Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-12-23
PUBLIC FUNDS RAISED FOR
COUNTY BRIDGES BEING .
SPENT lAvisHLY.
PETTY GRAFT SUSPECTED
IN MANY IOWA COUNTIES
Two and ons.Haf Million Annual
Fund Regarded a. Good Picking BY
People Locking For Something on the
STANDARDIZATION Of Alleged Leaks
ProbabIs-Drussists to Renew Fight.
Special to Times Republican.

Special to Times-Republican.
Des Moines, Dec. 23.-Is there a leak
in the money till where the people OF
Iowa keep the W. and a half million
dollars tax collection for building coun-
|ty bridges? In the opinion of some
persons who have investigated there is
a leak and 1t is going to be possible
under the law to stop it.
There is a tradition among bridge
men that the most successful Of the
bridge building firms always d to
their bids a little extra which affords
them a fund out Of which to pay for
making smooth the way to easy con-
tracts, and that a few cigars, a good
Inner or two, and some other persuas-
i've incidentals, are useful in landing
good bridge contracts. Whether there
is any truth In the tradition has been
made the subject Of a more or less ex-
tended investigation the past year.
In one county. so it is stated. a letter
has been turned up in which the writer
tells a bidding firm. or it's representa-
tive, Of some preliminaries necessary
for securing bridge contracts. and
|tIlTOWS Oul lilklS VI $lOV uccOSu ucIS
and $3.50 there, and so on In another
instance there is evidence, which per-
haps would not be sufficient in court,
to show hat influential local politicians
expect some gratuities before contracts
are closed.
The two Inc a half million annua
fund is regarded as good picking for
hose who are looking for something on
the side. 1t is not probable hat the
system can be changed at once, but the
legislature nay be asked to tighten up
the law SO as to stop the big leaks.
Itinerant vendors Of drugs may be
put out Of business If the plans Of the
druggists are accepted by the legisla-
ture. These vendors now pay 500 a
year for III right to sell drugs, chiefly
peddling them out in the country, deal
ing either in a regular line of standard
patent medicines or having special lines
supplied by houses for that purpose.
In Illinois the druggists have succeeded
in having the cense increased to 800
a month, which puts them all out OF
business. There are about $50 Of them
in Iowa and because of the very large
increase in their numbers the fee col
lections this year Of the pharmacy de-
partment have been greatly increased.
But h druggists want this fee in
creased SO as to at least lessen the
number Of peddlers of drugs. Appar-
emily the doctors are not concerned
owe the matter.
The city Of Des Moines will probably
receive material assistance from rep
resentatives of the rural districts in
tho rn0Hvorooft TN have c1pnn 6afnita
regulation of the telephone business in
the state. President sykes, of the
Corn Belt Meat Producers Associa-
ton, which is all rural in character,
said before the recent meeting Of that
body:
There is urgent necessity for the
passage Of some avs relative to the
regulation and control of telephone
companies. At the present time the
state has practically no supervision of
handling us about as they please.
Competition is almost eliminated; the
great Iowa Telephone Company, COM
monty known as the Bell. has forced
almost every competitor out of busi-
ness in some way or other. and they
now have practically the entire field.
and are beginning to put the screws to
us, both in cost and in the kind Of SER
vice they give; so I think we should
urge upon the coming general assem-
bly, the necessity for proper laws reg
ulating and controlling this gigantic
trust"
In Des Moines there is much COM
planning just now. said to be due chief
ly to making changes in the system
as a part of the consolidation,