Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1908-10-27
State Capital Gossip
Many Items Of Interest from Our Correspondent
at Des Moines.

DR.. Elliott wrote to one of the
members of the commission the fol.
lowing concerning the proposed Iowa
code:
Il want to say that my general i'm
preston is that your commission Is
proposing some very progressive
modification of your educational or.
ganization. which, IL adopted by the
legislature, will serve as guides OF
progress for the other states.
Il note In particular the very broad
powers that are conferred upon the
state board of education, which by its
constitution will become the great
centralizing and directing force for
an educational system.
THE proposal for the organization
OF county school districts is especially
interesting to me in that something
OF similar. although considerably
less radical nature. will probably be
attempted of passage In the next Wis.
consin legislature. AS far ~ am
able to Judge your plan is decidedly
the best one that has yet been put
forward for the solution OF the prob.
lens now existing in the great ma.
jority of our rural school districts.
Il like very much your general plan
for the certifcation Of teachers. which
If remember correctly. is modified
from the plan adopted some two or
three years ago. AS read these sec.
tons 1t occurs to me that the time
is ripe for making a greater distinc.
ton between the state certificate
awarded to properly qualified uni.
versity graduates and the graduates
of normal schools. l think something
OF this kind will be. attempted in wis.
consin sooner or later.
'"The provisions requiring certain
grades of certificates for certain posi-.
lions seems to me to be very wise
and farsighted. In operation 1t ought
| to raise the general standard OF
efficiency. The provision for an indie.
Unite tenure Of Office for superinten.
dents, teachers. etc, after one year
Of service is far-reaching.
'"The section dealing with secret. so.
cieties in the public high schools
seems to me the most wisely drawn
of any that have read, and I think
have examined all that have been
adopted. I think shall make spec.
ial mention in my bulletin of your
dealing with school houses; the re.
quirements you have set forth and
the plan of supervision provided ought
to lead to vast improvement in the
school buildings of your state.
While. as you say, you have pro.
posed number of radical things, we
need radical things before our com.
/ mon school system is taken out Of
some of the ruts into which It has
unfortunately been driven. sin.
cerely hope that you may be entirely
successful In accomplishing with your
legislature all that you are anttcipat.
ing"
War On "eiack Plague"
War against the ''black plague"
or social evil, as earnest as the pres
ent war against the white plague
or consumption. was predicted by DR..
A. M. Linn, president of the state
board OF health, in his address before
200 physicians and health officers
from all parts Of the state ut the 7.
M. c. A. auditorium. DR.. Linn pre-
dicted that the rapid increase of dis.
ease will make absolutely necessary
some radical and united fight against
soctal evils Of today He urged the
doctors to return home and 30 study
the subject that next year they can
perfect an organization to war against
what he believes Is an impending
menace to the state and country
Rsquisition Issued.
The governor issued reputation
on Wisconsin for the return to lows
of e. B. Randall, charged with the
larceny by embezzlement of S12i
worth Of cash registers from the Arm
of Burdick-Corbin company. Cover
nor Cummins also honored reauisI
ton papers for the return Of Tom
Brown from Cresco to Waukesha
Wis. where he is wanted for seduc
ton.
Senatorial Ballot Separate.
Inquiry was received at the ONCE
of the attorney general as to the fea.
sibility and legality of voting fol
senator on the machines. The attor
ney general held that 1t could not be
legally done for the reason that the
basis of the primary on senator IL
the inclusion only of republicans and
the exclusion of democrats. and the
test of party fealty would be inopera
tive II the machine were used. Sep
arate paper ballots. therefore. will
be provided by the county auditors
for the senatorial primary.
FATE OF THE HERGEsELL.
German Balloon Picked UP at Sea and