Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-03-11
HEAD OF ANTl.TAX REVISION
LOBBY NOT WORKING FOR
STATE SOCIETY.
COMMITTEE TO CONTINUE
INVESTIGATION REGARDLESS
Edwin II. Hunter, Attorney Jones and
Others to Testify-Opposition to Bill
Creating Trust Companies Succeeds
in Having Measure Sent Back to
Committee for Revision,

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines, March 11-Pretty soon
| they'll be singing in the corrid ors.
anent the embarrassment of the COM
mittee on retrenchment and reform:
Has ANYBODY here seen Johnson
That elusive individual appears to
have suddenly had business elsewhere
their fate With the legislature. The
other day Representative Stokes, of
Plymouth, had entered in the house
jour NAL the following statement:
This general assembly is being
flooded with petitions which come in
answer to circulars issued by one j. w.
Johnson, who connects the Iowa State
Grange with the opposition to tax
commission of the state. In these cir
culars are Measurements and misrep-
reservations of fact. l am a member
of the grange. Mr.. Johnson is not
connected with this organization and
does not represent il in any wise. The
grange does not use methods which
this man employs The grange stands
for the building up of the interests of
the farmers by all proper and lawful
means. IL SldnuS LOT equal treatment
to all and special privileges to nome
The committee on retrenchment ami
reform intend that all the facts shall
be brought out whether they find John
son or not.
Edwin H Hunter has promised to
come before the committee today and
tell what he knows. if anything, of
the fight against the tax reform. At
torney l. T. Jones will also tell what
he knows.
Investigation is also to be made into
the manner of securing publication in
widely scattered parts of the state OF
statements. as news matter. said TO be
contrary to the facts regarding the tax
bill.
Senator Clarkson made it so warm
for the advocates Of the bill to au-
thorize creation of trust com panies in
Iowa that it had to go back to a COM
mittee for revamping. Senator Clark
son has advanced views on matters ~
this kind, so advanced in fact that his
opponents were tempted to hurl a
charge against him of bordering on So
cialism He placed his opposition Oh
the broadest possible ground-that as
matter of fact in the framing OF
the constitution and in all our legis-
lation in this country great care had
been taken to SO provide that the title
of property should not be continued
Indefinitely in one line or person, and
to get just as far away as possible from
the old English idea Of perpetuity Of
rights in property. Now, he pointed
out, under cover Of this law as to trust
corporations it is proposed to pro-
vide way by which the ownership Of
property may be tied up in one place
forever. OF course it was replied that
it is done in other states and with
good results. But the DeWof bill TO
authorize organization of trust COM
panies in Iowa was sent back to the
committee rather than to risk defeat.
The senate will undoubtedly get a
chance again at the Cowles bill to re-
quire that where bonds are required of
any official in county. city or else
where, the body that requires the bond
shall pay for the same. The state pays
for some of it's bonds and in many
cities this is done.
Newspaper reporters will have to sit
up and take notice If the Weber bill
becomes a law forbidding lying about
banks. A fine of $1,000 or a year in
Jail awaits any one who shall "wilfully
and maliciously make, circulate or
transmit to another or others any
statement, rumor, or suggestion, untrue
in fact, written, printed. or by word
of mouth, which is indirectly or by in
ference derogatory to the financial con-
dition or affects the solvency or fnan
c!a! standing ~ any hank savings