Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-04-03
WITHOUT DUTIES
OR COMPENSATION
Recent Legislature Created City
Office and Provided Neither
Work Nor Pay
TOO MANY HEALTH OFFICERS
Laws Intentions May Be surmised and
Corrective Legislation Will Follow
cummins Invades Reservation =
Campaigning in Southern Iowa at
Present.
Special TO imes-Republican.

/ Special TO Times Republican.
| Des Moines. April 3.-The legisla-
ture last winter, at the request of the
Iowa League of municipalities, Gre
ated municipal office without du-
ties and without pay. Thus far it is
not known whether any person has
| been appointed to the position. Pos
sibiy the city councils would have the
power to prescribe duties and COM
pensation. The office is that of
| health physician
The crea ton of the office has caused
confusion in the minds of city Off
cials. and many inquiries have reached
the office of the state board of health.
The new position is made appointive
by the mayor. Many city officials
have been led to believe that this law
in fact merely changes the method of
selecting the city health officer" I'm
der section 1868 of the code there is
provided a health officer as an officer
elected by the local board of health,
and to be a physician. The city coun
Gil elects city physician" Now the
legislature has provided for health
physician.
1t is the opinion of Secretary Thorn
as, of the state board of health, that
4 I,ie offn cot .,1I low, TN
this he is supported by the opinion of
Attorney General Byers. Local boards
of health will continue to select
health officer" just as they have done
heretofore, and the health officer"
will continue to have the same duties
as heretofore City councils further
more will continue to elect city ply
sicians,'' just as they have ever done.
1t is understood that the intention
of the Iowa League of municipalities
was 10 amend the law so as to have
the health officer who is an officer
of the local board of health, appointed
by the mayor instead of elected by the
local board of health But by the un-
fortunate wording of the law, this has
not been done, and instead the legis-
| lature has created a new officer, who
has neither duties nor compensation.
1t is probable that the league at the
next session will introduce a bill to
have the change perfected, or else will
correct the mistake by abolishing the
health physician"
Governor Culnmins will make the
real working opening of his campaign
for the United States senate by MAX
ing twenty addresses down in the res
ervation country in the territory long
ruled by Blythe and considered against
the governor. The announcement that
the governor will devote his time for
a few days to the reservation brings
out the difference in the nature of the
campaign this year under the primary
and that last year under the caucus
and convention. Under the primary
vote in the reservation counts this
year as much as it does in any other
section of the state. Governor Cum
minis has long had almost solid support
from the northwestern quarter of the
state While he has had many friends
in the reservation counties, they have
not been numerous enough to carry
very many counties down there, and
hence nave been of little benefit to the
governor in carrying nominations.
This year they will all be counted in
the. grand total that will determine the
senatorial nominee.
For the next few days the governors
speaking dates will be: April 3, after
April 4. afternoon. Alton; evening Lor-
ening. Creston: April 10. afternoon,
Gravity: evening" Bedford: April IL,
Blockton The governor started in on
the reservation yesterday at Hamburg
in Fremont county.
Assistant Attorney General Charles
w. Lyons has begun the work of pre-
pairing his brief and argument in the
Charles w. Rocker case. Rocker was
convicted in northwest Iowa of MUIR
dering his employer, August Schroeder.
He afterward married the dead mans
widow and 1t is alleged that in
drunken sleep he disclosed to her thas
he was the murderer of her husband.
She informed the sheriff and Rocker
was tried. On the first trial the su-
preme court reversed the case on tech
nical legal points. He was tried again
i'm district court and convicted and has
appealed again. This appeal will be
heard by the supreme court at the May
term. which opens the middle of May.
Many attorneys think the case will
stick on the second appeal for in the
district court there was great effort
TO avoid reversible errors. Rockers at
torneys will make q hard fight The
case has not been in the courts for
some years and Rocker has fought il
at every step. scoring some victories
thus far
Representative Enoch Beery of Hen
rv county. has filed his nomination pa
pers Ia have his name placed on the