Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1907-02-27

and there will be no department Gre
nted by the present assembly. 1t is
said by the knowing ones that there
is politics back of this movement, and
that it means that when Governor
Cnmmins retires in 1909 he will be
by present Lieutenant Gov
eInor Garst: that the legislature of
that year will see the necessity of crc-
ating department for insurance, and
that Governor Garst will appoint to
the position of insurance commission
er present State Auditor Carroll. The
reasons given for this prediction are
that Auditor Carroll is now serving
his last term in that office and that he
has been mentioned many times as a
likely candidate for governor. 1t is
claimed his candidacy would some
what handicap Governor Garst. How
ever, If the insurance department is
STAYED off and Mr.. Carroll is assured
of the position In 1909, when he has
relinQuished the auditors office, it is
said he will not appear asa guberna-
torial candidate, thus simplifying
matters for the promotion of the
present lieutenant governor. OF course,
this is all gossip, but there is corrob-
Grafton for a part of it in two bills
which have been put in the legislature
the past week. One of them takes the
department of banks away from the
state auditor and places it in the
hands of the state treasurer; the
other does the same thing with the
department for uniform accounting of
cities and towns, placing it with the
secretary of state. These changes
would give the auditor little to do out
side of handling the life and fire in
surance companies, and it would be
but step to change his title to that
of commissioner.
Printing and Binding.
The fate of the Lambert bill to abol-
ish the Offices of state printer and
binder for Iowa and to let the work by
contract is a matter of considerable
speculation. Senator Lambert is car
his opposition to the present system
and has enlisted on his side the pres
ent secretary of the state executive
council, A. H. Davidson. Mr. David
son appeared as witness before the
printing committee having the bill in
charge and showed that under
the present system B. Murphy of Vim
ton, who has been state printer for
six years past, has sublet the contract
from the beginning of his term, had
paid not the least attention to the
office. except to draw his commission
| for work done, had never invested a
dollar in the business, but had drawn
| from the contract an average of $4,000
year. Mr.. Davidson said he believed
| the present system to be wrong and
felt satisfied the state could secure
| just as good work as at present under
a contract system and save the tax.
payers thousands of dollars annually.
President Hall of the Iowa Printing
company also appeared before the
committee and declared that con.
tract system would save the state
$4,000 a year. Mr.. Hall has had the
contract under State Printer Murphy,
and his contract with Mr.. Murphy was
to pay him $4,000 if the work amount
ed to 100000 total in year, and 10
per cent of the gross receipts from the
state above that amount. He said
Mr.. Murphy had never maintained an
office in Des Moines, not even a desk
in the Iowa Printing company's office,
and that he had been paid while state
printer an average of $4,000 year as
his commission under the contract.
An objection has been raised to the
Lambert bill by the labor unions and
other opponents of the measure be-
cause it provided that the state ex-
ecutive council might award printing
to the state institutions. at several of
which plants are now maintained.
They claimed this meant convict labor.
Mr.. Lambert insisted it did not, but
withdrew the provision from the bill,
and if it becomes law the only print
ing which can be done in state insti-
buttons is that for the board of con-
troll now being done in that way.
Ii!iIt'u9 NoiSy PATRIOTISM.
An almost crackerless and noiseless
Fourth of July is threatened the pa
triotic young manhood in Iowa by the
passage by the house of the Offl anti
frecracker bill. The bill is now in the
hands of the senate committee on
military affairs, and the opposition to
1t is making noise like a dynamite
cane, trying to prevent it's being re-
ported to the senate for passage. 1t
went through the house with vote of
"a in its favor and IA against it. The
bill prohibits the sale or use Of fire.
crackers in Iowa if they exceed five
inches in length or three-quarters of
an inch in circumference 1t also pro-
hibits the use of dynamite crackers of
any kind and of the toy pistol or other
toy firearms. Senator Warren, chair
man of the committee having the bill,
says it will be recommended out for
passage.
Two Cent Fare Assured.
Despite the fact that the railroads
played for delay and used the ablest
arguments Of their best attorneys be.
fore the senate committee on railroads.
that committee recommended out
the house two cent fare railroad bill
and before tomorrow night it will have
passed the senate, and will go back to
the house for a slight change, which
will be made. Then the bill will 90
to Governor Cummins for signature.
The change made in the bill by the
senate committee provides that in no
case will the roads be compelled to
accept fare less than 10 cents. This
was put in for the benefit of the inter-
urban lines of the state, which are
affected by the measure. The law as
1t will go into effect next July will
classify the roads. Glass A roads cam
not charge more than 2 cents a mile;
class B roads cannot charge more
than 2R cents a mile, and class C
roads cents. 1t means, though, that
competition will bring all of the
lines practically into the class A d.
vision and that 2 cents will be the
universal rate in Iowa after early in
July.
But Few Laws Adopted.