Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1910-07-06

.icHt lOi plSSIuSHl. Dry SdUiSIl Will
not be an issue in Iowa if the demo-
Gratis can prevent it. The concensus
of opinion here now seems to be
that the liquor question will be en-
tirely ignored in the platform. 1t
IS known an effort is being made
to get democrats to endorse a local
option law, but with present pros
poets democratic leaders here are of
the opinion it is judicious to let the
liquor and temperance people fight
their own battle outside of party
politics.
Frank S. Shankland, progressive
candidate for the legislature from
Polk county, has taken decided
stand for radically amending the
present primary law which is prov
ing so Objectionable because of in
equity in many respects Mr..
Shankland says:
II am in favor of amending the
primary laws and especially that
feature of the same which provides
for the nomination of the district
judges by the convention. If the
judicial districts of the state which
.embrace more than one county are
opposed to the nomination of the
district judges by the direct pri-
mary, would favor a law authoriz-
ing judicial districts embracing but
one county to nominate their can
didates for district Judge at the pri-
maries. This would relieve Polk
county of the unpleasant situation
in which she now finds herself in
the matter of choosing candidates
for district judges.
"The date for holding the pri-
maries should also be changed. The
primaries are now held at a season
Of the year when it is very incon-
venient for many of the voters of
the state to be at the polls. The
primaries should also be held on
Monday instead of Tuesday as it
would then give thousands of trav-
pling men an opportunity to vote
without remaining at home and los
Ing one day extra.
II believe that there should also
be some method of selecting candi-
dates for delegates to the county
convention so that the voters could
have something to say about who
should represent them in the county
conventions. One plan would be to
require the precinct committeeman
to properly announce the time and
place of holding caucus for the
selection of delegates to the county
convention. Two sets of delegates
might be selected at the caucus and
their names voted upon at the pri-
maries. There may be other and
better methods, but this would be
one way of accomplishing the pur-
pose"
The Iowa executive council will
meet at the state house July II for
the purpose of fixing the valuation
on railroad. express and telegraph
properties in the state. All of the
public service corporations will be
represented by their attorneys and
a showing, will be made to induce
the council not to raise the present
valuations. for it is claimed they
are now higher than justified. How
ever, it is not likely the corporations
will expect or ask that they be re-
duced. Railway attorneys in Des
MOines claim that under the admin
istratiOn of Governor A. B. Cum
Minis valuations were pushed alb
normally high and they will make
a showing to the executive council
this year that the returns on rail-
road investments have during the
past year fallen off materially and
considering the returns the property
does not warrant the high taxable
value now fixed upon it. 1t is
claimed by them that receipts have
diminished and profits grown small
because of the continued agitation
against freight rates and railroad
management generally.
Disruption among the coal oper-
ators of Iowa is threatened because
of the proceedings instituted before
the Iowa Railroad Commissioners by
operators in the First district to
have Iowa coal rates reduced. Just
before the taking of testimony was
closed coal operators in Polk and
Jasper counties and every operator
in Oskaloosa filed a protest with the
Commission against disturbing To-
cal rates. The operators of District
No. wanted the change to enable
them to get better rate out of a
remote territory. The reduced rate.
however. would not benefit other
Iowa operators and, as 1t was shown
to the commission, would at the
same time lower the rate for Illinois
mine operators so they could COM
pete cheaper against Iowa operators
generally.