Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-07-01

lOIS. Jud6c 1etlIDi itOANS ssAsse SAASS
abused their discretion.
The one other contingency standing
in the way of solution of the diff
Guilty is an equity action that has also
been started in Dallas county. An
equity action is not triable at the next
term of court and therefore cannot be
heard at the September term in Dali
las county. Unless this equity action
is dismissed the legal tangles cannot
be unraveled in time for the election
in November anyhow.
Prosecutions May Result.
Rumors are creeping about in polit-
ical circles that there are other legal
actions to be taken and that some pros
ecutions may result from the primary
election in this county. Every effort
has been made by the Hull men to
make it appear that crooked work was
done on behalf of Judge Prouty in
the precinct where it was discovered
that twenty eight votes alleged to have
been cast for Capt. Hull were counted
for Judge Prouty.
There is something very peculiar
about this. The precinct was carrie
very largely for Judge Prouty. T .
judges and clerks of election prac' 2
ally to the man were Hull mef.
seems very strange that they should
make the mistake of counting Hull
votes for Prouty The longer one thinks
of it the stranger it seems. Prouty men
are not slow in asserting their belief
that the ballots were cast for Prouty
originally and were changed afterward.
Changed in fact after the returns were
counted. 1t would be not such q diff
cult matter There is testimony to
show that the ballots were in the pos
session of one man considerable part
of the time and that there was practic-
ally but one judge considerable part
of the time and that one Judge Hull
man. Hulls managers could easily be
informed that recount there would
help them out.
1t is known that a man from that
precinct tried to get some money from
Judge Prouty the day before the cleo
ton. Failing in this he tried to borrow
some money but was told that the pro-
visions of the law were going to be OBJ
served strictly and no money used in
any way Later this man was known
to be dickering on election day with
certain influential monied men on the
other side. An effort is being made now
TO get further evidence and prosecu-
lions may follow.
But right here is difficulty again.
The Polk county grand jury for years
has been tied up with the political ma
chinery of the county. Informations
can be filed in justice court but it stops
there. Unless the grand jury will indict
nothing more can be done. A justice
can only dismiss or bind over to the
grand jury. Even eye witnesses to the
bribery of public official could not
induce the Polk county grand jury to
indict public service corporation Of
fetal and it is not believed that it
would be any more prompt in indicting
a politician for election frauds. That
not more prosecutions in Polk county.
Interurbans in Iowa continue to re-
port extremely satisfactory net earn
ings.
On the business done in 1907 the net
earnings were more than one-third OF
the gross earnings, but even at that
they were not so large in proportion
as they were in 1906.
The mileage Of interurban lines in
Iowa increased more than fifty in 1907
over 1906.
Following is a summary Of the re-
ports of the lines made to the executive
council for the two years and which,
for 1907, have just been compiled by
the council as basis for the assess
ment for taxation this year:
Mileage ......... 10000 1922
Gross earnings 49,. .$S10,941 $90S,067
Operating expenses. 507,521 610,750
Net earnings ....... 303.42O SO2,317
Taxes paid ....... 1888 22,633
There now are ten interurban lines in
Iowa The longest is that which does
business between Valley Junction. Per-
ry, the army post and Colfax. The
Waterford Cedar Falls line is the next
longest, but the Fort Dodge, Des
Moines & Southern is nearly as long.
Below is summary Of the reports Of
the ten companies to the executive
council showing the details as to mile
age. gross and net earnings, operating
expenses and taxes of each of the
companies:
Gross
earn
Miles. ings.
79dd