Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-03-07
THEY Would KNOW WHY
Reasons For Declaring the Girls
wold Law Unconstitutional
Have Been Sought
DELAYS OF THE TRIAL COURT
Test Suit Kept Under Advisement All
Summer and Finally When Deei-
sion Is Made No Reasons Are Given
Criticism BY The State Banking
Board.
Special to Times Republican.

Iwonderment is expressed here over the
conduct of the district court in refer
ence to the home cooperative COM
panies which the legislature last win
ter tried very hard to put out of busi-
ness in the state. The bill. the Griswold
law, was prepared by the attorney gen.
eral and the state auditor. after con-
lsideration of the business of the COM
lpanies which were selling things on
an installment plan with lottery feat
ures added, and 1t was carefully con-
| sidered. But strong political pressure
was brought on the governor to IN
duce him to veto the bill. He signed 1t.
| Then the courts were slow to act under
| the law and make an effort to shut out
| the companies or compel them to do
business under the rigid building and
| loan law of the state. Finally test
suit was brought and submitted to
judge Of the district court early last
summer. The court took it under ad-
Ivisement and kept it there all summer.
This caused more or less comment un-
| favorable, for all the while these COM,
panies were gaining foothold in the
lefty and doing business under the pro-
| lection of Iowa laws. Then the court
declared the law to place the home CO.
loperative'' business under building and
loan regulations void and of no avail.
Legislation of similar import had been
| started in other states. Inquiries have
come from Nebraska as to the grounds
on which the Judge decided the law to
I! be unconstitutional. 1t was desired
that Nebraska be guided, If pos
! sible, in avoiding pitfalls. But the
| district court of Polk county, while de-
claring the law to be void has thus far
| failed to make known the reasons
| therefor. or to indicate in what way the
| law is very bad. Weeks have passed
and get no statement as to the reasons
aor tn ls>:sion, aac. "a, statement -
promised in few days after the de-
cision However, it may be said that
1.-THE home co-operatives which were
placed under the ban by the Iowa legis-
latur and which it was sought to Kill
| off, have not prospered greatly during
| the past year, and there are indications
that the publicity already given their
methods will ultimately make them
harmless. But the Nebraska court de-
jclared them illegal on the ground that
| they are in fact lotteries and the legis-
lature is considering several drastic
| bills directed against the home CO.
operatives. The state banking board
also goes after them with a sharp stick.
In its last report, just made public.
che board says in reference to the home
Co operatives:
"No less than twenty OF these COM
panies have attempted to do business
in the state, some of which l regret to
say are of Nebraska origin. The ma
| iority, however, were the product of
other states. To promote the interests
of these fraudulent institutions, repre-
sentatives were sent out over the state
with attractive literature presenting
1 high sounding names and pictures of
Epalatial residences, galvanized with
glittering promises impossible of fulfill
ment, proclaiming mission of gener-
! losity Some of these companies go
forth with circulars representing that
lit has been for years the study OF the
promoters to devise some plan whereby
the man Of moderate means could Sc
cure a home more quickly than the
slow process of undivided saving, that
| the principal of the plan offered is old,
tried and true.
1t has been demonstrated by tables
furnished by expert accountants that
some Of the contract holders in these
institutions could expect no relief or
assistance in the ordinary term Of life
time. The department is doing every
thing in it's power to prevent the oper-
alton of these concerns within the
state"
Chairman Spence. of the republican
state committee, has been absent from
the state for several weeks and moth
ling has been done with regard to max
ling arrangements for the calling of the
republican state convention MI spence
and his wife have been in the south,
visiting in Arizona and New Mexico
land stopping off for Il time at Hot
Springs. Ark. Members of the state
committee believe that a committee,
meeting will be held some time the lat
ter part of this month or early next
month at which time the date for the
state convention will be arranged. The
democrats, when they selected June ~
as the date for their state conven-
ton had some fear, quietly expressed,
that the republicans might slip in
IalelQ OF tnen1, anu tlleS MSiS NSAS w
sirous OF having their convention held
first. But members of the republican
committee here say there is no occa-
sion for haste this year more thah
any other, and the republican state
convention will not be held much earl
|ier than usual.
1t is announced from the southern
part of the state that Representative
Frank S. Payne, of Centerville VIII not
be candidate for senator to succeed
Claude Porter. 1t was reported last Win
ter that Payne would like to return 10
the house for another term ana be-
come candidate for speaker. he mas
now announced that he will not be
i candidate for senator on the ground
that he can not afford to spend winter
in Des Moines to the neglect OF ms
law practice. If this is the reason ne
can not be candidate for senator ne
will certainly not be candidate Tor