Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1909-02-10
LEGISLATURE TO
HONOR LINCOLN.
Plans for Observance Of Centen-
NAL Anniversary Friday.
BILL TO fine THE RAILROADS.
House Passes Measure Fixing $50
Day for Defyins Railway Commits.
sion-BiII for Public Service Com
mission introduced in House,


lature will devote its time on Friday
of this week to the honoring of the
name and memory of Abraham Lin
coin, in commemoration Of the Tooth
anniversary of his birthday. A splen-
did program is being arranged for the
occasion and Hon. Lafe Young, editor
of the Des Moines Capital, will be the
orator of the occasion. An effort was
made by Representative Holmes, chair
man of the legislative Lincoln day
committee, to secure Governor
Hughes of New York as the speaker.
but the governor finally declined the
invitation. The celebration will be
held in the house chamber. Besides
the address by Mr.. Young, there will
be other speakers, not yet announced,
and music will be furnished by the
Des Moines Women's club, under the
direction of Dean Nagel.
Public Service Commission.
A public service commission is pro-
posed in q bill which is before the
house and will be discussed in COM
mittee this week, at q hearing in
which the railroads and municipal
leagues of the state are taking much
interest. The bill provides for the
creation of a commission of five men,
ibers. the three railroad commissioners
Of the state to be members until their
terms of Office expire and two others
to be named by the governor, one
from the Democratic and one from the
Republican party. The two thus ap-
pointed shall be approved by the SEN
ate and shall hold office until 1915. AS
the terms of the present railroad COM
missioners expire the governor is to
name their successors on the commits
sion. No member of the commission
lis to be permitted to hold other Of
fee or position Of profit, or pursue
any other business or serve on the
committee of any political party while
holding his position on the commits
sion. The salary of the commission.
ers is fixed at $500 year each. Its
jurisdiction extends to all railroads
and interurban railroads, express com
panies. car companies, sleeping car
companies anu sthy SO4AIAOn SalIlCb GU
gagged in the business OF carrying pas
sengers and freight, except street rail-
ways. The jurisdiction also extends
to gas and electric plants, to telegraph
and telephone lines and to the persons
or private corporations owning or op-
Grating the same. Publicity Of the
acts of all corporations is provided
for and the commissioners have power
to require a uniform keeping OF &C.
counts and to compel the submission
of annual reports by the corporations.
The commission may institute action
on its own volitlon or upon resolu-
ton being adopted by any town or
city council or the complaint of 100 or
more customers of any utility on the
same being filed with it. The act is to
take effect Immediately after It's
adoption and approval by the governor.
The bill is presented under the joint
authorship of Representatives White
of Story, Grier of Poweshiek and Lar
rabee of Webster.
Miller Attacks Health Board.
Much interest is being conferred in
the persistent efforts being carried for
ward by Representative Charles w,
Miller Of Bremen county, not only on
the floor of the house and In the com.
mittee room, but also in his paper,
the Waverly Democrat. In his waspish
filings at the board of health from the
floor Of the house Miller claims the
body has no other concern except that
Of what he calls the doctors trust"
He declares the board will go to any
length to embarrass and prosecute
physicians who do not belong TO the
trust" or at least practice. according
to its code of ethics. One rule Of this
code. he. declares, is that doctor
must not advertise, and he says the
board has recently embarked upon a
project to take away the certificates Of
all advertising doctors. In his war
Mr.. Miller calls the attention of the
Legislators to the declaration, that sew.
'eral advertising doctors have recently
been ordered to appear before the
board. but the first hearing Of case
of this character, that Of a Des
Moines physician. resulted in an ac-
quittal of the doctor. The members
who are backing Representative Miller
in his fight declare this result is in a
large measure due to his efforts. A
number of patients of the specialist
came to Des Moines to give their
testimony before the board in his be.
half. The elaborate system of quar-.
antine laws provided by the board in
pursuance of its absolute authority has
come in for much castigation by Rep
resentative Miller and he declares II
the rules were fully enforced the state
would be soon impoverished Miller's
charge against the board of health.
which is attracting most attention and
which he threatens to have inyesti.
gated by the legislature. relates to
the alleged abuse of Its power in Its
efforts to take away from school
teacher at Charlton her right to teach
because she is suspected of being
victim of tuberculosis. notwithstand.
ing the fact, he claims. that the
l