Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1904-04-12
IOWA OFFICIAL REGISTER ISSUED.
Contains Valuable Informa ton Con cerning State AT
fairs-No Change in Liquor Traffic Laws-Money
for Various Observation-Disclosures Answers
Charges of Governor-Other Notes.
Especial correspondsnce.l

Especial Corr
Des Moines, Ia, April 4.-The state Of
fetal register has been issued. This is
book of pocket size and 600 pages. 1t
contains all of the information about the
state which it is requisite to know in
everyday affairs. Lists of officers and
employees, of the legislature, of counties,
and all state bureaus, branches, instl-
tutions, ETC., and their salaries are in
cluded in the book; also party platforms,
election returns, etc. The book is issued
under the authority of law by the secre-
tary of state and has large circulation.
1t is a very valuable publication. 1t is
proposed to have 10000 published an
nually. The book has appeared in the
present form since 1886. The frontis-
piece this year is a picture of Gov. Drake.
No Change in Liquor Laws.
The effort to change the laws regu-
lating the liquor traffic in Iowa proved
futile in the legislature of this winter.
Two drastic measures met defeat in the
committees. One was offered by the
temperance people and proposed the es-
Enlistment of state constabulary.
The other was offered by the liquor sell
lers, or for them, and gave them extern
sion of privileges under the mulct law.
Both were voted down. The mulct law
of Iowa is ten years old this week and
has worked satisfactorily to all political
parties Both sides object to materially
changing the liquor laws.
MONEY! for institutions.
The state institutions under the board
of control get within about $275,O0O of
what the board asked from the legisla-
ture They get the following amounts:
Marshalltown soldiers home.........$ a, 800
Davenport orphans home. ............ 1900
Vinton college for the blind .... 1900
yilenwood institute for feeble minded 81, 400
Eldora Industrial school , $4,000
M!tchellville industrial school. ....... 10000
Mount Pleasant state hospital... 81 500
independence state hospital........ $1,000
Clarinda state hospital. $1,000
Cherokee state hospital. .............. ZIG, 800
Fort Madison penitentiary ........... 1900
Anamosa pententiary.... 5000
Council Bluffs school for deaf. 256.O00
Merriam Denies Charges.
Former Auditor of State Frank F..
Merriam appeared before the commit
tee on retrenchment and reform of the
legislature last week to answer the
charge made by Gov. Cummins in his
inaugural message that the auditor and
his insurance examiner, Max Bechler,
had collected $4,000 from insurance
companies for fictitious examinations.
Mr.. Merriam denied that the charge was
true. He said that he received from the
companies his expenses, but no more.
If they. paid more, he said, he did not
get any of it. He was examined at much
length by the committee. The charges
made by the governor were based on re-
ports from the insurance companies
which claimed to have made the pay
ments. Under the law, which this as
sembly has passed, there can be no such
practice as that described. The state
will pay the salary of the examiner and
his fees will be turned over to the state
treasury.
To Stay at Council Bluffs.
The special committee of eight mem
bers Of the house and four members o.
the senate. which visited the Council
Bluffs institution for the deaf reported
unanimously in favor of the retention a
. the Bluffs Of this school. Their repor
, was a disappointment to the board O
j control, which it severely criticized. TIL,
: report recommended that the board o
/. control make needed repairs about tn
t institution Immediately. The building
t were found not to have been painted TO
: IL years. The committee referred to thi
: sort of thing as disgrace" The leg
S~la s0%n ~, 10 ryrf
$252,000 for the rebuilding of the burne,
j structure at the school, which was tn
g excuse urged for trying to remove tn
8 institution from the Bluffs.
!, Killed the Plan.
The plan for the erection of re
formatory for females was killed b
] the senate committee on appropriations
q The board of control has been urging tn
4 erection of two reformatories for Ion
: time. The proposition reached the leg
islature during the present session i
this way: That reformatory for VIC
men be established at Knoxville or De
Moines, and that the prison at Anamos
: be turned into a reformatory for mer
: These changes would require the e1
: penditure of many thousands of dollar
!, The committee on appropriations d.
: cided not to undertake the expenditur
i at this time. It is believed that the wor
: can be so organized that the next legis
! lature will do something with the prof.
+ osition.
i Road Bill Defeated.
y The senate put the road bill to deaf
;. without hope Of resurrection. The con
;. mittee had voted against the measul
. and 1t was supposed that it would /
i allowed to die without any debate. B,
'' the chairman called it up and the ser
> ators were forced to go on recor
u The bill was known as the Chassell roa
bill. 1t passed the house after some di
ficulty. 1t provided that If the peop
petitioned for it, townships could retur
to the old system Of working out ros
a taxes instead of paying them in cas-
q The road law now in force was passe
b by the last general assembly, and con
# pels the payment of all road taxes
y cash.
:, Feared Speculation.
The bill which passed the house wit