Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-04-30
ATTORNEY GENERAL -eYERs
BRINGS SUIT BEFORE l. c. c.
Three Companies Divide $4,000 Per
Year as ToIIs-lIlinois Central in
Fact Owns Structure and Attorney
General Insists That Public is Being
Held Up.
Special to Times-Republican.

terstate commerce commission, the ar
gument in which has just been filed by
Attorney General Byers. 1t is the finish
OF the case brought against the owners
of the railroad bridge at Dubuque to
compel abandonment of the long time
bridge arbitrary of % cents for every
passenger carried across the bridge.
The Illinois Central Railroad Com
pany," says the attorney general, has
invested in this bridge $2,771, 344 "A,
and have exacted from the shipping
and travelling public in return $S,OOO,-
000 1t would seem upon such a show
ing as this that even railroad COM
pany would be willing from now on to
make this what has been termed in the
record free bridge Without extend
ing the argument further we repeat
that under the circumstances disclosed
in this case neither of the three de-
PENDANT companies ought to be per-
mitted to charge a cent for bridge toll
over the bridge in question"
The two other companies referred to
are the Great Western and the Bur-
lington. The evidence submitted to the
interstate commerce commission shows
that the Illinois Central receives about
$4,000 a year now for the privilege of
freight and passenger service over the
bridge. About $4,000 of this is sup
posed to be for passengers at % cents
a trip.
Attorney General Byers made some
remarkable disclosures in the hearing
on the case before Commissioner
Clark. He found that the Illinois Cen
trail in fact owns the bridge thru own
ership of company which owns the
stock of the bridge company, that
Captain Merry, the agent of the Hill
nois Central is secretary of the bridge
company, and that in fact the whole
scheme of making reports and carrying
out contracts so as to make it appear
that the companies are compelled to
pay toll to a bridge company is a
sham and delusion. The complaint
was brought by John r. Waller, of Du-
buque, and is prosecuted before the in
terstate commerce commission by the
attorney general thru the state railroad
commission. 1t was also brought out
that over other longer bridges across
I the Mississippi the most that is
charged is cents a passenger. The
case will soon be taken up by the COM
mission for a decision and there is ex-
pectation that the commission will at
least cut the arbitrary to S cents or
| abolish it entirely.
The executive committee of the
state association of optometrists has
submitted to Governor Carroll a list
of the names of persons who would be
acceptable to represent the optome-
trists on the new state board A list of
a dozen or more names was given the
governor to select from and the board
will be named before the May meet
ing of the association. This board will
probably be handled with as little ex-
| pense to the state as any of the various
boards since the secretary of the
state board of medical examiners is
ex-officio the secretary of the new
board At the meeting of the state as
ISOLATION, plans will be laid for begin
ming the work of licensing opticians.
II A meeting of the board of trustees
of the state college will be held at
Ames May 6, at which time the COM
mittee of the new board of education
which will report on the state college
work will be present and familiarize
itself with the work to be done. It is
the intention of the old board to close
every thing up before turning over the
business. AT a meeting this week
contracts were let for $4,000 worth OF
furniture for the new agricultural hall
about half of which is special furni-
ture for laboratory use. Nearly all the
contracts will be let at once which
can be let under the law.
The state superintendent will send
out to school officers and others a re.
vision of the compulsory school at.
tendance law showing the changes thai
have been made. These changes are
more important, in the view Of schoo
officials than had been at frs
thought, but the law is in some re.
spects strengthened. In second class
cities marshals and police officers may
be employed as truant officers, which
will aid in enforcement of the whole
law. The time of school attendance
each year has been heightened from
twelve to tWenty-four weeks, so thai
every child between the designated
ages must attend some school at leas
six months each year. In addition, it /!
proposed that in cities the schoo
board may require attendance for the
entire school year. proposal entirel.
new to the law. The law to permit ex
cusing children from attendance a
public schools for religious instruction
leaves door wide open for keeping
some children out Of school most o
the time. for there is no limit to tn
number Of days this excuse can b.
used, but the school officers feel tina
there is little danger of abuse Of thi
law.
Governor Carroll yesterday paid
compliment to the women Of Iowa
| appointing two of the leading club wo
I men of the state as delegates to tn
| second national peace conference to b
held in Chicago, May to S.
Mrs. J. ]. Seerley, Of Burlington, an
Mrs. M. F. Hinman, of Belmond, ar
. the women in list Of ten delegate
named by Governor Carroll, includin
eight Of the most prominent citizens {
the state. The list follows:
David Brant, Of Iowa City; editor {
the Iowa City Republican; the r
. Rev. Theodore N. Morrison, Of Daver
port, bishop Of the Iowa diocese of tn
EpigcOpal church. the Rev Orfen u