Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-04-23
'10B[ TAX COMMISSION
Members Of Late Legislature to
Do the Work Unauthorized
and to Presenta Report
WILL GO DEEP INTO QUESTION
Opposition to Taxation Of Monies and
Credits Back Of tho Investigation -
Board Of Control Casting About for
a Superintendent Of the Iowa Indus
trial soho0IvNot Political Job.

|
Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines. April 23.--There is to
be tax commission. Since the legls-
lature would not authorize commits
. sion that would be official, the COM
mission is to be- unofficial Since mem
bers Of the legislature are to make up
the commission, perhaps 1t could bet
ter be called semi-oYicial.
Senator jackson. Of woodbury., in
troduced a. bill providing for a com-
mission to study the entire problem OF
taxation. MeElrath offered 1t in the
! house. The house passed it, but the
senate defeated 1t. Senator Jackson,
Representative Grier and some other
members Of the legislature who have
been interested held a meeting fol-
lowing the session OF the legislature
and organized by the selection OF q
chairman and other officers. Senator
Jackson will lead the movement, and IT
lis proposed before another session of
| the legislature to make a careful IN
yestigation into the question of taxa
| ton.
Sioux city people have not been pay
| ing taxes upon their monies and cred-
Its Their first idea was to get their
action legalized. 1t is the Sioux City
idea that monies and credits should
not be taxed. In, effect, II not IN name,
1t is understood that the Sioux City
people are pretty much single takers.
When 1t was pointed out that a legal
izing act could not be given them for
obvious reasons, the tax commission
bill was written and introduced. with
the idaa,rot having a commission en-
tirely overhaul the taxation laws and
provide q system that will meet just
what Sioux City is now. doing. The
committee Of legislators will draw on
the state library for materials and rec
report The legislature defeated the
Cottrell bill providing for a legislative
agent to be connected with the state
library and to furnish information to
Legislators and public officials, but did
put in the report of the committee On
retrenchment Sand reform a provision
for $1,000 year for an assistant in the
library, to be detailed to that work. A
competent woman has been found who
will do as much of the work as possi-
bic under the direction OF Curator A. j..
Small, of the law library departments
The state board Of control Is having
some difficulty in finding a man ITO
succeed Colonel Drake as .superintend-
tent OF the Iowa Industrial School for
Boys at Eldora, tho it is not wanting
in applicants for the position. Mem
bers of he board complain that appli-
cants thus far have pretty generally
been looking for a soft position and ex-
pected to get it by political influence.
With no idea of the duties of the posi-
ton and seeing only that it paid 81, 800
q year and living expenses to the ex-
tent Of house rent and groceries, they
have come to the board for the posi-
ton. Thus far the board has not re-
sorted to the want ads to secure applt-
cations, but 1t can be said that mem-
bers of the board are anxious to have
the state-at-large know just what kind
Vi d AAAelll 40 WAAlSA, <1ilA JoSI AAeAS W -
be expected Of him Furthermore that
no others need apply.
The board has laid down three re-
quirements and the applicant who can
not come UP to all three, stands no
show. These requirements are an un-
questionable moral character, q, taste
and inclination for handling boys, and
a taste Tor mechanics.
The board holds that from the fact
that mechanical trades are to be taught
the boys, 1t IL necessary that the SUI
perintendent should have mechanical
turn OF mind, tho 1t Is not necessary
that he be trained mechanic him
self. From the fact that the superin-
tendent will be the man who is most in
the minds of the boys and to whom
they will mostly look for an example, it
is self-evident that the superintendent
| should have q taste for teaching boys
and should be OF unquestioned moral
character The board does not require
that the applicant be trained in the
work or have had experience in a SIM
liar institution. It Is barely possible
that a school teacher may be found who
is just the person desired for the pos
SiliOIl. mere are llOW several
cants In the hands of the board. One
applicant tried to tell member Of the
board that he had all kinds of political
influence. He was pointed to the
statute that provides that the board
shall be out OF politics and makes a
person liable to a fine for seeking to
influence the board by politics. The
friends of another laid great stress
upon the fact that he was fine fell
low and that they wanted him to get
the Job. Neither one Of them had any
idea Of the duties of the position or
possessed any fitness Tor it.
When Colonel Drake came from
Bonneville, Mo-, where he had built up
similar institution, the board had
great hopes that 1t had found the right
| man for the right place. Colonel Drake
took the Missouri institution when ii
consisted of one building. When he
| left, there were eleven fine brick build
| ings. While he was in Missouri his
wife died and later while Colonel Drake
was in a tunnel with workman the
tunnel caved in The workman was
killed and Colonel Drake barely es-
capped with his life. Being sensitive
man these troubles and others brought
| on a nervous collapse from which he
recovered with difficulty. 1t was in the
hope that change of, scene would
benefit his health that he came back to
IT. %~OS oil