Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-01-12
Local Comment

The comment of the Iowa press as to
the possibilities of the state being with
out legally drawn Jurors for the pres
ent year, is causing not little concern
in court circles here. While the plan
Of the drawing, as prescribed by law,
has not been violated here, at least
since Clerk Of Courts Lounsberry
came into office, there is not the shad-
ow of doubt that conditions existing
elsewhere, which have been declared H.
legal, are also present here. Especial
ly is this true with regard to the judges
and clerks of election boards placing
their own names as among those being
eligible for jury duty Practically ev-
cry judge and clerk at the last election
did this, and few have been drawn.
One member of the grand jury jus,
adjourned was an election Judge. A
decision just handed down by Judge
Brennan in Polk county is sweeping
in it's provisions, and scores election
officials who recommended themselves
for jury service. This decision de-
clares that thirty five grand jurors and
20 per cent of the petit jury to be in
eligible for service. In view Of the de-
cision Polk county will be without
either grand or petit juries until the
legislature enacts a law. AS far as
the drawing of the juries here is con-
cerned, Clerk Lounsberry has always
been most careful to see that the law
was rigidly observed. The recorder
auditor and clerk have always been
present at drawings, the slips contain
| i,,o. <1aa hov fn1Hoa that
the names could not be seen, one Off
cial produced the slips, another called
the names, and the third wrote them
down. The box has always been seal
ed, according to law, with wax. In
view Of the decision in Polk county it
may be that the petit jury called for
Monday has, in reality, no right to act.
-
Carroll county, Illinois, is certainly
gaining distinction as a producer Of
school teachers for Marshalltown. A
few years ago young woman from
that well known county was engaged
as supervisor of music in the schools
of this city. Later in the same year
the board went to Mt. Carroll for a
high school teacher. Another high
school teacher was secured from the
same place and again a ward princf-
pal Now, when a superintendent is
wanted, an old Carroll county boy is
chosen. The many Carroll county peo
pie living in this, Hardin and Grundy
counties, will surely believe what they
have always maintained, that there is
no place like their old home for pro-
ducing the best.
Even tho there is much agitation as
result Of car shortage on the diff
ferent railway lines of the country. car
statistics, compiled by the current
issue OF the Railway Age, show that
railroads have not been idle during
the past year from a purchasing
standpoint. The Chicago & North
western in 1906, bought exactly 1925
cars, classified into $500 box cars, 900
stock, 1000 coal, 800 fiat. 400 ore cars,
and twenty-five cabooses. The Chi
cago Great Western purchased in all
1852 new cars Of different classes
during the year just closed. All of the
larger roads Of the country were heavy
purchasers of equipment during the
year, and in the line of passenger cars
the number furnished was the largest
for any year since 1902, when extern
sive orders were placed in anticipation
Of the traffic during the worlds fair
at st. Louis. Freight cars, purchas-
ed by all roads of the United States,
fell off, however, 10000 under the pre-
ceding year, or total Of 310,S05. Lo-
comotives furnished the roads Of the
country aggregated 5,642 and passen-
ger cars 3,402. Considering the fact
that nearly all the railways Of the
country were relatively much better
supplied with power than with freight
equipment, the total of 5,e42 locomo-
tiyes ordered during 1906, is both cred
table and promising, declares the
Age.