Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-01-12
Tho knoxxiIle lnatitution.

\ Tho Knoxville Institution.
4 III have given good deal OF thought
and conside Iteration to the hospital for
inebriates at Knoxville. and believe 1t
to be my duty to say to you that the
results accomplished there are far
from being satisfactory. have doubted
very much, the wisdom of continuing
the institution, and yet am not ready
to recommend that 1t be abolishe1 un-
less provision is made for caring for
some OF the inmates elsewhere. am,
however, convinced that as between
continuing the institution as 1t has
been run and abolishing it and using
the building and grounds for some
other state purposes, 1t would be wise
to abolish it. It has not been an entire
failure but 1t has not succeeded to that
degree that would justify its confirm.
ance under present methods. have
discussed the condition existing with
the present superintendent who took
| charge the first OF last October "a
| with members of the hoard of con*ro-
and believe we pretty generally aerr
that some radical changes should be
| made
At present there is great lack OF
ability upon the part of the superin-
tendent to enforce regulations and e.
inaugurate and enforce methods which
he believes to be necessary to accom-
plish the purpose for which the instv's
| ton was created, There Is absolusei.
no means of restraining large part OF
the men.
If they want to run away there is
nothing to prevent them from doing so.
During the last biennial period 229
men escaped, and it appears that since
the institution was established, jan
uary, 1906, out Of total number OF
2,105 new commitments nearly 700
have escaped and perhaps only about
225 We're returned.
Agricultural Appropriations.
There seems to be an increased de-
mand for short course, institute and
agricultural extension work. While
realizing that enthusiasts in these
lines may become extremists, am,
nevertheless convinced that If judi
iciously handled appropriations for
,, these purposes may be made I'M
mensely profitable. Our farmers are
beginning to appreciate the value OF
scientific methods.
wish, however, to suggest that the.
state board Of education through it's
finance committee has undertaken to
equitably determine about what ap
preparation is needed for agricultural
extension work. for engineering eX
tention work, for agricultural expert
ment station and for good roads, and
/ recommend that In determining the
amount to be appropriated for any OF
these purposes you give due considera-
ton to the various suggestions offered
by the board. 1t has undertaken to
determine what amount should be ap-
propriated for each Of the institutions
under it's control and. how the appro-
priation should be divided. The total
amount asked for during the biennial
, period being In excess OF 100000. 1t
is quite evident that II any undue
amount is appropriated for any OF the
purposes above suggested. It must IN
the judgment Of the board be at the
expense of other departments as 1t IS
wholly improbable that a larger
amount can be set aside for these
various institutions than has been
asked for by the board. iississ 9.fT
Direct Inheritance Tax.
I believe that the time has arrived
when the question of direct Inherit
ance tax should demand your most
serious consideration. 1t is not q ne"
thing in the affairs of states. Some OF
the older and more conservative COM
monwealths, as we'll as many CT the
newer ones. have laws providing for
the taxing of estates descending to
direct heirs. @ ss3
l recommend the enactment OF
direct inheritance tax Law not only as
a means of raising revenue but be-
cause believe 1t to be correct ineprin-
ciple. Already twenty states. VIZ
California. Colorado. Connecticut,
Idaho. Illinois. Louisiana, Massa
chusetts, Michigan, Minnesota. Mon
tana. Nebraska. New York. North
Carolina, Oregon, South Dakota, Titan,
Washington, West Virginia. Wisconsin
and Wyoming, have adopted direct In.
heritance tax laws. Each and all OF
these states, like our own, has col
lateral inheritance law also. It can
not therefore be said that our state is
either too old or too young to have
such law, or that the existence OF
any other statute should interfere.
+ CAUCUS APPOINTMENTS.