Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-06-25
RAILWAYS 1OBE HEARD
EXECUTIVE COUNCIL TO coNslp.
Err ASSESSMENT ARGUMENT
NEXT MONTH.
BULK SALES DECISION
OF INTEREST IN IOWA
Effort Made. for Several Years to
Adopt Law Similar to Illinois Stat
ute Now Declared Unconstitutional
Pretty Fight on Between Clay and
Cement Men.

Des Moines, June 25.-The executive
council has announced the dates for
hearing the arguments of attorneys on
the assessment of the railroads. Rail
roads, express companies, equipment
companies and sleeping car companies
will be heard in the order named July
called in alphabetical order. The tel
ephone and telegraph companies will
be heard July IA and the equalization
of values between companies will fol-
low the hearing of the 14th
There is some speculation as to what
the council will do this year with the
assessment. Tho the earnings of the
companies show a decided increase FOR
the most part it is not believed that
there will be much increase in the as
lsessment, The state has been raising
the assessment sharp amount nearly
every year for the last seven years and
it is recognized that the figures are
eipbul oiiSIS tiIeS ought 10 De.
This will be the first year for some
years that the council has not num-
bered one good lawyer, both Cummins
and Shaw being recognized as able at
torneys.
The action of the Illinois supreme
court in finding that the bulk sales
law of that state is unconstitutional on
the ground of being class legislation is
very interesting reading to many of the
members of the past three or four leg
islatures of Iowa
BY bulk sales law it is sought to
prevent a grocer or local retail naeF-
chant of any kind from disposng of
goods in bulk for which he owes the
wholesaler or nlanufa cturer in whole
or in part. The bill was in the interest
of the manufacturer or wholesaler to
aid him in preventing loss and to aid
him in collecting his accounts from the
retailers. Several years ago the bill
came up for the first time in the Iowa
legislature and has been up every ses-
sion since. 1t has passed both houses
at different times but never both
houses at the same session.
AT each session of the Iowa legisla-
ture able attorneys who were members
have pointed out that such law is I'M
constitutional because it singled out a
particular class and imposed burdens
upon them from which other classes
were exempt, thus depriving them Of
liberty and property. preventing them
from contracting with respect to par
ticular kind of property.
/ The Iowa bills have been drawn
much on the order of the Illinois bill
which provides that the sale of goods
+ or merchandise not fully paid for 9TH
or than in the regular course of re-
tail business shall be deemed fraudu-
Z lent unless certain formaifties are
gone thru with which are planned to
protect the creditors. The Illinois SUI
preme cour- has held this to be un-
( constitutional.
The next meeting of the Mississippi
Valley Association of State Historical
Z Departments will likely be held at
Iowa City or Des Moines Curator Har-
Ian. Of the Iowa historical building, is
back from trip 10 st. Louis. where
1 the last meeting was held and an
nounces that Iowa cities stand a
4 80
Il The board of trustees Of Iowa State
Il College of Agriculture will meet at
Anes June 30 and the trustees Of the
state normal will meet at Cedar Falls
on the same date These will be their
last meetings as the boards go out OF
existence after that date and the new
board Of control takes charge. The
new board will have the senate COM
mittee rooms just above the state su-
perintendents office.
A pretty fight is on between the
clay men and the cement men over
the question OF who will be selected
secretary of the conservation commits
sion. The law provides for the selec-
tion Of secretary at a salary of ST..
500, the secretary not to be a member
Of the commission but to be selected
from outsiders. The clay men have pu
up G. G. Wheat, of Emmetsburg TIL,
cement men have no candidate Of thei
own and they want anyone excep
Wheat for they claim he has beer
fighting their interests for some years
Ex-Deputy State Auditor Amos Brand
and Ex-Deputy Secretary OF State Dal
A. Hites are both candidates for sec
retary as are also Robert Baily an
L. w McHenry Of Des Moines an
: G. G. Wheat Of Emmetsburg. The Sc
lection of the secretary has been lef
to a committee of two members @
the commission.
The law creating the commission 4
quite broad and general in its scop
and there was considerable varianc
T in the opinions Of the members as
what their duties are. Before the com
a mission meets again, which will b
4 about Sept. i, the members will MAX
q a study of the law with view t
/. forming some idea Of just what thei
activities should be. Some have til
idea that the commission should .di
rect its energies mainly toward drain
ling the swamp lands of north low
while others think the commissic
should look into the development Z
certain industries such Is the clay an
cement Industries. Others believe til
4 commission sho06 first take stock
the natural resources Of the state an
having done so hunt for any leaks an
waste and seek to eliminate these.
> CAMP FIRE CLOSES SESSION.
North Iowa Association of Victoria,
4