Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1906-01-25
NOTES FROM THE CAPITAL


| Des Moines, Iowa, Jan. 10. 1905
A year or two ago when banker
was on trial at Muscatine it was dis
| covered that the statute relating to
| the punishment of bankers charged
with embezzling funds in their pos
| session, being section 1869 of the
| code, was defective in that it provided
no penalty in case of a verdict of
| guilt. A bill has been offered in the
senate by Senator Lewis to cover this
defect, and attach penalty of not
exceeding ten years and a fine in a
sum equal to the amount of the money
| embezzled. The senator from Page
has also offered a bill Of great import
ance with respect to state and savings
banks, and which provides for their
report to and examination by the aud
itor Of state. 1t Is an enlargement Of
the present law and many sections
Of the present law and many sections
Of the national banking act, which is
more comprehensive than the present
Iowa law, are incorporated in the
measure.
The supreme court sustained the
states motion to dissolve the re-
straining order in the Atlantic census
case, and as far as the state courts
are concerned the executive council!
IAN now go ahead with the publication
Of the census returns. The council,
however, is still restrained by an in
junction in the federal court, but it
S believed that the federal court will
!ollow the ruling Of the supreme court
If Iowa. The city assessor of Allan.
ic, claiming that the census enumer.
.tors were in error, appealed to the
| supreme court from the lower court,
70 hold up the publication of the
census. The action in the federal
court is identical with that in the
state supreme court.
The committee of the legislature ap-
pointed to visit the normal school Of
Cedar Falls concurs in the criticism
as to salaries paid in that institution
made by the commission which inves.
tigated the board of control idea.
Upon Investigation" the committee
says 1--WE find that the salaries paid
at the normal school are higher than
hose paid at the other state institu.
IONS" The committee finds it i'm
possible to recommend the additional
$4,000 asked for salaries for the in
stitution. The committee, however,
believes that the buildings asked for
are needed and unqualifiedly indorses
The millage tax continuance for five
years only, being of the opinion 1t
should then cease.
Insurance men connected with Iowa
companies are displeased by the let
Ter written to members of the legisla-
ture by the president of one of the
ieading Des Moines companies. Elk
oressions in this letter, which are sup
posed to have been meant to indicate
The inutility of the proposed investi-
cation because it could not possibly
disclose any glazing evils, have been
construed to mean that an investi-
cation is feared and this is not the
fact. President Peak of the Central
Life and other insurance men give
vigorous expression to their disap-
prevail Of the letter and emphasize
their perfect willingness to submit to
an inquiry by the general assembly.
President Jackson of the Royal Union
gave expression to this view the day
that the Molsberry resolution was
offered, declaring that the legislature
might investigate to it's hearts con-
tent so far as his company is con-
cerned. H. S. Nollen of the Bankers
Life takes the same position, w. L.
Shepherd expressed the same idea
and other Iowa life men who were
seen were perfectly willing to have
the inquiry undertaken.
According to an opinion handed
down in the supreme court a gift,
if bound by note, constitutes a debt,
inasmuch as the county cannot col
lect taxes on the amount. The case
in question was one brought by Will
liam F. King, president of Cornell
college at Mt. Vernon, who sought
to have set aside an assessment on
moneys and credits for the years
| 1900 and 1903. The action was
brought against Charles D. Carroll,
treasurer of Linn county, and the
| assessment was set aside in the low
er court upon the showing of the
plaintiff that he had, with his wife,
given note for $4,000, payable one
year after the death of either of
them, that this note created debt
and was, in fact, paid The county
claimed that the law permitted a de-
duction in case of debts, but that in
President Kings case it was not a
debt, but gift or bequest, the money
to be paid to the college after the
death of either Mr.. King or his wife,
and that the interest on the note is
left to the generosity of the donors
of the note. When the lower court
| decided in favor of the plaintiff and
| deducted the amount from the assess
ments made against Mr.. King, the
| county appealed. The supreme
court affirmed the lower court
An appeal for rehearing in the case
of c. H. Shaw, appellant, VS.. the City
| Council of Marshalltown, has been
filed with the clerk of the supreme
court, together with motion to adj
vance the case to April 8. This is
the soldiers preference law, and an
extended petition for rehearing has
been prepared by c. H. Van Law, at
torney for the officials of MARSHALL
town, who turned down the old sold
Ter applicant for a public place.
"An elephant must ne pretty ex-
/ T -, 4,