Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-02-23
AN IOWA LAND SHOW.
fDayenport Democrat

There are land shows and land shows.
All Of them SO far held have kept one
purpose in view. and that has been to
make the visitors disconnected When
they pay their admission fee, If there
be one, which there usually Is they be-
gin to look around. They And samples
and exhibits, not from home and the
state they live In. but from a distance
Whether the fruits. grains. and vege-
tables on display were ever grown as
represented Is usually matter OF
speculation. They are there and the
tags tell story of soil with wonderful
fertility. What has been done anybody
can do. All that is necessary Is to buy
q few acres of that land and then go
out and pick the apples and dig the po-
tatoes There are always buyers in line
waiting to hand out checks. That Is
rot the description OF the, land show
Iowa ought to hold. Supppse Arizona
and Florida, California and Oregon are
left to look out for themselves for once,
and that outsiders are called to Iowa
to see just what is being done. Barring
lemons. bananas. cotton, sunflowers and
few other things about everything that
makes for the happiness and health OF
man is grown between the Mississippi
and Missouri rivers. A collection Of
J samples has never been brought to-
| gether except at the state fair and then
! in small way. Suppose we had un-
der one roof and without any charge
for entering the best products grown in
every county, with typogra phical map
OF the state showing the rivers. the
elevations, the levels. and all that such
q map is intended to show. There
would be q tempting attraction for
1owans and for all who visit lowe.
There would be for examination q mod
ern agricultural college, with exhibits
not only of the dairy and the farm and
garden, but of all the scientific methods
which have taken the place Of grand
fathers ideas of farming. There is
literally no end to the variety that
could be crowded into such a show.
And once organized wonder would be
aroused that 80 much Of quality and
necessity is grown right at home. For
such an exhibition as Is here roughly
outlined the state could properly meet
the expenses. or at least large part
Of them. But the affairs held at Chica-
90. Omaha, and elsewhere are simply
advertising booms for the promoters OF
colonization schemes somewhere out Of
sight with nothing to speak for them
but over colored literature and inter-
esting agents whose art is getting the
victims money and then going to new
pastures.
KNOCKING OUT TAX FERRETs
dubuque Telegraph Herald.l
Both houses OF the Iowa legislature
have voted to do away with the ta1
) ferret. Heretofore cities. towns and
counties have been free to employ
ferrets on a commission basis, paying
them IL per cent OF the taxes paid
in Is result Of the information sup.
piled by them.
The ferrets have been successful n
} adding hundreds Of thousands OF dol.
lars to the tax receipts OF the coun.
ties employing them. In Dubuque
. county alone, where the surface wa
hardly scratched, upwards Of 31o0,00l
} has been collected.
| The man who has his all invested
In his homo never has complained
) against the tax ferret. Neither hal
} the man whose practice has been. and
IL. to make honest return OF his pos
sessions to the aesessorp The on1!
: complaint against the tax ferret l1ai
: arisen from those who felt the hal
ter draw, and who are concerned no
with how to deal Justly with the state
which - their neighbors, but with Ii,
. problem Of how to ''beGf" the state
i Iiii. .;zsS., "::::::a charges -s.s ~ IN
! terest fixed high enough to cove
taxes. or part Of the taxes. collect
tho interest but seeks to avoid pay
lment Of the taxes. In other words.eI