Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1905-09-21
NOTES FROM THE CAPITAL
Des> Moines. Sept. is. 10

in Des Moines, and having pocketed a
loss of 81 800 on a shipment of horses,
declared that the twenty-eight hour
feed and water law ought to be re-
pealed and twenty-four law passed
in it's stead He declared that the
railroads, by failure to obey the law
requiring stock in transit to be un-
loaded and fed and watered every
twenty-eight hours, so damaged his
shipment of seventy-three horses
from Washington that when he had
sold them to Grinnell buyer he
stood loser to the extent Of $780, Six
years ago Mr.. Powell undertook to
shipment of 565 horses from Seattle
through to this country over the
Northern Pacific railroad They were
not watered or fed for 107 hours.
When they were unloaded and got to
water, $40 Of them died in quarter
of an hour. The suit which he
cover for this loss is still pending In
the courts. But he expects to start
new one to recover on the shipment
just completed and on which he
claims to have lost $1,000.
Attorney General Mullan has advised
Governor Cummins that the removal
Of representative from his district
creates vacancy in the Office; that
it is the duty of the auditor Of the
county to notify the governor of such
removal and vacancy; and that it
becomes the duty of the governor to
call special election upon receipt Of
such notification. 1t is understood
that the opinion relates directly to
the situation in O'Brien county, which
now is represented by George Whit
mer, democrat. The auditor of that
county has notified the governor that
Whitmer has removed to Sioux City
Under the decision of the attorney
general this is sufficient to create a
vacancy to fill which the governor
must call special election No other
district is affected by the opinion of
the attorney general, or can be, of
course. in the absence of the notifica-
tion provided for by the law and en-
phasized by the attorney general.
Senator c. G. Saunders of Potta-
wattamie county visited Des Moines
and it was learned that the legisla-
tive commission appointed at the last
assembly session TO investigate the
operation of the indetermlnate sen
tence system in states in which it has
been adopted will soon leave Iowa for
a tour of penal and rerormatory IN
situations in Illinois, New York and
other states, to investigate the indie
terminate sentence system. The
committee includes Senator Saunders,
Representative M. l.. Temple of Os-
ceola and Representative F. F. Jones
of Villisca. These Legislators were
commissioned to make complete
investigation of reformatory methods
employed in other states and to re-
port at the general assembly session
next January. They expect to be en-
gagged in this work two weeks or more
The legislature appropriated $500 to
pay the expenses of their Journey.
According to the preliminary figures
of the state census, just completed
by Secretary Dawson of the execu-
tive council, Iowa lost 80, 4S1 in popula-
ton in the five years between 1900
and 1905. The total this year is g.
2O1,372, and five years ago it was g.
231,S53. Twenty-Five counties show
increases in population, and the re-
mainder show losses. Practically all
of the larger cities CT the state in
creased in population during the five
years. The loss was almost exclusive
ly confined to the rural districts. All
of the census authorities agree upon
the proposition that the enlargement
of Iowa farms is responsible for the
loss of rural population. The figures
of the different counties as compiled
by Secretary Dawson will now go to
the classification bureau, and it is ex-
pected that correction of clerical err
rors may show slight variance from
the figures now given for the total;
but it is bound to be very slight
The decoration of the capitol is
complete and Elmer e. Garnsey, New
York artist, has left Des Moines after
his final visit here accompanied by
all of his men and carrying with him
the last of his state warrants for $751;
600 for the contract. Artists who
claim to be judges of such matters
say that the decorations are hand
some and creditable, both to the
state and Mr.. Garnesy. The paintings
in real art remain to be placed, of
course. One is by Mr.. Blashfield and
will cost $4,000. 1t goes at the land
ing of the main stairway. The other
paintings, eight lunettes about the
interior of the base of the dome, will
be painted by Kenyon Cox. These
the capitol commission expects, will
be here within a short time, and GER
tainly the Blashfield painting will be
ready for insertion in the enormous
panel to which 1t has been assigned
before the legislature convenes in Jam
uary.