Omaha daily bee., 1905-09-07
IOWA POPULATION FIGURES
FOOtings Show . Net Loss Of Twenty One
Thousand Five Hundred.
DECREASE ALL IN RURAL DISTRICTS
Civic League of Des Moines Brings
Suit TO Compel Des MOines city
Railway to Take Out Fran
chise and Pay Taxes.
CFrom a star Correspondent)


DES MONIES. Sept. e.-(special)-T
population Of the state of Iowa was H.5ls
less than FIVE years ago, according to the
figures which will be given out in a few
days from the state census department
All but three OF the counties Of the state
have been counted officisly, and these
there have been counted in a manner TO
allow Of little difference in the final count.
The loss, as appeared at the start, Is
entirely In the farming communities, few
of the towns OF any size at all recording a
loss. 1t is probable that the loss in the
farming population Of the state will come
near to 5000 people, the difference be-
tween these figures and the actual loss
being about the gain of the cities
Twenty-three Of the counties show a gain
and the rest Of the ninety-nine counties
OF the state a loss, running from 100 or 80
TO more than 1900 for Mahaska, which
combines the center of the democratic
strength of the state and the center of
the coal production.
Act Against City Railroad.
The sensation Of the day was the knowl-
edge that the Civic League had commenced
action against the Des Moines City Railway
company and the Interurban line, the OBJ
ject being to compel the companies to take
some part of their earnings into the city
treasury. Neither is provided with a fran
chise and neither is paying the city any
certain amount for the privilege of using
the streets of the city.
The companies have been so firmly en-
| trenched that II was impossible TO make
the question of franchise a political issue
and the county attorney, when pressed to
do so by the Civic League, refused to
prosecute the cases. The league has made
the prosecution in the name Of the state
and the case will be fought as a great
corporation and the Civic League can fight.
County Tax Increased.
The differences between the voters of
| Polk county and the present Board Of Su-
pervisors increased this morning when the
| board raised the tax levy of the county
| Ih mills The addition makes the assess
ment for county needs 15.8 mills and the
| addition of the state levy raises the total
taxation on the dollar to ls mills The
supervisors claim that the addition was
for tho purpose OF supporting the courts
of the county, which cannot be supported
on the present funds.
A small part of the increase will &c
toward the care of the insane and the
building of bridges within the county.
ArraiRninG Alleged MurdererS'
Albert Latham and William DenbergeI
will be arraigned in the court Of Justice
Duncan this afternoon, charged with th'
murder Of Fritz Westbrook July T. The
men will attempt 10 rpove an alibi, while
the city detectives will attempt to prov
that Denberger fired theiashot that ended
in the young mans death.
Sheakley Goes East.
s. II. Sheakley, former superintendent o.
the West Des Moines schools, and the maj
whose financial condition has been tn,
cause OF a number of suits, has left th'
state, going to New York to take a position
in an insurance company.