Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1906-02-07

It developed at the editorial meeting
at Iowa City that there is quite gen.
eral tendency among boards of super
visOrs of the state to cnrtail the pub.
lication of reports Of public business
as required by statute. The newspaper
men have their own interest in inves-
tigating into the matter and in having
prepared a condensation of the code
for mutual benefit and instruction.
But entirely aside from any relation
official publication may bear to the
newspaper exchequer, it is apparent
that it should not be within the
discretion of boards of supervisors to
refnse to publish official proceedings
ordered to be published by the legis-
lature.
Mr.. Hull, of the Leon Reporter,
presented to the editors at Iowa City
a decision recently rendered in
Appanoose county by Judge Vermillion
of Centerville. The case arose ont of
the demand of the three official news
papers Of Appanoose county for a
mandamus to compel the auditor to
give out for publication official reports
specified in the statutes. Judge Yer
millions ruling was sweeping, and
being she latest declaration of an Iowa
court, is of interest to the officers Of
every county in the state. Judge Ver-
million, after reviewing the various
statutes governing official publication,
and after remarking that it is not for
him nor for the county officials to con-
slider the expediency or economy OF
such publication, says:
The court finds as matter of law
that the auditor is required by law 20
furnish to the official newspapers for
publication full and complete copy
of all proceedings of tine boards of
supervisors, which proceedings include
all orders made by the board relating
to the assessment for taxation of tele-
graph, telephone, railway and express
companies, and full and complete
copy OF the schedule of bills allowed
by said board as such schedule is kept
or recorded by said board or auditor,
such schedule being list of the claims
allowed, showing the name of the
claimant, the amount allowed, and
for what and from what fund the
claim is allowed and full and COM
plete copy of the reports of the county
treasurer, including schedule Of the
receipts and expenditures, as said re.
ports and schedules are filed in the
Office of said auditor with said board
by the treasurer and full and COM
plete copy of the reports of the town.
ship trustees, showing the receipts
and expenditure OF all money received
and disbursed during the preceding
year for road purposes in such town
ships as said reports are on file with
said board.
1t has sometimes seemed that there
might be an improvement ON the pre-.
sent method of making official publi-
cation. But no legislature has
approached the subject without
finding it almost impossible to arrange
for satisfactory working relation
with the newspapers of the state. On
the whole, the present system appears
to be as satisfactory as any, and there
is no disposition to change. It has
also sometimes seemed that official
publication of important matters
might be made in form more likely to
attract general public interest. Bnt
here again the difficulty of suggesting
. workable plan is met with.
But, however uninteresting the
average report of the doings OF county,
city or township officials, there should
be publicity required by law. The
publication may not attract attention
and may not seem to. be worth to the
taxpayer what it costs. But it acts
as q check on official discretion and
would soon be found to he invaluable
il once dispensed with. Publicity il
a great corrector of evils. There car
not be too much publicity demanded
or required. Register and Leader.
The following simple remedy is be,
ing published by New Jersey state
board of health as sure cure fol
pneumonia: Take six to ten onions,
according to size, and chop fine, put
in large spider over hot fire, thel
add the same quantity of rye meal
and vinegar enough to form a thicl
paste. In the meanwhile stir il
thoroughly, letting 1T simmer five OF
ten minutes. Then put in a cotton
bag large enough to cover the lungs
and apply to chest rs hot as the patien,
can bear. In about ten minutes apply
another. and thus continue by reheat
ing the poultices. and in few hour,
the patient will be out of danger
This simple remedy has never failet
to cure this too often fatal inalady
Usually three or four applications viii
be sufficient, but continue always unit
the perspiration starts freely from tn,
chest. This remedy was formulatd b,