Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-10-10
ELECT SUPERVISORS
COUNTIES At LARGE
Legislature May Change State
Law Permitting Counties
to Form Districts
DEs MONIES SEES THE NEED
Recent Difficulties in Purchasing vot-
ing Machines Shows Objections to
District PIan-Iowa in Advance in
Combating tuberculosis = kepford
Returns From Conference.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines, Oct. 10.-One of the bills
tnat seems at this time likely to be in
troduced at the next session of the
Iowa legislature win provide for abol-
ishng the supervisorial district lines In
counties and provide that supervisors
shall be elected from the county at
large 1t will be one step merely in the
scheme to assist the larger cities of the
state in housecleaning in their county
governments While there has been
much agitation in many circles for
the county governments in many coun-
ties not only in Iowa but elsewhere
have fallen into as bad a state of af-
fairs as the city governments. 1t is
more than likely that along with this
move to abolish supervisorial districts
there will be a provision to clothe the
county commission with greater au
thority and really adopt the commss-
ion system of government for the
county.
Des Moines is particularly interested
in this movement and certain parties
here declare that they will see to it
that bills intended to better condi-
tions in Polk county will be introduced
at the coming session of the legisla-
ture. 1t has been recognized that mat
ters are not working overly well here
but citizens have been devoting their
attention SO much to the booster move
anent OF, the city conditions that they
have had little time for the county at
fairs.
| One of the things that has lately
come to the attention of the citizens
here in connection with the county
government is the purchase of voting
machines. The county agreed two or
three years ago to purchase machines
The matter has been hanging fire ever
since Recently the county officials
asked the city If it would pay one
fourth of the cost Of the purchase
and indicated that there was one par
ticular machine that the county de-
sired to purchase. The city council
agreed to pay one-fourth the cost but
asked that another machine be looked
at before the purchase was made, on
the claim that the other machine was
better.
It was with difficulty that the super
visors could be induced to wait to see
one of the other machines tho both
machines are made by the same COM
pany. One of the other machines was
brought in and left a few days at the
Chamberlain and the supervisors then
proceeded to buy the first machine
without the city going in on the deal
to pay one-fourth the cost. The ma
chine purchased is now found to be in
adequate and Of no account because it
does not comply with the law. The
other machine met the provisions of the
law perfectly.
If there are no grounds for more Sc
yere criticism the precipitate haste Of
the supervisors when either machine
could be had in time for the election in
November is "a matter that to say the
least is unbusinesslike
Extending beyond the supervisors
Polk county finds that it is next to i'm
possible to bring wealthy and inf1uen-
, tial malefactors to justice. The great
est clog in the wheel seems to be the
inability to get an indictment. Some
times an indictment is returned. Then
the case drags along and finally is dis
missed. A lawyer who was one or the
attorneys for one malefactor told the
writer that his client was dismissed be-
cause he <the malefactor) delivered
the vote of his ward for a certain pol
iticiial. The malefactor asked the advice
of the LAWYER in the matter and told him
he could get the case dismissed if he
could deliver the ward. The lawyer told
him that while he didn't approve Of
such matters the evidence was largely
against him in the case and If he could
GET it dimissed he would probably save
himself a conviction.
There are no isolated cases of this
kind either. The fact is a little shreWd
detective work could uncover all sorts
of corruption in Polk county affairs.
A. p. Kepford, state lecturer for the
board of control, has returned from
the international congress on tubercu-
losis at washington and is filled with
satisfaction at the work done there.
The fact is the congress arrived at
C SNAAsh -
and Mr.. Kepford already has under
way in this state. Practically every
conclusion reached by the congress as
to modes of procedure in combating
the disease after the learned discus
sions of the greatest scientists OF the
world were the same as are already
being worked out in this state.
Iowa is a step in advance Of all
the other states in the union because
the appropriation for the work is an
nual and perpetual till the legislature
makes 1t otherwise. 1t is therefore pos
sible for the state board Of control
which has supervision of this work to
make It's plans to stretch over a period
of many years and a plan we'll adhered
to is the battle half Won
| one Of the things decided upon by
the congress was that there should be