Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1911-12-29
LIABILITY COMMISSION MEETS
Have AvaiIed Experience Of Other
State Boards That Have Gone
Over Ground Recently.

Have Avaiied Experience Of othe
state Boards That Have Gone
Over Ground Recently.
Des Moines.-The Employers liza
bility commission met at the state
house this week for its tenth session
The last five meetings were in Chi
cago in connection with the confer
ence of other states and the sessions
of the United States commission
Awaiting itself of the experience o.
other boards that have been ovel
the ground recently, especially in II
linois and Wisconsin, the Iowa com
mission followed from the start meth
DDS which have made the gathering
of statistics unusually successful.
Compared with Illinois, the Iowa
commission has reports that show as
three to one 1t was hardly thought
at first the field could be SO complete
ly covered, but the Iowa manufacture
ers, big and little, and their employees,
have cooperated faithfully in giving
in reports of industrial accidents,
medical expenses, damages paid, set
Elements without litigation and pro-
portions covered by liability insur'
ance.
Secretary Given says while great
majority of the employers and en-
ployes reporting, favor replacing the
old liability law with the compensa-
ton principle, few commit themselves
to any particular plan. Many Say it
will not do to copy the plan of any
other state and that new adjust
ment must be made to meet the con-
ditions in Iowa. Nearly thousand
firms and corporations have reported
and many more reports are expected
after Jan. 1.
Explains New Automobile Law.
Secretary Hayward has issued
pamphlet containing synopsis of the
new automobile tax law and showing
its important features. He is send
ing copies to every sheriff and coun.
ty attorney in the state. He calls
particular attention to the following
section of the law, as many peace Of
ficers have held that public highway
did not include city streets:
Section 2 of the motor vehicle
law provides that the term owner
shall include any person, firm, asso-
citation or corporation renting a mo-
tor vehicle or having the exclusive
use thereof, under a lease or other
wise, for . period greater than thir-
ty days.
The term public highways shall
include any highway, country road,
state road, public street, avenue, al
ley, park, parkway or public place in
any county, city, town or village, ex-
cept any speedway which may be ex-
pressly set apart by law for the ex-
elusive use Of horses and light carri-
ages.
THE term local authorities shall
include all officers of counties, cities
of towns, as well as all boards, COM
mittees and other public officials c.
such counties, cities or towns"
HuIe IN favcF OF BANKS.
Government bonds held by state
and sa, ;ngs b-nks must be deducted
from tn valle Of III property
sought 70 be assessed. This is the
ruling of the supreme court in the
case of the Dos ,Nloines National
bank against the city of Des Moines
Citing the Home Savings bank case
the court says: Prom whatever point
the subject be viewed, the govern
ment bonds held by state and savings
banks must be deducted from the
value of the property to be assessed.
The power to tax share of stock in
national banks can only be done pro-
vided that such taxation shall not be
at greater rate than is assessed up
on other monied capital in the hands
of individual citizens of such states"
Talked Insurance.
At meeting of the members of
the Employers Liability commission
at the state house this week, Secre-
tary Given gave some interesting
statistics which he secured from the
labor unions and the manufacturers
of Iowa relative to the number of
persons injured in different lines of
work, to present to the commission.
The commission will set dates for
four or five hearings to be held in
different cities of the state. These
hearings will be for the public, and
and in fact, everyone
interested will be invited to appear.
and give suggestions to be incorpor.
ated in the bill proposed for submits
sion before the next general assem-
bly,.
Coal Operators Association.
e. c.. Smith OF Des Moines was re.
elesed president of the Iowa Coal
Operators association at the annual
here this week. P. H. Wa
terman of Hiteman was named vice
president to succeed David Dining
of Cedar Rapids. j. B. Ryan of Col
fax was chosen as OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
to succeed E. NJ. Gray of Des
Moines. Members of the board of d.
rectors were chosen as follows: First
district, Daniel Cushing of Rathbun,
to succeed L. l.. Ludwig; Second dis