Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1906-12-06
Seek to Revise School Laws.

'Seek TO RevlSe School Laws.
The legislature of this winter will
'be urged to authorize commission
TO revise the school laws of the state.
State Superintendent Riggs has mere
,ly limited at the matter in his forth.
coming report, but he will urge it
personally, with great force. His ar
gument will be the sadly jumbled and
almost un1ntelligible complications of
the school statutes. During forty
years members of the legislature have
been amending the school laws, piece
meal, adding word or sentence, or
taking away one here and there, till
almost every section, read in conjunc-
ton with collateral provisions, is
found to be faulty and full of holes.
$50 it happens that every once in
while the authorities awaken to the
fact that they are doing things for
which former lawful authority has
been obliterated by some innocent
amendment aimed at something else.
For example, a few weeks ago it was
discovered that, although for years
the state has been issuing a catalogue
OF books for libraries, a valuable
compendium for school authorities
everywhere In the state, there re-
manned really no authority for doing
1t, and this year no such book has
been issued by Superintendent Riggs,
and none will be issued till the state
provides the appropriation with
which to do the business. The Incl
dent illustrates the value of the pro-
posed recodifcation of the school
laws.
The concrete suggestion to the leg
islature will be for the creation of a
commission composed of one senator
| and two representatives, two to be
lawyers, and one interested in educa-
tional matters particularly. 1t has
been suggested that complex COM
mission be proposed, one senator, one
representative and an educator who is
not public officer.
Professions In New Senate.
The number of lawyers in the state
senate will not be as large in the
ensuing session Of the legislature as
formerly. There will be but fifteen
senators actively engaged in the prac-
tice of the legal profession. In SEN
ate of recent years clear majority
| VI IldC UoOy W0o CS1ApOo VI ioW vi ~
There will be seven bankers, ex-
elusive of the two lawyers. who are
engaged in banking, and two who are
farmers and bankers altogether.
There will be seven active farmers,
| one retired farmer and two farmers
| and bankers, engaged in the banking
| business, making ten senators with
| farming interests in the coming ses-
sion.
There will be four physicians is the
| senate
There will be four physicians in the
In the next senate, three active mer-
chants, one retired merchant, one
manufacturer and one contractor.
Two newspaper mon will grace the
senate.
Des Moines Leads Hartford.
In recent interview Capt. j. s..
Clark, president of the Anchor Fire
Insurance company, made the inter
esting statement that Des Moines is
the greatest insurance city of its size
( In the world, not even excepting Hart
| ford, Conn.,, and backed up his state
ment with detailed facts and figures.
He also remarked that there was a
grave danger Of losing this pre-emi-
hence through neglect and harsh leg
islation, due to lack Of appreciation
ON the part of the city and state Of
| ficials of what the insurance industry
means to Des Moines.