Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1907-05-07

% 60
Special Favors to State Are Denied.
Des Moines.-In a letter to Hon.
John Cownie Passenger Traffic Mana
ger F. A. Miller of the Milwaukee
Railroad company, says the state can
expect no reduced rates for convlcts
and no passes for penltenuary
guards, but must pay full fare for all
who travel for the state.
l Mr.. Cownie would not give out
the letter for publication. He rather
thinks that the railroads will yield
point or two. Heretofore rates
have been made for the insane pa
tients and convicts transferred from
one state institution to another, and
!. passes for the attendants and
guard.
Since neither the new anti-pass
law nor the 2-cent fare law are yet IN
effect, it is supposed by the board OF
) control that the roads may yield on
. the petition to grant a reduced rate
for everybody, for the present, at
least.
1t is planned by the board to trans
fer thirty or more convicts from the
penitentiary at Fort Madison. When
the Cherokee insane hospital was
built, wholesale transfers of insane
patients were made. When necessity
arose for transferring convicts. just
now, the board took it up with the
roads again.
Anamosa is accessible by way OF
the Milwaukee. Appeal was made
; to that company. Mr.. Miller's let
ter was the response. Mr.. Miller
says in substance, in his communl-
cation that the railroad could not
4 legally make better rates than the
regulation $6.S5 from Anamosa to
Fort Madison, for everybody, conced-
ing that the traffic would be handled
a by the Burlington from Ottumwa on.
t 1t would not be illegal either to
make a nominal rate for the transpor-
tation of the convicts and guards or
the issuance Of passes to the guards.
The significant portion of Mr. Mil
n ler's letter is his statement that
4 there was time when the road
6 would be glad to deal with the state
on the suggested basis, but not now
q under existing circumstances.
nj The transfer which the board Of
control is now making from the
prison at Anamosa to the peniten
tiary at Fort Madison is in pursuance
q of the contract at the latter institu
Y ton, under which the state furnishes
d SO many employees to the contracting
. tool firms. 1t is also in partial pur
suance of the new reformatory Law
which requires Anamosa to be re
served for the first offenders under
80 years of age. The men trans
ferred to the prison at Fort Madison
now, as those to be transferred or
July 1, are mela who will have to be
kept In Fort Madison under the re
formatory law.
; To Accept Two-cent Fare Law.
The action of the Great Northern
railroad in announcing through the
Hills that the 2-cent fare would b'
accepted by that road as enacted b,
the Minnesota legislature is though
among the railroads for law suits tt
test the 2-cent fare laws passed b.
"A about fifteen states this winter.
"a State attorneys for the railroads
have said that they had no know
ledge of intention on the part of tn,
ne companies to fight these laws and as
sumed that decision would not b,
made finally at least until the legis
latures had adjourned. Illinois, Min
nesota and Wisconsin legislature
II still are meeting.
In this connection, 1t is learne
that the state fair officials have no
taken up with the railroads the sui
ject Of securing she usual excursion
rates for the state fair. Judge J. {
Cook, In his. argument before tn
senate committee last winter, sal
that the railroads made money on tn
excursion business, citing the trai
10 loads that weekly pass from DaveI
= port to Clinton and from Clinton t
Il Davenport. While the fair official
y % not expect to take up the matte
r. at all for several weeks vet, the
!, have little doubt of the decision G
the railroads in favor of continuanc
OF of the excursion rates for the stat
D. fair.
Fire Insurance Activity Shown.
Statistics compiled by Auditor Z
State Carroll for his forthcoming al
nual report on the Insurance bushes
~ done in Iowa last year by companie
~. other than life disclose that the yea
70. has been Gin general very satisfa,
~. tory, both as to losses and amount {
business transacted" to use the aud
q tors language.
During the year joint stock and mi
- tual fire insurance companies wrot
$41I088,507 in risks and paid 50
117,011 in losses; state and count
mutual assessment associations wrot
risks amounting to $119,847,649 an
paid loses amounting to $7O7604.
During the year fees amounting /
$55,451 were received by the auditor
!" Office from insurance companies an
!. taxes amounting to $300,3O4 wer
paid by them to the state treasur,
Insurance examing fees amounting j
$500 were paid in, also.
Will Buy semi-AnnuaIIy,
After nine years experience til
' III state board of control has decided i
wv establish the system of semiannue
NIL purchases Of supplies for the stat
institutions Instead of quarterly pu]
chases.
The new plan will be inaugurata
in October, when purchases will h
made covering the supplies require
n, for the ensuing six months. This d
e vision of the year is regarded as th
g, most feasible-April to October an
October to April being better d
y vision of the seasons. Annual pu
oboecc oonppt ha mad,