Omaha daily bee., 1909-04-28
Iowa
IOWA BENZ CLEANED" ur
Radical Legislation Keeps oficers
Busy All Over State.
CossoN THINKS LAWS ARE COOL
Comments Upon work Being Done
in Davenport, Burlington and
other CitIes-New Build
inRs at AmeS.
tFrom a SAT- correspondent

DES MONIES. April T.-tSpecial)-The
der the stimulus Of new legislation enacted
by the last general assembly In the vari-
Gus cities of Iowa the most thorough
cleaning up ever known is going on. and
this includes not only the saloons that
have been run without much regard for
the law, but also the resorts which are
known TO have flourlshed everywhere. 1t
is confidently predicted that the process
Of wedding out the bad places in Iowa cit
les will go much further now than ever
before.
II have heard no criticism Of the various
bills which l introduced in the legislature
and which passed" said Senator George
Cosson OF Audubon while In the city.
They meet the approval OF all who con-
slider them fairly. I note that in certain
cities of the state radical changes of policy
as to certain patent evils has taken place.
One mayor is quoted that the new laws
are bad. but he doesn't care to take the
chance on going to jail therefore ne has
ordered that the state laws be obeyed.
Evidently the law officers Of the state
do not take much stock In the idea the
new laws will not be effective. 1 see that
Davenport. Burlington and other cities are
being cleaned up rapidly. There has been
something said about the bills having been
emasculeted after they were introduced, but
the fact is not one of the bills was passed
In any weaker form than II was when in
troduced, and not a single word was added
to the bills that viii lessen their force,
with one exception. The word 'wilfuliy'
got into the bill relating to removal of
officials who fail to do their duty. Now the
courts have construed that to mean about
the same as knowingly and In the courts
the word will cause no trouble.
Now, for the first time In the history
OF the state we will have some specific
duties for the officers. In looking through
the laws OF all the states ! found nowhere
have the laws been made as specific and
definite as we have them now. In all the
statutes there is a certain vagueness about
the matter"
Iowa's New Weed Law.
The new weed law will, l believe, prove
very valuable" said Ex-Governor Pack
ard yesterday. 1T is not a drastic law, as
some have felt It to be, but Is quite mild,
and yet we believe 1t will do good. The
principle is to have the road work and the
weed killing done together. Instead of
levying a tax for road work the tax is
levied for road work and weed extermina-
ton, and is used for that purpose, one as
much as the other. Then there Is provis-
ion for notice to a property owner II his
land is covered with weeds TO the injury
OF other farms and he must kill the nox-
ious weeds from his land. The particular
weeds are named In the law which are
thus to be destroyed so there car be no
doubt about it. Failure to kill the weeds
is a misdeameanor. We believe the exist
ence of the law will be beneficial and there
will be little need for enforcing its pro-
visions by prosecutionsss'
work on state Buildings.
The work on the three buildings at the
State college authorized by the Legislature
will be rushed as rapidly as possible the
fore part of the summer so that when TIE
new board takes hold in July there will be
as little left OF these buildings as possible.
At a meeting OF the building committee
held a few days ago at Ames 1t was de-
cided that while the legislature approprt-
ated $50, 600 for continuing work on the heat
ing plant, no contracts will be let against
this by the present board, as obviously the
legislature Intended combining the actlvI-
ties of the present board to the three big
buildings now under way,
Maybray 10 just Maybray.
Practically all parties interested in the
case of j. c. Maybrsy now unite in scout
ing the strange story of the mysterious
woman who has tried to make 1t appear
that Maybray is none other than the Nc
Cam who was murdered in st. Louis.
News from st. Louis is the story carries
no weight there and that il has not even
aroused a suspicion as to the justice of
the conviction OF Lord" Darlington. The
woman, who has posed here az a detec-
tive, has fascinated those who have come
under her influence, and she at first con-
WINGED everyone that her remarkable story
was correct, but as the evidence accumu-
lates II is believed that she is simply play
ing a desperate game TO free the impris-
oned Englishman and that there is nothing
in the story that will affect the pardon
ing power i'm Missouri Neither is the May
bray theory that the woman is acting for
government detectives believed by the Of
ficials here. They see no reason for the
government 10 take a hand in the case
In this strange way.
j. c. Maybray maintains absolute 81
lence as to any matters affecting the case
which stands against him in connection
with the gang of fake racers. He has In
structions from his attorneys not TO talk
at all on this question. hence refuses to
speak of any OF the stories connecting him
with others alleged to be interested in the
swindllng operations. But he has talked
freely OF his life and in denial Of the
story about him being McCann.
DRirymen TO Meet.
Members OF the State Dairy commission
will meet in this city Tuesday to con-
slider the ways and means of spending
the $4,000 recently appropriated by the
state.
Dealt of Well known Miller
J. @. Sharp, secretary of the Mill own
ers' Mutual Fire Insurance company, died
at his home, Ss Sixth avenue, today OF
neuralgia of the heart. Mr.. Sharp had
been a resident OF Des Moines for twenty
one years. He is survived by a widow,
four daughters and three sons. Mr.. SHARP
was a member OF the Masonic lodge.