Omaha daily bee., 1908-12-23
IOWA ACTIVE IN DRAINAGE
outranks All Other States in This
Line of Land Reclamation.
OTHER PROJECTS ARE IN VIEW
Demand for Farm Specialists as In
Etructoru in Excess of supply
at the Present
Time.
nrnm a STAFF correspondent.l

DNL2 - 1tts
~grain.)-There are more drain tile factories
IN operation in Iowa than in any other
state and more steam dredges are In opera
tion right now in Iowa than In any other
state. More progress is being made In the
drainage of Iowa land than any place else
in the world. This Is the declaration OF
the Agricultural department at Washing
ton. In fact, Iowa has Just amended It's
cor s%titution so as TO definitely give to the
state authority to provide for a general
system Of drainage. That which has thus
far been done has been under laws which
are OF questionable legality. In fact, some
of the laws which were passed were held
TO be unconstitutional and only by general
agreement has the present extensive sys-
tenn Of drainage been established. NOW
the constitution has been changed ana
drainag laws will no longer be subject
10 attacks in the courts.
In the meantime Iowa has been doing a
wonderful work in drainage, but the end
is not yet. There ia on foot a systematic
movement to hold meetings in the districts
needing drainage to arouse greater senti-
ment in the matter and TO provide for
additional drainage. The Department OF
Agriculture at washington has given en-
couragement to this and is prepared to
continue in the good work. Secretary
Wilson is known to take great pride in
what Iowa has done and has promised to
do more.
It is probable. that during the winter
there will be held at some point In north
ern or northwestern Iowa a drainage con-
vention to consider plans for further work.
While some counties have made wonderful
progress. there are others where very lit
tie has been done. 1t is planned to reach
" - NhA -EN-
cultural interests of the state demand
that the work be done in every county
where there are swamp lands.
Demand for Farm Specialists.
As an argument in favor of the establish
ment Of agricultural schools throughout
the state, it will be pointed out to the
coming general assembly that the Iowa
Agricultural college at Ames cannot supply
the demand for its graduates to Till profess
sorships.
So great has become the demand for
technical teachers in agricultural and
farm lines that nearly half of the gradu-
ates OF the State college had to leave to
take positions offered them and could not
take time to come back for the exercises
to get their degrees. The Importance of
technical farm education is said to be
sweeping over the entire country. There is
a great demand for men competent to
teach. In other states the teaching of agri-
culture In high schools and country schools
is being taken up. The one difficulty Is
to secure teachers to supply these places.
With agriculture taught throughout the
state, 1t is urged. many young men and
women would appreciate the vast field that
is opening up and would enter the work
at Ames and prepare for teaching. There is
w.1- 1890 l@-,a-l - aRatrY,oNn-a NHo~
the agricultural colleges can turn out.
Tho members of the assembly will, on
this ground, be urged to support all the
bills presented for the extension of agri-
cultural and technical farm education.
Smoke Nuisance Law Wanted.
1t is extremely likely that the coming
assembly will enact a smoke nuisance law
applying to cities OF certain classes. The
last legislature enacted such a law. Some
of the cities coming within its provisions
objected. Des Moines wanted a law. Gov
ernor Cummlns accordingly said he would
Withhold his signature from the law II the
city of Des Moines would pass an anti
smoke ordinance. The council did so and
the governor let the law die for want of
his signature. Then the joker was dis
covered. In the ordinance passed by the old
city council prohibiting smoke ~nuisances
there was no provision for a penalty for
violation. Des Moines citizens will work
for a new law.
stripes Almost Abolished.
But three men in the penal institutions
of Iowa now wear stripes, the dress of
disgrace. One OF these is a white man and
the other two negroes. All but these have
proved amenable to kind treatment and
have reached better classes where they
wear clothes without stripes and some even
In plain colored cloth.
Stripes as now in vogue are indicative
of unruly prisoners and those wanting in