Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-01-24
CIVIL SERVICE
FOR POLICE CHIEFS
BILL lNTRoDUcEDlN IOWA LEels-
LATURE TO TAKE POLICE DE-
PARTMENT FROM POLITICS
Grocers Are Seeking to Amend the
Pure Food Law-object to Placing
Formulas on Packages-Gossip Of
the Iowa House and Senate.
Des Moines Bureau of
The Ottumwa, Courier,

DeS MONIES, Jan. 10
BY simply putting the chiefs of po-
lice under civil service, Representative
Sullivan of Polk county. expects to
lift the entire police department of
the large cities of Iowa out of the in
fuence of designing politicians.
Des Moines now has police and
fire commission Members of the po-
lice and fire departments must pass
examinations as to their physical abil-
ity. moral character and general in
telligence. But the chief of police is
appointed by the mayor. The chief of
police without explanation can change
a man from one beat to another for
the good of the service. Because of
this condition it is claimed that poll
ticians dominate the police depart
ment by threatening the chief of po-
lice to defeat the mayor unless he acts
as they dictate.
Now it is proposed to go a step fur
Their and put the chief of police under
the civiid service. Then he will not
z be responsible to the mayor or to any
one else, and threats to defeat the
mayor will have no effect upon him,
good character and able administra-
ton of the affairs of his Office being
the only things that will keep him in
his position.
Grocers are asking that the pure
food law be amended and 1T is not I'M
likely that an amendment will be Of
fered soon. At the session last year
the proposition was first preached of
1 compelling the manufacturers to place
on the outside of their packages the
per cent of each Ingredient. Manu-
facturers objected, and claimed that
by so doing they would be giving
away valuable secret formulas. 1t is
claimed, however, that it. is just as
much a deception to the public nearly
to know that syrup is made of maple
sugar and cane sugar as to know only
that it is syrup. If there is but ten
per cent maple syrup and ninety per
cent cane sugar the label on the can
reads just the same as though the
proportions we're the other way and
I the purchaser is very much in the dark
! yet. Grocers claim they could sell
good syrupsl with a little cane sugar
4 in them readily if the amount of the
can sugar were know to be but a
small per cent, but now the knowledge
that there is cane sugar in the can
without knowing how much, stops the
public from buying.
The first legalizing act to legalize an
illegal act disclosed and uncovered
by the inspector of city accounts, has
reached the legislature. 1t is bill to
legalize the act of the city of Mt
Pleasant in making an appropriation
'or the benefit of the sufferers of San
francisco. The statute does not
contemplate any such an appropria-
ton. even though the motive does
seem very worthy. 1t is expected that
there will be a number of others of
the same kind for the reason that
many cities made such appropriations
Furthermore the inspector disclosed
any number of other Irregularities in
the municipal governments of the
cities of the state and it is confident
y expected that more legalizing acts
will be brought up during this session
of the legislature.
Henry Wallace of Wallace's Farmer
C. G. Meserole of the Farmers Co
operative Elevator movement, Mr.. wy
lie, the freight manager for the city
of Des Moines, and NUMBER of others
who are familiar with the rate dues-
lions and able to take the peoples
side of the question, have been given
an invitation by the house railroads
committee to appear before the com
mittee at all hearings and be able to
champion the cause of the people in
matters of legislation. The matter
was first discussed at meeting Of
the committee, as already reported.
Then the committee held a second