Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1913-10-09
PRISON CONTRACTS
BOARD OF CONTROL is FORCED
TO ACTION AS RESULT OF
LEGISLATIVE FAILURE.
WILL GRANT SHORT PERIODS ONLY
agreements Extending Beyond Time
OF Assembling of Next Session Of
State Legislature Are Not Looked
Upon With Very Much Favor.

Des Moines.-The failure of the
legislature last winter to appropriate
money for the creation of industries
at the Fort Madison prison likely
VIII result in the renewal of the con-
tract OF the Iowa Farming Tool com
pany with the board of control for
the employment of prisoners One
OF the first things the board will do
when Gov. George w. Clarke names
third member will be to confer with
the governor on that question.
Il don't see how we can evade re-
newing the contract for a short time"
Senator A. M. McColl, member OF the
board, said. IF we don't do II there
will be nothing for these men to do"
IL the tool company refuses to re-
new the contract for a period no
longer than necessary to give the
next legislature opportunity to pro
vide money for new industries Sena-
tor McColl win oppose new con-
tract.
ut would be better for the prison
ers to be idle than have a seven or
eight year contract signed" he said
Il am unwilling to enter into any
agreement that will be for a longer
time than until the next legislature
meets"
The tool contract expires in three
months. The company officials are
getting anxious to know whether they
are to get the use Of prisoners for a
time longer than jan /. They have
proposed to take over the chair con-
tract and use the men in the tool fac
tory. Senator McColl is not sure
that such change would be a good
one. The chair contract does not ex-
2ire until Jan. 1, 1917. An agitation
for the state to operate the chair fac
tory when the contract expires has
been started The goods made would
be sold only to state institutions.
1t will be necessary for the board
to take action soon. Representatives,
Of the company have called at the
state house recently to press their
cause.
Those who presented bills in the
legislature last winter for the aboli-
ton of the contract labor system de-
clared that II would take four or FIVE
years to create industries to employ
prisoners now doing contract work.
They did not demand that renewal OF
contracts be prohibited, but they did
insist that new industries be built
up before the system was abandoned
before the contract is renewed we
want to talk the matter over with the
governor" Senator McColl said.
Mining Congress Delegates.
Ten delegates to the sixteenth an.
nual session of the American Mining
congress were appointed by Governor
Clarke. The meeting is to be held in
Philadelphia Oct. 20-24.
These men were selected
E. c. Smith, president Iowa Coal
Operators association, Des MONIES;
Jack Lewis, miners board member,
District 4, United Mine Workers OF
America, Boone; T. F. Breen, general
manager Cardiff Gypsum Plaster COM
pany, Fort Dodge; p. p. Reece, general
superintendent Indiana Consolidated
Coal company, Melcher; w. H. Rogers,
president District Is, United Mine
Workers of America. Abba; A. J. Err
skine, superintendent Phillaps Coal
company, Ottumwa; w. G. Hodge, SUI
perintendent Hooking Coal company,
Hooking; Alex Carr, miner Hooking;
ID In W
Hollow Coal company, Avery; H. W.
Seaman, Clinton.
sprinkiing System at Capitol.
The executive council has asked for
bids upon a proposed automatic
sprinkIing system which will be IN
stalled over the senate chamber at
the state house. The council wishes
to guard against REPETITION Of the
disastrous fire of 1904 which damag-
ed the north wing Of the capitol to the
extent of s15O,000. The south wing,
or the senate side, is largely OF wood
en- construction A network OF pipes
will be installed in the ceiling. The
heat of a fire will melt the solder in
numerous holes all through the pipes
and in case of blaze the entire
chamber would be flooded with water.
Weights and Measures.
The coal company OF Iowa that
sends out short weight loads will find
itself in trouble with the state dairy
nd
Van Duyn, superintendent OF weights
and measures, finds out about II. The
state department makes practice OF
weighing loads of coal when such
thing is least expected.
New Rule Producing Results.
A new rule passed by the state
pharmacy board and announced in the
newspapers recently which makes
pharmacists liable to suspension for
intoxication is already producing re-
suits, according to Harry e. Eaton,
secretary to the board. Requests for
an investigation OF druggists have
come In from score OF Iowa towns
already. II win be impossible for the
commission to investigate all of the
cases for some time yet.
Mason City officials believe that the
board meant to include theater en-
ployes as well as druggists according
to letter received from w. e, Miller.
superintendent Of public safety. Mr.
Miller believes that an accident in the
Cecil theater on September 18th
which resulted in the death OF one
man may have been caused by an en-
ploye under the influence Of drugs.
He claims that the drug known as
Herein" was used. The commission
only has the power to investigate with
view to finding the party who sells
the drug