Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1904-11-24
NOTES FROM THE CAPITAL
Des Moines, Nov. 81, 1904.

Des Moines, Nov. 81, 1904.
State Superintendent Riggs recent
ly decided an extremely important
school case, holding that school
boards cannot delegate to committees,
powers which are lodged within the
board alone by the law. In an ALA
makee county case a school boar1
had delegated to a committee the
power to negotiate for a school site
and purchase 1t. This was done
without the consideration or action
of the board, the committee acting
alone. 1t was illegal. in the judg
ment of the state superintendent
who in a carefully prepared opinio.
discusses the matter at some lengtt I
showing that school board can
more delegate some of its own lega
powers to a committee than a com
mittee can pass laws for the legisla.
ture Had the committee taken Its
work to the board and secured the
sanction of the board, according to
the record, the case might have beer
different. But In this case the com
mittee did the business and that was
all there was to 1T. Under the adj
verse decision Of Superintendent
Riggs the case returns to the school
board of the district affected, for fur;
ther actiCl in accordance with law
and the decision as rendered. The
decision Is Of wide Importance, for 1t
Is the custom OF boards to delegate
more or less authority to committees,
under the ruling this Will be impossi
be hereafter.
Corrected returns on the biennial
elections amendment are as follows:
Official returns from ninety-one
counties give it 1873 majority. I'm
official returns from seven other coun-
ties give 1t 3,71Q majority. The nine
ty-eight give it 1868. One county
Plymouth, is missing. The eighty
| one counties reporting the full vote
give the biennial 1878 votes and
1880 against it.
Official returns from ninetyfour
counties give the Temple amendment
to the state constitution a majority OF
5,205. The five counties which are
missing are Butler, Clarke, Clinton,
Dubuque and Muscatine.
The federal grand Jury has returned
indictments against Charles Sorenson
and Frank Hodge, charged with tn.
robbery of the postoffice at Van
Meter. Both We're arraigned before
Judge Smith Mcpherson in the federal
court and plea of not guilty was en-
hot. ntf Ia
| rier.
The supreme court has knocked
| out the contention Of the saloon men
of the state that the Fourth Of July
Is not such legal holiday as meant
by the mulct law in providing that
saloons shall close on legal holidays
1t decided that the Fourth Is such
| day and enumerates several others
such as January l. February p. May
| 80, December %, the first Monday In
September. Thanksgiving day was
not mentioned specifically by the su
| preme court, but it's opinion covers all
| legal holidays.
! A reward Of 5000 is now offered fol-
the arrest and delivery of Neil
Mathews, the Des Moines negro who
| on November 2, killed Bert Travis
fatally shot Roland Riggs and as
| saulted both Mrs. Diggs, and his own
wife, Anna Mathews. The reward
was offered by Governor Cummins,
| who issued a proclamation to that ef
! feet. The local police department
has been laboring diligently for the
capture of Mathews, but since he dis
! appeared aIt4r the murder at the
| Diggs' home on Ninth street. his
whereabouts have been a mystery.
| He was seen at the army post the
| day after and was challenged by
| guard. He ran away and was next
| seen at the Seventeenth street bridge,
where for several days he loitered
| around and visited with his friends
BY his being secreted by negroes N
that part of the city, the attempts
of the police to locate MIN were fu
| tile. That Mathews is bad man
| there is no doubt and Governor Cum
Minis expressed desire to see him
| brought to justice. Mathews has be,
fore killed his man, but escaped from
| Jail while awaiting sentence. He Is a
| cocaine fienl and is otherwise de.
| PRAYED. Governor Cummins has also
| issne1 a proclamation offering a re-
| ward for the apprehension of the muir.
| derer of James Smythe of What
| Cheer, in the sum of 5000.
The state executive council has
adopted an important rule--to the eff
feet that it will not allow the bills
Of more than one member of the diff
ferent boards and commissions who
attend annual meetings of national
character involving interests related
| to their work.
There has been tendency to &C
cumulate bills for these visits. The
value to officers in attending the an
| nual conventions Of those filing like
Offices in other states Is recognized
generally and by the executive coun-
| ell. But when more than one mem
her of the boards of commissions
have attended such conventions the
council has turned down the bills of
AL b"t one delegate, the theory being
that he can report back to his board
he important things learned by him
at the convention of his fellows.
N"rr'"e Higgins, a well known EN-.
2ioye Of the car repairers' depart.
ment If the Illinois Central railway
at Waterloo, was instantly killed
by being run over by a coach unox
which he was working.
II thought you were quite we'll ac-
luainted with Brown" said Ascum.
No, indeed" replied Cholly; law
| tot .y;4h L. a