Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1903-12-15


paupers OF the state are county charges
because OF the desertion of families by
the husbands and fathers. On this &C.
count the county officers of the state
have leagued together In an effort to as
sist the Charities and Corrections, the
Humane society and kindred bodies in
their campaign for the enactment of a
law this winter to punish men who de-
sert their families. Iowa is one Of two
states which have no such law. A de-
termined effort will be made to induce
the legislature to enact such measure.
as it is sadly needed. as shown by the
statistics of the poorhouse. Supervisor
Frank Morris, of this county, estimates
that about $4,000 Of the Sc, 900 expended
here last year in the care of INDECENT
people was due to wife and family deser-
lions.
Use of Public Funds.
The question of the extent to which
in their own business has been raised in
some Iowa counties. 1t was said that one
county treasurer mingled the county
funds with his personal bank account.
He denied this, but the inquiry raised
a peculiar question. Without question
ing the integrity Of the official the ques-
ton was whether a county treasurer
must, under the law of this state, de-
post the county funds separately and
keep them inviolate in the depository
thus giving the banks the benefit of the
public funds; or whether he may use
them as he sees fit. The county always
is protected by the personal bond of the
treasurer, which he is compelled to fur
nish often at large expense. This being
true, the common sense view of it is tina.
he is entitled to use the county funds
as he pleases. All effort to induce the
legislature to enact adequate laws to
protect the public and to insure to the
public the interest which the millions
Of their funds now on deposit in banks
of the state ought to be drawing has so
far failed.
Attack the Law.
The Cedar Rapids and Marion City
Railway company and the city of Cedar
Rapids have gone into court attacking
the law under which the state now as
sesses the railroad property of Iowa.
The railroads secured the adoption OF
the present law which requires the gov
ernor and three other state officers to
assess the railroad property of the state
and to distribute the valuation accord
Ing to mileage. That Is, the valuable
terminals in city like Cedar Rapids go
to make up the total value of the roads
running into that city and when the
whole value is distributed according to
mileage the railroad property within
the city is not half subjected to the local
taxes there. The advantage to the rail-
roads was the taxation in the country at
low rate of the valuations of the roads
within the cities. This the city of Cedar
Rapids has attacked, claiming the right
to assess and tax the whole of the value
Of the railroad property within her bor-
ders. The railroad in question is fight
ing the general tax altogether, claiming
to be street railway instead Of rail-
road. The questions involve millions
ct dollars.
NNGhuE AaO1G neCOrus
For one year, up to about November 20
the Bankers Casualty company, of this
city, which carries insurance on bank
safes all over the country, has not suf-
fered a single loss during the entire year.
During the latter part of November and
the early part of December several safes
were cracked and the company was
caught for one or two paltry losses
through robbers. Mr. A. U. Quint, man
ager Of the company, regards the years
record as remarkable in the extreme.
Safe cracking has come to be largely a
lost art, he says. The system of protec-
ton is so nearly perfect that thieves can
hope to secure at best but few dollars
nowadays, and that must be from banks
In country hamlets.
The State Fair.
The question OF abandoning the Iowa
state fair next summer on account OF
the st. Louis exposition is being dis
cussed generally at present. Secretary
j. G. Simpson, of the agricultural society,
sent out many letters to exhibitors for
opinions on the subject. The replies in
dictate that the exhibitors are anxious
for the fair, many declaring it. would
be misfortune to have it abandoned.
M. j. Wragg, member of the board from
this district, expresses himself as
strongly in favor of the fair, and recalls
the fact that the board encountered the
same difficulty at the time of the Worlds
Fair at Chicago. Mr.. Wragg also points
out that by holding the state fair as
usual more and better exhibits can bt
obtained to send on to st. Louis than II
any other way.
"Rally Round the Colors."
Adjt. Gen. Newman, of the depart
ment of Iowa G.. A. r.. has sent out O
general order urging the members Of the
grand army to make every effort to in.
duce all old soldiers who are eligible te
become members Of the order. This or
der of Gen. Newman is evidently oc-
casioned by the thinning ranks in the
G. A. R., as the men who fought. clad
IN blue, during the civil war, answer the
roll call of death there are none to take
their places. And it was the hope Of
mastering those outside the organiza-
ton that prompted the issuance of the
order bearing the keynote, rally round
the colors.'
Iowa Climate ana Crops.
Ten thousand copies of the book con
tanning the Iowa climate and crop sta
tistics of all the years on record is now
being issued. and is the work of j. r
Sage. of the United States department
OF agriculture. Director Sage is anxiou;
that it shall reach the hands of as man,
Iowa farmers and others interested IL