Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-05-20
NEW LAW sEcoMIs EFFECTIVE
At ONCE, SAYS ATTORNEY
GENERAL
ONE MILL TAX MUST
sE. LEVIED THIS YEAR
Says Road Dragging supsrintsndents
Should es Named lmmsdiatsIy-
Township Trustee Can Not Be Road
supsrvisor-car surpIusass to Take
Place Of Car Shortage.
,ecial to rlmes-Republican..

Special to Times
Des Moines, May 20.-Road dragging
work commences in Iowa Immediately.
Those who were counting on having
one year Of nothing doing because they
Thought they had discovered conflict
in the law will be disappointed.
Attorney General Cosson. in a care
fully prepared decision, completed yes
terday. decides that there is to be no
cessation in the road dragging work for
quiries put to him 10y county officials
all over the state. He decides that:
The / mill township road dragging
tax must be levied this year and be
available for use in 1912
The township trustees ought to dis
trict the townships at once in regard
to road dragging.
Road dragging superintendent should
be appointed now and be got to work
mediately.
The pay tor road dragging this year
should come out of the regular road
funds the same as in the past few
years.
A township trustee can not hold the
office of supervisor of road dragging,
but one may be a road supervisor and
superintendent Of dragging at the same
time.
The township clerks ought to call
meetings OF the township trustees at
once to have the 1-mill tax levy made
for use next year.
The legislature plainly intended that
there should be no hiatus in the road
dragging business and the fact that it
was provided in the law that the trus-
tees should at their April meeting levy
the special road dragging tax. and the
law did not go into effect until five
days after that time, will not affect
the law. The bill made provision for
q special meeting to levy the tax and
this can be done now. AS for paying
Ffor the road dragging this year it can
be done just as in the past and before
any special mill levy was thought
OF. for road dragging is general road
and repair work and can be paid for
out Of the regular funds for road work
ing. In short It was the intent of the
legislature to have this work go right
along and a fair Interpretation OF the
new road dragging law will make this
|plain.
|. The car, shortage of less than two
years ago in Iowa will be converted
into AGAR surplusage OF alarming pro-
portions. according to the state rail-
road commission.
las have been out over the state
said Commissioner Ketchum, II have
observed that thesidings are filled with
empty and idle cars. The companies
do not know what to do with them.
Yet 1t has not been many months since
we were pounding these same COM
fspanies to compel them to get more cars
to carry on the business"
lsMr. Ketchum states that the corn
that Is in the country now is in the
hands Of farmers and not in the hands
Of the elevator companies. 1t is in cribs
on the farms and not at the stations.
Much Of this will be sent to European
markets soon and that will give en-
ployment for the cars.
John 8. Runnells, who has Just be-
come head Of the Pullman company,
lived for many years in Des Moines.
He is an Amherst College graduate and
in 1868 he became private secretary
to Governor Merrill. Then he became
United States district attorney, then
reporter of the Iowa supreme court
Prior to his removal to Chicago he was
the recognized head Of the old legisla-
tive lobby that controlled Iowa politics
for generation and he was regarded
as an invaluable cog in the old machine
which was known as "the regency
He went to Chicago to become attorney
for the Pullman company. In Iowa he
was famous as an after dinner orator
and as a man OF unusual culture and
polish.
The affairs of the state board Of
health are being kept very quiet but
there are rumors Of a general shake up
OF that mody. It is known that The
little matter OF the per diem Of the
members is not the chief cause Of the
friction which has caused the resigna-
ton Of two Of the leading members.
tOther resi9nattons are said to be due