Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-05-31
SPREAD OF SWINE PLAGUE
LARGELY AIDED " GREAT
FLocks OF Birds.
REASON WHY LEGISLATURE
AUTHORIZED A BOUNTY
Board Of Animal Industry Favors
Strict Quarantine Regulations
Against Infected pistriets-Uss Of
Serum Ineffective Without Rsstrie.
tive Measurss.
'pecial to Times Republican.

4 Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines. May 31.-The spread Of
the swine plague and consequent enor-
nous loss to Iowa farmers is due more
| to the plain black crows than to any
other one cause. Remedy: Kill the
/, crows. or put up effective scarecrows.
| It was because Of this fact that the
Legislature authorized q bounty on
crows. The hope was that the small
boy with his gun would single out the
crows for targets. The complaint is
that the crows go in great focks
| across the state. stopping here ana
there and generally in feed lots OF the
farmers to gather the grain and at
times to feed on carrion. They take
the cholera germs from one place 70
another. and that is why 1t appears
mysteriously at places far remote from
any known affection.
| II DR.. James l. Gibson, state veter-
marian, and the board Of animal In
dustry, have their way, there VIII be
great deal done in the way of effecting
quarantine as means OF prevention
of the spread of hog cholera. How to
|
I OF quarantine rules is big problem;
hut It must be done If there is to be
effective fight against the epidemic.
DIR. Gibson believes there is very
little use in fighting the hog cholera
with serum and virus unless there IS
] also quarantine. When there are cpl
denies in the human family due 10
CONTAGIOUS germs quarantine in the
most effective way is the first thing
thought of. No doctor fights smallpox
by simply using the virus and RENEE
dies. He would be sharply criticized
for doing this and neglecting quaran
tine. So. also. it is declared that the
first essential in the war on hog choi-
era, which is fever due to a germ
easily carried, is to establish quar-
antine.
But somebody is due for an i'm
portant and money saving discovery
as to how to prevent the black crows
from breaking the quarantine.
| Reuben Gold Thwaites, curator OF
the historical collections for the state
of Wisconsin, in letter to the state
auditor asking for some recent re-
ports of the state auditor, enclosed
memorandum indicating that WILSON,
sin has in its historical collection cop
les of the reports of the iowa state au-
ditor since 1860. In regard to many
other Of the state documents Of Iowa
the Wisconsin collection is said to be
| equally good. In fact Wisconsin mas
collection thatSi is as good as anything
in Iowa in regard to these matters. IL
would be impossible now to supply
many Of the older documents OF the
state for any purpose.
| The grave of Alexander Scott. who
once owned the ground on which the
state capitol of Iowa Is located. viii
be included in the park that the state
Of Iowa is to establish about the state
house. In. time there will be fine
monument erected to his memory.
| So
| legislative committee on retrench-
ment and reform meets again at the
state house next week to hear reports
! from the expert accountants as to in
vestigation of accounts in the various
state Offices and to consider the needs
of the state in regard to subordinates.
| The accountants have never made a
complete report on their investigation
into accounting methods for the vari-
Gus departments. They made report
on the board of agriculture and recon-
mendations which we're found to be OF
no use. 1t Is expected they will be able
to present some suggestions of value
in regard to the state Offices.
No report was ever made, either, on
the matter Of the operations of the
lobby at the last session of the leg1s-
lature.
| While the members Of the committee
are here next week 1t is planned they
shall make personal investigation Into
the work Of the various Offices and
hold conferences with the heads Of de-
partments to find out the exact situa-
ton as to the need Of clerical assist
ance. There have been SO many new
duties added and such a shifting of the
work that it will require much care to
see that no work il sighted and yet
no work is wasted. State officials have
asked members of the committee to
take up this mater personally with
them.
! Whether the committee will be able
to give the relief to some Of the de-
partments that IL needed is apparently
an open question. Several departments
were left in very bad shape by the leg
tslature with insufficient help and con-
sequent probable loss Of revenues, but
an effort Is to be made to effect rem
edy for this.
The state board Of parole, at its re-
cent session, not only disposed Of all
the parole cases that had been set for
consideration at this time but went
over the whole list and investigated as
to any that have been before considered
and thai might now be properly re-
opened. I'm .other words the board
cleared the docket Of everything in
sight.
An erroneous impression has been
given out by reason Of the fact OF
action on fty-six cases This does
not mean strictly that fifty six convicts
were ordered released before their
time; rather that the board has fixed
time for the termination Of that many
indeterminate sentences. That Is part
OF, the system. The courts do not fix
time for ending Of sentences now The
| ~AeraolA