Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1911-08-01
REFUSE TO TESTIFY.
will State officers Take Witness
Stand is tho Question
CLAIMED COUNCIL oERELIc1
Members Of the Executive Council
May Claim Prerooative When
Frank G. Pierce Brings
His Suit.


Dies Moines.-The projected suit
Of the Iowa League of Municipalities
against Governor Carroll, Secretary
Of State Hayward, Auditor Of State
Bleakly and Treasurer OF State Nor.
row to compel them. % members OF
the executive council, to assess prop.
erty on it's actual value. may be
rather embarrassing for tho members
of the executive council, according
to Information vouchsafed by mem.
bers of the league.
1t is claimed BY the latter that
every member of the executive coun.
Gil has admitted that the state law
requiring that the actual value of
the property be taken as basis for
assessments. has been violated by
the executive council. 1t Is, also
claimed by members Of the league
that when informed of the intention
of the league to bring the suits, mem
bers of the council stated that they
would claim their constitutional priv
ilege and refuse to testify ON the
ground that their testimony would
tend to incriminate themselves.
II. as is claimed, the council has
been derelict in its duty In the mat
ter Of properly assessing property.
then the members Of the council
cannot very we'll 60 on the witness
stand under oath and give testimony
to this effect without pleading guilty
to the charge Of violating the state
laws.
Rigid Quarantine Laws Demanded.
Sanitary regulations Of tho strict.
est kind will be provided for in the
new rules and regulations which the
state animal health commission is
preparing to promvlgate in the near
future. Quarantine laws affecting the
Importation Of live stock into the
state will also b passed by the com.
mission.
One Of the most important sub
jects which is receiving the atten-
ten Of the commission 10 the distri.
button by packing houses Of refuse
hogs. These concerns have . habit
Of distributing their refuse hoEs over
the state, with the result that there
is always more or less hog cholera
in Iowa. Regulations prohibiting this
practice will be passed BY the com
mission.
County Fairs Must Pay Their Taxes.
County fairs which have been get
ting exemptions from taxation, while
using the fair grounds and buildings
for pecuniary profit, are in danger Of
losing all the benefits Of that exemp
ton as the result of an opinion Civ.
en- by the attorney generals Office
The ruling is to the effect that any
county agricultural society which
leases or uses its grounds and build.
ings for pecuniary' profit, cannot be
exempted from taxation under the
exemption laws of Iowa.
The state law provides that libra,
ries, agricultural societies and sew.
eral other organizations shall be OK.
empt from taxation under certain
conditions.
Mahannah Starts on Job.
Fred T. Mahanna, state high school
inspector in charge Of the establish,
ment of normal training courses in
high schools under the provisions Of
the Adams law, has started on .
statewide inspection Of the schools
which have made application for the
establishment Of the normal training
course.
The time is very short to put into
operation forty-one normal training
courses and have them ready for the
opening Of school. The legislature
is blamed because it failed to make
the law effective on publication In.
stead of July 4th.
Commissioners Clark Coming.
Hon. Edgar e. Clark, q member o.
the interstate commerce commission
Is expected in Iowa this week to as.
sist in the Investigations which are
being made Of alleged violations. by
the railroads. Of the federal sixteen
hour and nine-hour laws. The in
vestigations are being conducted BY
State Labor Commissioner Van
Duyn and United States Labor Ag
ent w. B. Archer.
Tax Commission Meets.
The state tax commission met q,
the state house to consider plans
for gathering data and statistics for
its report to the Thirty-i1fth General
Assembly. The commission has not
yet appointed q secretary, but is ex
pected to do 90 in the near future
Professor Brindley of the State uni
versity is said to be tho most likely
candidate for the place.
New Iowa Corporations.
Iowa Savings bank, Douds Leando;
capita1 stock $4,000,