Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-12-12
VALUABLE STATE
Publications
The Question of What to Pub
lish and What Not to Pub
lish Is Perplexing
SOME ARE NOT APPRECIATED
Executive Council Has Hard Task to
Satisfy the Various Departments -
The Case Of the Portland Gold Min
ing Company and Taxes-Grocers
and Pure Food Bill.
Special to Times-Repa,lican

AlSoSAOiS 1AS AOoS SAE5bAI VI vi aAOI oP
preciated, or their existence never be-
comes known to the general public.
AT enormous expense OF time and en-
ergy the Office of the Iowa Library
Commission complied last year II check
list of the publications of the state of
Iowa. 1t is q pamphlet OF sixty five
one seeking information on state re-
ports or publications the pamphlet is
one Of the most valuable things imag
Unable. Every now and then some de-
partment official has to go to the Iowa
Library Commission to find out where
to find some OF the ancient reports
of his department. This check list gives
list of all the publications ever put
out by the state of Iowa and tells where
to find them, whether in separate re-
ports or in the Iowa documents, or
whether they are out Of print. One
table in this publication compiled after
great labor gives an index Of the Iowa
documents from 1855 to 1902. If re-
port for any year is bound in the Iowa
documents this index shows just what
volume of the documents 1t is in. The
question Of state publications is a ser
ious one as there is no means of draw
ing the line. Some are valuable and
some are not. This is an age Of illus
trations and every department wishes
to use them. In the reports of the Iowa
Library Commission there are plans
and specifications of library buildings
and these are being used extensively
for suggestions by various cities PLAN
ming libraries. The report this year
will have the same If the executive
Importance Of it, Just now there are
many libraries being erected in the
state. The library movement is most
largely in the line of building and for
that reason the report is being made
a handbook for the libraries of the state
largely with ideas Of plans.
The Portland Gold Mining Company
is going to leave the state because of
the activity of the tax ferrets of Count-
Gil Bluffs 1t was discovered that the
company was paying no tax on it's cap
itol stock and the tax ferrets started
about it to collect the taxes. 1t is
claimed that 100000 in back taxes is
due the state. The company offered
to pay the taxes for the year 1905 and
to pay annually thereafter but refus-
ed to pay the back taxes, claiming thew
couldn't do it, The ferrets refused to
compromise, and the company decided
to incorporate in Wyoming, where the
gold mine is. The discovery that the
company was not paying taxes was
largely an accident. The state has no
check list Of the corporations with the
county treasurers, and hence no way of
knowing whether corporation pays its
taxes or not. This is one of the things
that it is proposed needs a remedy in
the shape of legislation. 1t is believed
that the trouble will not be difficult to
remedy and that with small appro-
priation the secretary of states office
can keep tab on corporations and not
only force those doing business in the
state to file certified copies OF their
articles OF incorporation, but also to see
that they all pay their taxes.
The coming census volume will show
some interesting figures on the educa-
tio1al institutions Of this state. Fig
tires have been compiled for all three
OF the state educational institutions
showing just where the support has
come from since the first organization
Of each of the institutions. The State
Agricultural College received no sup
port fund from the state till 1901 while
the State University has had a support
fund since 1859. This is to be used by
the State College with the legislature
az an argument where it will do the
most good. The figures are interest,"
ing as showing the total cost Of the
maintenance of the educational insti-
tutions of the state chiefly.
At the conference this afternoon OF
the committee from the State Agricul-
t,1ral Society with Representative
Cummings Of iNrarshafltown, Senator
Newberry OF Strawberry Point, and
the officers Of the State Grocers' AS
ISOLATION Ut was anticipated that the
question would come to one of brass
tacks." The grocers' association Off
GERS have been favoring pure food
bill but the point was the particular
bill. There is always some objection
to every particular bdM that has been
offered and suggested. 1t was under
stood an effort would be made at this
meeting today to decide on the par.
ticular form as far as possible, of the
bill to be introduced at the coming
session. For that reason 1t was anti
cipated that the faith Of the grocers
in wanting a pure food law would be
nut to the test The committee of the
State Agricultural Society which In
cludes Governor Packard, OF Marshall.
town, wants bill that will guarantee
to the people OF the state ptre food
and at least guarantee to them that
every article sold is just what it ptr-
ports to be and has on the outside OF
the package exactly what It Is. It is
claimed that the laws should be SO
framed that tho public will always
know when 1t Is buying food preserved
with formaldehyie When the law re-
quires that the presence OF such pre-
servatives must be made known it is
believed that there will be none put
IN. Extensive investiga tons made by
State Dairy Commissioner H. r.
Wright show that hardly an article Of
food comes to the state that is not