Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1910-08-17
STATE NEWS ITEMS.
Special Correspondent at Des MOines
Writes Interesting Letter.
ROOSEVELT IN DEs MONIES
Suicide Clause i'm Insurance Poll
cies, Railway Statistics, Bank
DepOsitOrs' Protection and
Other Items of Gem
eral Interest.

Des Moines, Ia, Aug. 16:-Ad-
Visibility of abolishing the suicide
restriction clause in life insuraH
policies is being discussed here "
prospective members of the legis-
lature visiting the capitol. In some
states this is abolished, Missouri
for instance. In policies sold in
Iowa there is clause that no bene-
fits shall go to the beneficiary in
case the insured commits suicide
within one year from the date of
taking out the policy. The Missouri
law makes this clause absolutely
void regardless of it being agreed to
by the insured, unless it can be
proven by the insurance company
that suicide was contemplated at
the time the policy was taken out.
Those who advocate having the
clause abolished urge that the pre-
sumption is no man will commit
. suicide If in good health as is ne
cessary when he secures his policy,
as the first instinct of nature is self
preservation. 1t is claimed that un-
der this clause many policies are
unpaid by companies in cases where
mystery surrounds the death. In
other words 1t is felt by many that
the burden should be placed on the
insurance companies to prove man
intended to defraud the company
by killing himself.
The Iowa Board of Railroad COM
missioners has just received some
interesting advance statistics re-
garding railway property and em-
ployes of the country from the In
terstate Commerce Commission at
Washington. This shows that
there is a total single track mileage
IN the United States of 236,86S
miles, an increase over the next
preceding year of 3,215 miles. The
total cost of employees on the
payrolls of the steam railroads of
the country was during the last
fiscal year S1,502,S23. an increase
of $66,54S over the previous year
and an average of $63S to each 100
miles. The par value of the railroad
property of the country was $17,-
4S7, 7,S6S,930. OF this amount $13,,
11,867,773 was outstanding in the
hands of the public representing
capitalization of $59,259 per mile
of line. OF the total capital out
standing there existed in the form
Of stocks $7,6S3,27S,545. OF this
stock $6,31S,2S2.4S was common
and $1,467,S96,060 was preferred.
The remainder, $9,S01, $50, repre-
sents funded Indebtedness. OF the
total capital stock outstanding $2,-
766,104,4 400 paid no dividends. The
amount of dividends declared dur
ing the year was 1921, ,071,626. be-
ing equivalent to 6.53 on dividend
paying stock. The number of pas
sengers carried was S91, ,472,425,
an increase of 1,462,S51 over the
preceding year. The number of tons
of freight carried was 1,556,559,-
TAI, an increase of 23,577,951 tons
over the preceding year. The aver
age receipts per passenger per mile
was 1928 cents and the average
receipt for freight per ton per mile
9.763 cents.
The Iowa Board of Railway Com
misioners is receiving statewide
commentator for the suit 1t has
started before the interstate COM
merce commission demanding a re-
adjustment of freight rates in
Iowa. In this suit the board makes
demands for regulations that will
mean hundreds and thousands of
dollars to Iowa shippers If secured.
DR.. Geo. M. Chapel, director of
the Iowa Weather and Crop Service
bureau has computed the deficiency
of rain this year as compared with
last year. The rain we didn't get
since January /, he says. If all as
sembled would make a lake twenty
five feet deep, eight miles wide and
200 miles long.
Preliminary programs for the
meeting of the Iowa State Teachers
Association in Des Moines in No
vember have just been issued. On
the evening of Friday, November
4, Hon. Theodore Roosevelt Is an
nounced as the principal speaker.
The new coliseum in Des Moines
has yet never had a crowd large
enough to fill it. 1t is expected