Omaha daily bee., 1909-05-25
SPANNING Up TO COURT
Iowa Judges to Decide Corporal Pun
ishment in Schools,
NEW LAW PERPLExEs COUNCILS
Municipal Legislators In the Dark a.
to Provision Refusins PubiicR-
tion of Proceedings-PlRns
for Historical building.
From a staff Correspondent.)

(From a staff Correspondent)
DIES MONIES, May 4-tspecial)-The
supreme court Of Iowa will be called upon
to decide the question Of administration VI
corporal punishment in public schools. Two
Des Moines teachers recently beat a boy
until he was black and blue. The boys
father caused their arrest. The city sup
erintendent. whose salary was Just raised
by the board, announced that corporal pun
ishment is justifiabie. In police court Sat
urday Judge Steward held It was not
justifiable and fined the teachers. They at
once appealed TO the district court and
said they would carry the question to the
highest court. The father Is equally de-
termined. So the supreme court will be.
called upon 10 pass upon the justification
Of beating children with fists and rods.
The Mothers clubs throughout the state,
the members OF which do not beat their
own children, will be interested in watching
the developments Of the case and the ulti-
mate decision. II is generally conceded
among club women OF Des Moines that
the courts decision may have some ma
terial effect upon the attendance of the
public schools.
City Councils Anxious. r
City coun als all over the state are anN-
lOuh abuuA lie AtN NoN BaSS'u " AAN
last assembly. and the office of the at
torney general is being flooded with let
tiers of inquiry as to whether of not under
the new law they must publish in a news
paper a report of what the council proceed
ings were and pay for such. Thu two cities
under the Des Moines plan Of government
are also mach interested. Under their
charter they must print reports of The
L COlncil prppaadinpG for dist rihntiOu and ~
compelled to, also pay for printing them
in newspapers 1t will put a double burden
upon them.
Historical Building Plans.
Completion Of the state Historical build
ing is one OF the important matters that
must be taken care of by the board when
ii meets June l.. The last legislature APP
propriated a sum TO complete the building,
There must yet be Installed marble wains-
coting and staircases. Ii Is probable the
board will advertise for bids for that work
after a decision is reached as to what
kind of marble is to be used. II is not
expected that the $4,000 given by the legis-
lature will much more than do this work
and the next general assembly will be
asked for more to put on some finishing
touches. 1t is the hope OF members of the
board that the time is not far distant
when the state will place in the wall inches
about the corridors of the historical build
ing statues Of prominent men in the up
building OF the state. The oil painting gal
lery is rapidly being filled with magnifi-
cent pictures. Some high class statuary
in the commodious inches would add a
great deal to the appearance of the build
Ing.
Expect Much of Delegates.
r L. 49,. A. -
by Governor Carroll to the international
Conference on State and Local taxation
in Louisville, KY, September q. will bring
back to Iowa some ideas with reference
to taxation. such as will be beneficial in
suggesting new laws to the next legisla-
ture. The recent assembly dismissed taxa
ton to considerable extent, but failed to
pass any of the bills introduced. They
turned down the freeing of mortgages
from taxation; the freeing of corporation
stocks in foreign corporations from taxa
ton, and the bill providing for a tax com
mission. The men selected by the gov
ernor are interested in the taxation ques-
ton. Among those who will be one OF
the keenest participants will be Frank G
Pierce of Marshalltown, secretary of the
Iowa League of Municipalities. The other
members are j. f. Jackson of Sioux City,
A. c. Savage of Adair, Charles Mclean OF
Dubuque, r. T. True of Council Bluffs and
Karl Johnson OF Usage. 1t will be noticed
that Mr.. Savage is a member Of the senate
and Mr.. Johnson OF the house of the Iowa
legislature. The commission, as named, is
made up of progressives, s~tandpatters and
democrats.
Would Censor Papers.
An effort on the part of The Greater
? nec MOtpaa Cnuorpittaa' 70 aStabl{sh q
: censorship over the press in Des Moines
has been the cause of considerable com.
ment the last few days. A few evening.
ago MEMBERS Of the editorial staffs on al
the local papers were invited 10 = fire,
banquet Of the committee. At the banque
as members Of the were somC
Of the big advertisers of the city and somt
Of the prominent business men. Their
: presence might have been planned to give
: weight 10 the request made. Then the
y papers were appealed TO to suppress al
news concerning quarrels at the city hal
under tine Des Moines plan Of government
corruptness of public officials, crimes b,
prominent business men, etc. In fact, the,
, wanted only the good side Of the capita
a city portrayed and the offenses Of poll
= ticians, business men and the mOneyeC
g class suppressed. The effort was a failure
e One paper learning OF the nature Of tn
banquet failed to send a Representative,
e whereupon a committee called upon IN.
e editor and asked him TO keep his pape
s clean along the lines indicated. Tn
i committee was told by this editor that hi
s paper was clean" and that II the com
mittee would. look after cleaning up from
scandals the other papers whose editor
were members Of the committee they woult
do a good work" The effort by an or
ganization. Of capitalists TO establish
censorship on the local press is beinI
Y widely discussed and is. not meeting Wit
universal approval by those who believe 4
the old principles of one law for poor an
rich and a freedom Of the press.