Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-01-08
Constitutional Amendment to
Be Submitted of Vital Inter-
est to Northern Iowa
PRESENT LAW A sueTERFueE
Secretary of State Gathering Facts
Pertaining to the Brewing Business
in lowa-Des Moines Engaged in In
terestina Controversy With Golfers
weekIy-pr. Coffee and Issue.
Special to Times-Republican.

Special to Times-Republican
Des Moines, Jan. S.-A constituents
amendment will be submitted to the
Legislature at the coming session which
is of vital interest to the northern part
of the state, where drainage Is big
question. This joint resolution Tor
constitutional amendment was submit
ted to the Thirtieth and Thirty-nrst
general assemblies but fearing that be-
cause the membership OF those two
general assemblies was the same, 1t
was determined to submit the resolu-
ton again at the coming session in Or
der to be sure The law provides that
a resolution submitting to the people
constitutional amendment must be vot-
ed by two successive general assem-
blies.
The Thirtieth general assembly
passed some drainage legislation under
the subterfuge that 1t was benefttting
public health, when as a matter OF fact
the purpose Of the drainage is to make
the land subject to the arts Of agricul-
ture. When the Thirtieth general as
sembly started to enact q law to per-
init condemnation Of land for drainage
purposes, it was found 1t had no au-
thority to allow condemnation for ag-
ricultural purposes, and SO the law was
framed to allow drainage bitches tor
the benefit Of public health, and giving
right of eminent domain to condemn
the land for the ditch.
Some Of the big bitches in the north
ern part OF the state are legally dug
for the benefit OF the public health.
when In fact and reality they are to
reclaim the land.
The resolution submitting the prop
osition to the people to amend the con-
stitution will be voted at the coming
session of the legislature. and will then
be submitted to the people at the cleo
ton in 1908, and the legislature in 1909
will, II the measure carries with the
people, be empowered to enact law
permitting the owners of lands to con-
struct drains, bitches and levees for
agricultural, sanitary and mining pur-
poses," across the land of others, pro-
viding for. the Organization Of drain
age districts, and providing for the
condemnation Of real estate for such
purposes.
So Letters are being sent from the Of
flee OF the secretary OF state to the
brewing and distilling concerns OF the
state to ascertain facts for publication
in the Official Register which will be
June. This information is to be in adj
dition to the information from the
county and city treasurers Of the state
and relates to the kinds of liquors
manufactured in the state, the amount
and value of each kind, the per cent
sold inside the state, the amount and
value Of the raw material used and the
capital invested. The information will
be given in the Official Register in the
aggregate and not separately for each
brewing or distilling company.
From the county treasurers and city
treasurers information has already
been gathered showing just what coun-
ties, cities and townships have the
mulct law in force. the revenue derived
and other Information of that nature.
When this informant ton is all collected
it will be available for the first time in
the history of the state.
The information from the county and
city treasurers is already in hand and
shows that there was collected $1,474,-
1920 in mulct taxes for liquor for the
year ending october 1, 1906, that there
were Ito saloons in the state, six
cities in which cigarettes are sold and
$7,575 collected in cigarette mulct tax
es. There are 43 counties and 240 cities
having the mulct law in force and Sc
counties that are prohibition.
The statistics from the brewing and
distilling concerns IL they will respond
to the request of the secretary Of state
with information will be even moreSin-
teresting than that Of the treasurers.
Lawyers and others are getting quite
bit of amusement out of the latest
chapter in the literature Of exposure in
Golfers Weekly, in which the methods
of one Of the Dies Moines lawyers is
shown to fine advantage. The chapter
is a sort of aftermath Of q year and
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