Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-04-18
SAYS The STATE
NEEDS MORE LAND
Hon. John Cownie Would Have
State Institutions Till
More Farms
WOULD AID IN SUPPORT
Thinks the Industrial School at EIdora
Could Become Self Supporting All
Of the Work Done Without Much
Cost to the state-New Uniforms,for
the Iowa Guard.
to Times-Republican.


Des Moines. April 1s.-Hon. John
Cownie, of the state board OF controi'
being a practical farmer takes very
great deal of interest in the farms OF
the state institutions and he belleves
that the state should at some OF the
institutions have larger farms. Mr.
Cownie stated today that If the INDUS
trial school at Eldora had large farm
of a. section or more of land the IN
stitution could be made self-support-
ing. The aggregate of farm land now
amounts to about 5000 acres OF land,
the largest farm being the one at NIL
Pleasant where there is about l,zoo
acres. Last week Mr. Cownie spent his
entire time visiting the farms of the
state and instructing the farmers on
their seed corn and potatoes. |Ihe
state raised $4,000 bushels of potatoes
last year and Mr. Cownie believes can
do as we'll this year. All the seed corn
is in good condition and he believes
that all that is planted will grow. Al
one institution last year the state
raised 200 bushels of buckwheat which
with the pork raised at the same place
made the best part of the breakfast
for the institution during the entire
past winter. The same place raised
800 bushels of the finest of white navy
beans.
Cali Of the work is done practically
without cost to the state" said Mr..
Cownie today. eve hire one farmer
and one gardner as overseers. The
work is done entirely by the inmates.
Some people argue that the state
ought not to be in the real estate ousl-
ness as opposing buying large tracts
of land at the state intitutlons. There
is none of the states land but is worth
SIS an acre more now than when 1t
was bought If the state had known
that the Eldora school would be as
large as it is it would have paid to
have at least section Of land there.
There are plenty of boys there able to
drive a team, and that school should be
self supporting and not cost the tax
payers a cent. The Eldora farm
amounts to only about 200 acres. The
state farms save the state in taxes a
vast amount of money. We raise our
own hogs, such things as beets, onions,
cabbage and all that sort of thing is
raised on the farms and it makes a
vast saving. OF course at some OF the
institutions, such as the Vinton
school for the blind and the Glenwood
school and the Soldiers Home at Mar
shalltown, we have not the advantage
of the labor Of the inmates and farm
ing at those places is not SO profitable
But wherever the labor is to be had
free there is big profit in 1T for the
state. One of the inmates at Cherokee
is becoming an expert at raising chick
ems. He took off three hundred chicks
the other day from an incubator.
The Iowa Guard is to be supplied
with uniforms or at least with such
pieces as it stands most in need of.
Adiutant General Thrift is dickering
with agents of manufacturing concerns
and is arranging matters He will is
sue an order in a short
time. The guard needs most
new hats, leggings, shirts and
caps and some of the coats are not
in the best condition. The idea at this
time is to buy what is needed most and
get 1t of the new regulation pattern
and thus manage to get along until Il
requisition will be honored by the gov
ernment for a full outfit to uniform the
guard. General Thrift would rather
wait and get the new pattern than to
supply the guard with the old style
uniform, which would have to be worn
for the next five years. The shirts are
said to be in the most deplorable condl-
ton and the guard needs that article
of apparel more than any other. 1t is
understood that the intention is to pay
for such as is purchased now from the
state funds.
Henry Baumgartner of Dubuque, has
taken position in the office of the
adiutant general as clerk. He began
his new duties in that office last Sat
urday. He was formerlI sergeant in
the company of General Thrift at Du-
buque.
For the first time in many years the
books of the state auditor will be ball
ancGQ us TeSdIuS lAlC iSAoutiAs' NAeA1 .AA>'
counties on the matter of assessments
for the support of the state institu-
tions. j. F. Wall, clerk, in the revenue
Recruitment of the auditors office has
lately been making an effort to collect
all the accounts due the state. There
is now outstanding only one account
of SIG and it is expected this will be
paid in short time. This will make
total of nearly $4,000 collected by
Mr.. Wall 1t seems that the greater
number of the counties of the state do
not keep a ledger in the auditors Of
fee, and for this reason do not know
when their account is balanced. The
bills for the support of the inmates OF
a county at one of the state institutions
is sent to the county auditor and some
times he forgets to, pay for it. In other
cases he pays it twice for the reason