Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-05-12
MATTERS OF SOCIOLOGY AND
CULTURE APPARENTLY BE-
ING NEGLECTED.
NEW STATE ORGANIZATION
is BEING PROPOSED
Objects viii Be to Encourage Lesis-
iation for Retterment of Mankind,
Including School Laws, Establish
ment of Woman's Reformatory, Re-
strictins the "5Iack Plague" Etc.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines, May 12.-That a state
organization should be perfected for
the purpose of urging advancement in
iowa along sociological lines and Gull
ture, is matter that is being gener-
ally discussed by prominent people of
the state and such an organization
may shortly be a fact. This is made
more strongly apparent by the in
ereasing movement for the commercial
welfare of the state. The tendency is
everywhere to commercial DEVELOPMENT
and there is not concerted action for
a development of culture and social
needs, it is urged by prominent educa-
tors. That an organization is needed TO
uplift Iowa along this line and to use
concerted action with the legislature
when it is in session is plainly dem
onstarted they say, by the many things
the recent law making body did not
do.
The Thirty-third general assembly
has been frequently charged with
lack of courage to take up the school
problem. Al a big expense 10 the state
a commission gathered facts concern
ing the school system and laws in
Iowa and recommended many new
laws. The legislature adopted no new
school laws whatever, choking the rec
concentrations in the committee An
other big problem the body sidestepped
they say, is the matter of dealing
with the BLACK plague" an evil which
is declared by state officers TO be re-
sponsible for three-fourths the blind
children Of the state and the cause
Of much Of the consumption and the
direct cause of many of the suicides.
The legislature also turned down con-
sideration of the proposition TO es,ab-
fish woman's reformatory. They re-
fused or neglected to pass a law that
would permit the construction of bet
ter and more sanitary jails turnout the
state. These are but a few of the
needed reforms toward which the law
makers turned a cold shoulder. The
appropriation made for the state Ii
brary and state historical departments,
prominent men and women claim is a
sad reflection on the states apprecia-
tiOil VI d! anu Dul lQ6 leg
islature is constantly petitioned and
demanded to make appropriations for
matters of commercial Importance and
there is no organization making any
demand for culture. So prominent men
and women of the capital city are dis
cussing the perfecting of an organiza-
ton which shall have as its object the
raising higher the standard of educa-
ton, culture and art in the state.
County superintendents of Iowa are
in state convention here today and will
continue their session thru tomorrow
Topics of general interest among
teachers are being discussed Probably
the most interesting discussion will
come tomorrow over the question
shall there be a statewide cam
paign looking to radical changes in
our school laws? If so, what shall
be the salient features of the legis-
lative program"
+ The new Hammil law which places
a heavy penalty on vendors of liquor
for selling to any person who has taken
/ the cure" promises to open new field
| for detectives and will create a demand
/ for sleuths if the saloonkeepers thru
out the state adopt the tactics taken
here in Des Moines. AS the new law
places the burden of knowledge upon
the saloonkeeper the Des Moines deal