Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-04-15

MOST OF THEM PROSPEROUS
Uniform System Of Reports to be
Adopted Which Will Make Work Of
Railroad Commissioners Easy
Prayers for Legislators Cost State
sse5.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines April 15.--A compilation
OF the tables showing the summary OF
reports on the electric interurban busi
ness of Iowa the past year is found To
be d difficult job in the office of the
Iowa, railroad commissioners. The
records thus far kept by these compa.
llies have been far from perfect. Four
companies have reported on their bus,-
ness for the year ended June 80 last,
and these reports show they are gener-
ally prosperous. These reports show
as follows as to the net earnings for
the year:
mterurban railway (Des
A1oines to Colfax). ..s33, 27L97
waterloo s. Cedar Falls. 49,. 36,114.1S
Cedar Rapids 4 Marion. ..... 15.963.13
Mason City & Clear Lake,. 1o,46S.4o
1t is noteworthy that the net earn
ings Of the Colfax interurban for the
year was nearly equal to the operating
expenses. But II is anticipated tina,
next year these electric lines in Iowa
will make reports that will be unusuai
in completeness, for they have all
adopted systems in conformity with
the national association and the state
railroad commissioners will ask for re-
PORTS in accordance with these statis-
ties. There will be uniformity In the
accounting on all interurbans thruout
the United States and uniformity IN
the reports required. This will greatly
facilitate the making OF such reports.
$50
iowa hag adopted the uniform sys-
TEN OF reports in regard to railroads
adopted by the national convention OF
railroad commissioners. The work OF
having this uniform system adopted is
in the hands OF the statistician for the
interstate commerce commission anc
last year he was successful in havins
seven states adopt it. When adopted
the system will give uniformity to the
statistics gathered in all the states and
relieve railroad statistics OF that COM
plexity which has made them bug
hear with all students. 1T will also be
a great relief to railroad auditors. For
instance. the auditing department OF
the Burlington railroad makes five dis
tinct sets of reports, with accounts all
different. on different bases or worked
out differently. 1t is a matter OF great
expense to maintain this duplication OF
accounts for the sake Of the different
states.
. q
The senate of the recent general as
sembly had sixty seven separate chap
lains to do the praying for 1T and the
house was started Alright in rhe morn>
ings by sixty-six separate ministers OF
the &C spell In very few cases did
any one preacher officiate i'll both
houses during the session. so that
about 1873 ministers will this week res
ceive state warrants for SIS each, or a
total of 1865 worth of prayer for the
state legislators. The ministers We're
of both sexes, OF almost every denomf-
ration in the state. and they came from
all parts of the state. Nineteen OF
those who prayed in the senate were
Des Moines ministers and the same
number in the other house.
One of the most worthy Of the
changes made about the state house
With reference to clerical force was to
give the state labor commissioner Il
clerk who shall be a stenographer
Heretofore the commissioner and his
assistant have done all the clerical
work and letter writing and yet there
are few offices where there is so much
of this work to be done. Another most
excellent addition was that of stem
ographer to the supreme court. Some
of the Judges have been using the type
writer themselves and are iii the habit
of writing out their opinions on the
machines Without the use OF stenog-
rapher. There is a vast amount OF
work to be done in the supreme court
rooms and the person who fills the new
job will not have an easy task.
Not all of the bills for which pub
lication is required have as vet become
laws. On the last day Governor
Cummins engaged in bill signing ne
sent to the secretary of state twenty
three separate bills that require pub
lication. The clerical force Of the
office has been kept busy getting them
ready.
About ten years ago Charles Trev
eIyan of England, visited Des Molnes
and become deeply interested In the
.Aldrich collection of manuscripts, por-
traits and autographs, then in the
state house. A long time ago his
father, Sir George Q. Trevelyan
nephew OF Lord Macauley. published a
history of the American revolution, and
yesterday, as the result of some cor
respondence, Charles Aldrich, curator
of the Iowa historical department, re-
ceived from Sir George an autograph
letter and page OF the manuscript
of the history he wrote. In the lette,
he referred to the fact that the son
Charles. who visited Des Moines ten
years ago. is now an active and In
fluential member of parliament, and
Il hat ho rafarS with plaa Stlr,. to his visit