against a hard proposition. even
as did the speculative building and
| loans a few years ago. The time ap-
| pears to be about ripe for something
radical.
| CONGRATULATIONS will be In order for
F.. d. Brigham. state labor commission
ter He received information some days
ago that his brother-in-law. in Albany
IN. Y, has fallen heir to a goodly es
tate. Mr. Brigham's sister was a teach
er In an academy in New York and in
| her church work, in tie Baptist church,
she became acquainted with Ezra G..
Stevens, of Albany. He was private
secretary to Ezra G. Benedict. his
Iccusin. The couple were married. On
Nov. 20 last Mr.. Benedict died and left
vast estate accumulated in the lum-
ber trade. The Albany Argus reported
that it was worth about $2,500,000 when
the will was admitted to probate. Ben
cdict left no direct descendants and he
! gave a large number of charitable be-
iGuests and left the residue to various
distant relatives; but to Stevens he
gave two-tifths of the amount. This Is
lestimated to be about Sl,OO0,OOO. Mrs
Stevens had been a teacher and was
| deeply interested in missions young
man from Lorimer, Iowa. who went to
India and the east on missionary tour
was practically supported in his work
by her He took large number of pho
tographs which were used in missions
ary lectures.
! The politics of the State Teachers