Omaha daily bee., 1909-05-06
Iowa
CUUNUlLS Ian tlA lhk RATES
Decision of Iowa Supreme Court is in
Favor of Municipalities.
PUBLIC UTILITIES UNDER CONTROL
Decision OF vital I'm I'M
Down in the Gas Case,
Taken Up from Cedar
Rapids,
(From a Staff Correspondent

From a Staff Correspondent.)
DES MONIES, Ia, May 5.-(Special)-
The Iowa supreme court today handed down
a decision that is Of the greatest of i'm
portance to municipalities in Iowa. holding
that a city council has a right to fix rates
which may be charged by public utility
corporations operating under a city fran
chise, providing such rates are not con.
fiscatory.
The decision came in the Cedar Rapids
gas case. In the lower court the city sue
ceeded In getting a a0cent rate estab-
lished. 1t was in this suit that James A.
Good Of Cedar Rapids, in behalf Of the
city. gained a reputation that was instru-
mental in e~lectlng him to congress last
fall. The gas company appealed the case
and p%etitioned an injunction restraining
the city from putting the rate into effect.
The court dismissed the petition for in
junction and sustained the lower court.
after modifying the decree so that after a
fair trial at the 90-cent rate the company
shall not be barred from coming into court
for n further modification and howln
their books for the purpose of having the
rate readjusted. The court said that when
government bonds, bearing 2 per cent in
terest, are selling at par and municipal
and county bonds, bearing 4 per cent in
tere6t, are SelllnB Ut par, II WOuto not De
consistent to say that a rate for gas which
will guarantee 6 per cent interest on the
investment would be a confiscatory rate.
Byers Appointed OIL Inspector.
NJ, II. Byers of Mills county, former ad-
jutant general of the state, was today
appointed oil inspector Of the state by
Governor B. F. Carroll. He succeeds Cap
tain Pickel, who has developed the inspec-
ton system in Iowa and invented much
of the machinery which is now used in the
inspection of oil throughout Iowa.
Optometrists' Big Plans.
Optometrists of the state are making
big plans for their state convention here
May IL. 10 and 20. 1t will be the first
convention since the legislature has recog-
nized optometrists as a regular profession
AT this convention will be conducted a
school or institute for optometrists to
brush UP for the examinations which most
OF them must take after July 4, in order
to continue the practice of fitting glasses
Commission ship on Rough Waters.
Unless there is speedy settlement of pend
ing troubles in the Des Moines City com
mission the whole scheme of government
is going to suffer a great setback In the
first city of the northern states to try 1t
OUT. AlItduy litIC 1 luAiipAiiSS VI 49,
coming storm and threats of application of
the recall to the whole Des Moines com
mission because of the disgraceful quarrel
into which the commission has got itself
over the building of a city hall. Nobody
seems to be able to point out just what the
trouble is or who is to blame, and so 1t is
that the entire commission is falling into
| d~isfavor. The immediate cause of the quar-
rel is the unwillingness of the council to
| permit John MacVicar. in whose depart
ment the construction of a new hall would
come. to designate the supervising architect
for the building.
Councilman Hamery appears to be first
in opposing MacVicar, but others have
Joined in the quarrel. The upshot of It is
that there lie a deadlock. that the members
are accusing each other OF all sorts Of
villainies, that they are raking up early
records and past and forgotten traditions,
and that the city is facing a prospect Of
no city building at all. The threats OF
using the recall are becoming numerous
and 1t will not be surprising If the whole
commission is ordered out and a new set
is placed In charge.
Cost of Legislature.
The recent session OF the legislature cost
the state OF Iowa $137, 0S047. The last
voucher was filed at the state house to-
day and the total as given here is com
plete.
For a half dozen laws that were passed
that viii go down in history as Of special
Importance the state treasury must Cough
up almost $4,000.
The disposal OF this enormous amount Of
money makes interesting reading and at
the same time will probably open the eyes
OF the people of the state to the expenses
OF conducting a legislative session. The
cost per day. at ninety days for the session,
was approximately 81 SOS.
BY far the greatest single expenditure
was in salaries to the legislators. The total
thus expended was $3.50, OF which $50, $50
went to the house members and S2S, 600 TO
the senators.
The mileage cost was 81, lSO.4 As, The senate
payroll for labor done was $40, 766. 5O and the
house OF representatives was 81. 77232.
The amount expended for ministers WIN
prayed each morning was $3.50 for both
houses.
The remainder of the amount went for
extra help in the office Of the secretary
OF state. election contest cases, advertising
laws and similar expenses.