Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-03-09
Efforts to Get Appropriation
For Completion of State
Historical Building
BILL rAvoRAeLY CONSIDERED
Arrangements Have Been Made for a
Hearing Next Monday-Measure
Which Provides For Teaching Rudi-
ments of Agriculture In Public
Schools, Recommended to Senate
Special to Times Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines. March arrangements
have been made for a hearing next
Monday by the appropriations commit
tees on the bill to make an appropria-
tion for the completion of the state
historical building. While there has
been very little said about this bill it
is one which has been quite favorably
considered by the members of the leg
islature. 1t was recognized two years
ago that the state historical building
ought to be completed and that the
state is losing by having it remain
incomplete so long. But the stock ar
gument is that the state of Iowa can
not afford to do so. Every appropria-
tions committee comes up against the
same old demand for economy and the
smaller expenditures and the building
stands one-third done. Mr.. Aldrich.
the veteran curator who has devoted
such large part of his life to this work,
Is in declining health and recently has
been confined to his rooms for some
time. SO that the interests Of the de-
partnent have not been looked after
as closely as If he were stronger. But
all the members who nave discussed
the matter feel that something should
be done looking toward completion of
the building. Chief Justice Deemer, of
the library board. Johnson Brigham,
state librarian. and others are inter-
esting themselves in it and will see that
the needs OF the department.
The bill to provide for teaching the
Tudiments of agriculture In the public
schools has been recommended to the
senate for passage. 1t is a proposal
that carries out the idea of the State
College in making of farm life some
thing to attract the minds of the
brightest young people of the state.
The bill to provide that the state board
of educational examiners shall mark
the papers of all teachers for examin-
alton as to their scholarship was placed
on the senate calendar today with a
favorable report. 1t carries an appro-
priation OF $4,000 or so much as may
be necessary for the work. tho 1t is
contemplated that the state board will
not need this much and that it really
| needs some money for other purposes.
80
The highway bills are made a special
order In the house for Thursday morn
ing. The Chassell bill which proposes
practically the repeal of the new road
law by making it permissible for any
district to go back In the direction of
the old system, is to be considered.
There are two reports on the bill. A
warm discussion is expected, as the
road matter has not been discussed
save in the committees.
One of the sub b-committees of the
appropriations committee which Wis
tied the state institutions reported
that it found the material which had
entered into a part of the construction
of one of the buildings for the state
was very poor, and the committee
same state of affairs prevailed else
where, the state ought to provide a
building inspector. The appropriations
committee, after considering the mat
ter, has decided not to make any rec
ommendation to the legislature to that
effect. The complaint was in regard
to soma woodwork placed around an
interior stairway at the fire station at
the independence hospital. On investi-
cation after return home it was found
that the board OF control long ago re-
fused to accept the work done by the
contractor and he has not yet been paid
for this particular work and was noti-
fed that he would not be paid until he
replaced the material with that which
was called for in the specifications.
This was the only place, however,
where the committees found any in
ferior material used in state construc-
ton.
A senate. uh-committee has had un-
DER consideration for some time the
question of the legal liability of the
state to the insurance companies which
We're charged excessive fees by a state
auditor for examinations, and the ad-
visibility of having the state refund
the money thus wrested from the COM
panies. The committee has not report
ed hut a canvass of the members fails
to discover that a single member of
the committee is ready TO acknowledge
the legal liability of the state
or its moral obligation for
the return of the money. But dis
closure of the facts has served the pur-
pose of putting stop TO the hold-up
process and made it very easy to pass
thru the legislature n bill to provide
a different way of having the examin-
ations made by the state Under the
law as It will be soon there will be
no chance for extortion and no induce