Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-02-01
New Railroad Commissioner
Tells of the Little Things
His Board Does
MANY TRIVIAL EVILS CURED
Commission Saves the Public Many a
Lawyers Fee by Adjusting Small
Disputes-Major Hume Likely to be
Made Assistant Adjutant General of
|. N, G.
to Times-Republican.

week looking after railroad commission
work. There has been a great deal of
work for the commission of late.
while I was one of the movers In
creating the railroad commission did
not know Of the great amount of work
and the breadth Of the work OF the
commission" said Mr.. Ketchum today.
I'VE save the people thousands OF dol
lars in attorneys People come to us
with their complaints and we are usll-
ally able to adjust matters without
creating much friction anywhere.
There is an immense amount of little
work where citizens would have TO en-
ploy lawyers to secure what they want
were it not for this commission. a
lawyer told me Just the other day that
the commission kept him out of hun
dreds of dollars Of fees every year II
the railroad appeals from our decis-
ion the attorney general handles our
end OF 1t and II the citizen gets re-
dress it has cost him nothing.
Sometimes employees of a railroad
are being overworked. They can't go
to the road with their complaints for
fear their heads will come off. They
come to us and we ask the road for an
explanation. We don't tell them who
complained, but the workman gets re-
lief. A case has come to hand here
today where road has built bridge
across a stream, shortening the width
of the stream at that place and damn
ing up the water. 1t will have to be
looked into. I was in depot the other
day that was 1Sx16 feet and with six
women and seven men, and all the
men smoking There was no operator
The public good demanded better SER
vice. There is almost an endless VAR
iety Of complaints come to the board.
little matters, some of them, but all
important for the welfare Of the public
and matters that being too small for
expensive litigation never would be at
tended to were it not for the railroad
commission
A communication has reached the
state house which proposes plan for
killing the school book syndicate. 1t
proposes to have the best books that
are obtainable rather than keep the.
old ones on which the publishers make
a greater margin of profit. The new
plan proposes a law to be adopted by
each state in the union. 1t makes it
the duty Of the superintendent Of pub
lie instruction to buy the books claim
ing that SO long as boards of directors
over the country select the books they
will be open to the persuasion Of book
agents, because of their lack of know
ledge Of the value of text books. The
superintendent according to the new
measure, once every five years must
notify all known publishers that sealed
for bids for furnishing the
text books Of the state will be receiv-
ed, the contract to run for five years.
The bids are to be opened by the board
OF education and a jury in the circuit
court is to make the selection from
among the books offered by major
ity vote after each publisher has been
heard on the merits of his books, and
has been allowed to introduce evil
dence,
Mr.. Ora Williams for four wears the
correspondent for the Times-Repubu-
can here, returned from Chicago Sun
day and was at the state house Mon
day shaking hands with his old
friends. He is very confident of the
success of his Chicago venture. He
returned to Chicago Monday night.
Notwithstanding the contention of
some of the members of the guard that
Major John T Hume stands an excel
lent chance of reappoinment as assist
ant adJutant general, there are
very grave doubts about the
matter. While there has been
some movement in his behalf
there is also a movement in be-
half of other candidates. General
Thrift has not decided the matter in
his own mind yet. Governor Cummins
must approve the appointment, but he
will not interfere it is believed In the
made by Gen. Thrift and the
appointment at least will be one en-
tirely satisfactory to Gen. Thrift.
There are one or two candidates for
the place, but it is probable that no
decision will be reached in the mat
ter for some days. An entire reorgan-
ization of the office is not at all I'M
likely.
Miss Alice Tyler, secretary of the
Iowa library commission, speaks in
Clarinda today. A movement has been
started there for free public library
and Miss Tyler will address meet
ing of those who have been interested
in the movement and will inform them
On methods Of proceeding. The COM
mission has lately received an assign
ment of new books, among them the
two volumes of Thomas c.. Dawson of
Iowa on South American Republics.
The second volume has just come from
the press. Mr.. Dawson at the time
Of writing the work was secretary to
the American legation at Brazil The
is making an effort to have
in the library every book by an Iowa
author where the work is of any rea-
sonable value.
The thoroughness of the civil SER
vice of the state institutions of Iowa
was explained to a company of lad
es including in their number Mrs.
Governor Cummins yesterday by the
board of control 1t seems the Color
ado women are making study of the
matter for some reason and the Des
Moines women We're asked to furnish
the information. The Iowa state in
stitutions are run on as thorough a
civil service basis as it would be pos
sible to do. is the information the wo-
men received. 1t is a misdemeanor