Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-12-30
State Association Alleges That
Sentiment is Growing For
Change
CARRIED QUESTION TO ELECTION
Association Put Legislative
Candidates on Record Insurance
Companies Prepare to Demand Mod
ification Of Blanchard Law-Hawaii's
Official Rat Catcher.
Special to Times REPUBLICAN.

Special to Times Republican.
Des 'Moines. Dec. Exchanges In the
wage and salary exemption laws Of
the state will again be demanded by
the state retail yrocers' association this
winter and while there is considerable
doubt as t, the outcome OF tie project
the grocers' association claims to have
more strength than ever before.
This is the result possibly of u cam
paign inaugurated before election by
the state secretary. Ira b. Thomas, in
which he urged grocerymen to sup
port candidates for the legislature who
would support the new exemption laws
even to the end of boiling their par
ty In this significant communication
addressed by Mr.. Thomas to the
members Of the state and affiliated as
sociations he said:
''There has been some criticism In
the past because of the state associa-
ton being unable to secure a change
in the wage and salary exemption
laws and / regret to say that this
criticism in some instances has come
from localities where the members OF
the legislature from that same locality
have failed to support this Legislation.
The way to secure results Is to begin
at home See that your member or the
legislature will be favorable and IL this
same effort is made in every county
of the state then there will be no ques-
ton as to the outcome. 1t is high time
that party lines be buried in the in
terest of business. Politics is business
for the politician anH it should be
even more so for the voter. No matter
how good a republican or democrat
you are. the republican or democratlc
candidate who will look after your in
terest, when elected, is the man you
should vote for.
"The retail merchant and grocer
have been sitting on their opportunity
without taking any interest In politics
other than to kick when things dld
not go right Post election kicks do
not count for much either with the
candidate or the kicker. The time to
register the kick is before election, and
the way to do it is to put the candi-
date on record Tell him what you
want him to stand for and If he is not
willing, then oppose him at the polls
and get your friends to do likewise.
A word to the wise, etc"
How far reaching this WORD to the
wise" may have been remains to be
disclosed by the attitude of the COM
ing general assembly toward the pro-
posed wage exemption measure. (which
would give the retail merchant
greater hold on the customer.
"Iowa insurance companies" says a
dispatch from Des Moines to Chica-
go paper, 'tare preparing to ask mod
itication Of the Blanchard law, prohlb-
iting insurance combinations. The claim
is made that fire insurance rates have
declined $7.05 per $1,000 during the last
six years.
Unquestionably the fire rates have
greatly decreased in Iowa since the
adoption of the Blanchard law. This is
the result VI COAlROlAl4OAA ~ WAAA w 80
teresting to hear the arguments pre-
sented the legislature this winter why
the people should thru their represent
atives abolish law that has prevented
exorbitant rates and has brought about
that competition that has brought down
to fairness the rates on fire Insurance.
The fire insurance companies, it is said,
will claim they are not writing risks at
a profit and want the law amended to
prohibit them making "exorbitant"
rates. leaving the decisions to the ex-
tent of "exorbitant" to them.
Possibly in view of the complaint OF
the fire companies they will consent to
a measure that may be proposed fixing
and minimum rates on prop
erty They may also look with greater
favor on the uniform policy that was
proposed two years ago but did not be-
come a law. That there will be some
fire insurance legislative consideration
this session is certain. The fact that
of the Blanchard law Is to
be asked will arouse great deal of in
terest thruout the entire state.
State Law Librarian Small has just
received an interesting report OF the
state board of health of Hawaii. This
discloses that they have an official rat
catcher and that several thousand rats
have been caught and examined, sew
eral showing they had the bubonic
plague which they would have distrib-
uted had they not been killed. In the
leprosy settlement of Hawaii there
ara now 7q1 patients and during the
mast year there were born in the set
tlement thirteen children. Non-lep-
rous children at the age of yes" are
removed to a hospital for childre and
I.~,r. if they develop to be with6 ut the
Glsease, are sent from the settlement
island.
A corporation seeking state reguia-
1ion and supervision is something new
That is what the Independent telephone
people of Iowa are doing, however and
eaeir connnittees have been interview