Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-01-14

That section of the law requiring
| that patroled persons shall remain
actual residents of the state, and re-
| quiring a specific term of employment,
should be changed so, that the board
would have discretion in these mat
ters. The board should also have au-
| thority to fix definite future time
| when a sentence shall expire, or =
parole be granted. The law providing
| for good time of prisoners should al
! so be made to apply to prisoners
whose terms have been fixed by the
board Of parole, so that this induce
ment to reform would be present in
all cases.
Compensation of Public Officials
| While we as a state have perhaps
the largest per capita wealth of any
state in the Union, we are paying for
most faithful and conscientious SER
vices what seems to me inadequate
salaries. In civil life men doing the
service and having the responsibili-
ties of affairs of the magnitude of
the work done by the board of control,
are receiving from five to six thou
sand dollars annually. We have been
paying in the past the members of our
board of control $1,000 rate that
was established ten years ago when
the cost of living was certainly TWEEN
! ty-five per cent less than it is today.
feel that this condition should not
! longer obtain; that the servant is
worthy of his hire, and that the MEM
hers of the board of control should
receive annually $500. The same is
true of our secretary of state. our
treasurer of state and the auditor of
state. A railroad company or mer-
camille company asking for the same
conscientious service, and getting it,
that those men render the state,
would not think of hiring them for
less than s3,500/ I therefore recon-
mend most earnestly that you increase
their compensation to this amount.
Roster of Iowa Soldiers
I would recommend that you make
an appropriation to carry on the work
of publishing the roster of Iowa sol
diers.
Protection for Labor
While there has been great progress
in the perfection of our laws relating
to labor in recent years believe that
we can still further improve them.
The laborers in the gypsum mines in
Iowa deserve the protection OF our
laws and these mines should be placed
on par with other mines of the state.
The growth of our industries has been
such that there is an increasing num-
Der of accidents to employees in fac
tories and I would suggest that you
provide for reports of such accidents
to be made promptly to the state la
Dor bureau. The child labor law,
which has been in operation a few
years, has justified its enactment but
there is need of facilities for it's better
enforcement and to that end I would
suggest a change in the law placing
upon the employer the burden of
proof that the law is strictly OBJ
served.
You would do well to investigate.
and consider suggestions made. in the
annual report of the dairy and pure
food commissioner, especially with re-
gard to legislation to check the ten
dency to concentrate the creamery
business in large companies at the ex-
pense of the smaller and cooperative
creameries.
I recommend that you prohobit in
definitely the killing Of quails in Iowa.
In view of the great dangers atten-
dant upon the spread of tuberculosis
among our domestic animals, and
the need of firm measures to eradi-
cate this disease, you may find it adj
visable to strengthen our laws and to
place additional funds at the disposal
of those who are fighting the evil.