Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1905-06-01
NOTES FROM THE CAPITAL

ISOLATION favors constitutional
amendment abolishing the grand Jury,
and making criminal prosecutions
triable on information. This is the
law in many of the states, and from
time to time the proposition has
been advanced in Iowa to do away
with what appears to be fifth
wheel In the administration of jus
tice. The idea has not been ad-
vanced heretofore, however, by any
organized body, and the Endorsement
given it by the law reform committee
of the Bar association indicates that
a serious effort may be made to
amend the constitution. The report
of the law reform committee will be
made to the association meeting
which is to be held in Des Moines
July Is and IA. L. G. Kline is the
chairman of the law reform commit
tee, and former Congressman M. J.
Wade of Iowa City. Judge ii. M. REM
ley of Anamosa, j. Fl. Henderson OF
tndianola, f. S. Huston of Burlington,
Charles A. Clark of Cedar Rapids AMI
Judge II. M. Towner of Corning are
the members. Judges Towner and
Remley however, do not agree With
the majority of the committee in the
recommendation for the abolition OF
the grand jury. In addition to recon-
mending the adoption of the resolu-
ton in favor of a constitutional
amendment to abolish grand jury.
and for placing Parties on trial upon
information the law reform committee
will suggest four topics for consider
alton by the bar association. These
will include one relative to expert
testimony This subject has been one
of perennial discussion by the mem
bers of the bar. The present custom
contemplates the employment by liti-
giants of expert witnesses, who be-
come to all intents and purposes
sworn advocates, sustaining the con-
tention of the side on which they are
feed. The creditability of expert tes-
timony. by reason of this custom, has
been brought more or less into ques-
ton. except as to public official ex-
perts.
George M. Stearns, as receiver for
the defunct Continental Life Insur-
ance company, has filed his final re-
port. in which he alleges that his in
vestigations as receiver for the com
pany revealed the grOssest frauds.
He says he was appointed as re-
ceiver. but that his discovery of de
liberate fraud and bold misuse of
funds" convinced him it would be un-
inst to allow these frauds to be bur
led by simply winding up the affairs
of the corporation. but that they
should be thoroughly investigated.
He claims to have discovered a sec
ret argument between w. S. Rich.
mold, J. w. Cline and 3. w. Blanch
ard, which when shown to the attor-
ney general, was pronounced very
damaging document
The legislative committee which
has been engaged for year in the
investigation of the feasibility of es
tablishing a single board of control
| to govern the Iowa educational insti.
tutions has completed its work in this
respect Its members have just cor
Guided the final visits to institutions
| outside of and within the state, unless
| it decides, later, to make visit TO
! some of the more prominent denomin-
ational colleges within Iowa. This
| matter has been discussed somewhat,
but no decision with respect to it has
| beeen reached by the committee. The
commission visited the University OF
South Dakota, the Minnesota univer-
sity and agricultural college, the Wis
consin university and the Northwest
ern university. 1t already has visited
the three state institutions in Iowa.
Out of these visits and other sources
it mas accumulated a large amount OF
valuable information. This remains to
be digested within the next three
months, and on the outcome will de-
pend the report of the board. None
of the members of the legislature or
Of the management of the educational
Institutions has any information rela-
tive to what the report of the commits
sion may be. The members of the
commission indeed, declare that the
nature of their report has rot been
discussed. 1t is the common belief,
however, that the commission will not
agree.
The executive council has COM
pleted the purchase of the site on
which it is the dream of the military
department of the state government
that an arsenal may be built some
day. The military officers of the
state have long believed that a build.
ing TO cost not less than 100000
should be erected as an arsenal. This
would furnish store room for the
equipment and property of the depart.
ment which now is kept, largely, in
the rented building. 1t also would
furnish suitable offices for the adult
ant general and his force and head
quarters for the military arm.
Judge w. H. McHenry has granted
an injunction asked for by the Civic
league, thus enjoining the city from
paying to the Barber Asphalt com
Tany SO, 400 for extras which they
claimed for paving. He based his
ruling on the fact that the specifiea
tions on which the contracts were
figured were such as to show plainly
the amount of material required and
the extras should thus have been pro
yided for by the contract as let
In Baltimore an electric arc light
costs $67.49 year; in New Orleans
500. and in New York City, STAG.
Fashionable people in London amuse
themselves with a new toy 1t is
fortune-telling teacup, of which a
great quantity is being sold The