Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-04-07
WOULD G|V[ VETS
A LIE TENURE
Considerable Discussion of the
Veterans Preference Act, at
the State House
POSITIONS OPEN TO RULING
There Are Three in tho Governors
Office, Seven or Eight in the Audi
tors Office and Several More in tho
Treasurer's Office, Besides Those in
Other Departments.
necaal to Times Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines, April If the veterans
preference act Is held to be constitu-
tional by the supreme court VIII Ad-
jutant General w. H. Thrift and Gus
todian Timothy E. McCurdy have life
positions? In fact will not every old
soldier In the state who is in a public
position that is not n strictly confiden-
Htial relation to the person making the
appointment, have a life lease on his
position? Since the arguments before
the supreme court there has been con-
siderable discussion Of the matter
about the state house. The law makes
the removal of an old soldier impossible
except for incompetency and inability
to do the work. There are large num-
ber of positions about the state house
that cannot be included under the law
for the reason that they could be
shown to be appointments where
confidential relation existed between
the person making the appointment and
whoever filled the position.
4 There are no old soldiers who are
stenographers and hence 1t is to be
supposed there will never be any trou-
ble over that position in any OF the
offices. Besides the position is some-
what Of a confidential one besides. The
opinion seems to be generally held
that deputy is in a confidential re-
lation to his chief but that all others
would be positions to which old SOL
diers might claim preference in the
matter OF appointment. On this basis
there are three positions in the gov
asrssr's office. available for old sol
diers. the positions OF private secre-
tary, pardon clerk and stenographer
being the only ones exempt. in the au-
ditor's Office there would be about sew
en- or eight places available. in the
secretary Of states office about the
same number, in the treasurer's office
several places and about eight or ten
other positions in the other offices OF
the building, not including the 1am-
tors, most of which positions are FILL
ed by old soldiers now.
The bookkeepers and clerks in the
office of the board of control have
made record that so far as Is known
is without precedent in the state Of
fees. State Accountant Charles G.
Heer has completed auditing the books
OF the department and has found that
during the year from Jan. 1, 1904, tc
Jan. 1, 1905, the department handled
s1.72S,224.S1 and the books balanced to
the cent without a single error. Sucn
an, incident. is not usually experienced
The method of checking used by Mr.
Heer was such that had there been
the slightest error anywhere 1t would
have been discovered but there was
no error. Every bookkeeper balances
his books to the cent before ne leaVes
them. but when the expert accountant
gets at them there is always some mis-
take discovered in addition or record
ing the figures especially where the
amount handled is large. In the office
of the board of control the amount OF
money handled is larger than that in
anv office except that of the state
treasurer. It is conceded by great
manv people that the board has
one of the best lot of employees
IN the state house, but the record they
have made is very unusual one Tor
even the best.
There will be quite a party from
Iowa attend the northern settlers con-
.vantion in Galveston this month. Ac-
cording to the latest information there
will be a party of about twenty-five
accomnany the governor who will
make cne of the principal addresses
of the convention The train bearing
the Iowa party will pass thru Kansas
CITY and Houston, Texas, and at poth
OF these points the Iowa party VIII pe
entertained by the business men OF the
city. They will be given rides over
tn. city and otherwise shown courtes-
;,s intended to impress them with the
importance of the cities they visit.
The erection of the scaffolding in the
snace about the grand stair cases at
tfe capitol building has been complet-
ed and the painters have begun their
worl The first work is placing the
walls in cOnQltlON Dy GiediiiA6 eileAA.
Some yea-s ago there was an attempt
at art in this section of the state
house. The ceiling of the building
there has been decorated with figures
in various poses and with Indian
scenes. There is some claim now that
the work was done by man who was
paid s15O per day. Anyway this will
all be covered over The decorators
have also begun work in the south
end Of the building on the second floor.
T. Van Hyning, museum assistant at
tf,e state house, is to return in day
or two from a trip to the east. Mr..
Van Hyriing is one Of the most COM
petent museum men in the country
but has been serving the state of Iowa
and doing most excellent work for
s72o a year, the pay of a janitor. He
has made some original discoveries of
great Importance to the state while
serving under Curator Aldrich at the