Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-06-03
DIFFICULT TASK 70 aELEcT L..
sRARiEs ron INMATES OF
STATE INSTITUTIONS.
STORIES MUST HAVE MORAL
TONE AND LEND WELL"
institutional Heads Listsn to Discus
sion Of Library Work by Experts
First Step to Force State Fair Ex.
eursion Rates on Railroads.
Special to Times Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moinea, June Books for in
mates Of state institutions, especially
for the insane and prisoners, must END
WELL" Selection of library for state
institution is a different thing from
selecting a library for normal readers,
for an institution library is not only to
be instructive and entertaining but
helpful to the readers. At state hospi-
tails the nurse is an important factor
in the utilization of library.
These and many other interesting
facts were brought out at the quarterly
state conference at the state house to-
day where the heads of state institu-
tons met to confer with each other and
the board of control
Miss NJ. E. Carey, of the Minnesota
public library commission, called at
tention to the fact that selection OF
books for the prisoners is difficult be-
cause of the isolation of the prisoners
For insane readers, a book should be
interesting attractive, free from dis
turbing topics and must "end we'll" But
the cooperation of the nurse is essen
tial if the library Is to be of use at a
hospital. for her influence over the
patient is great.
Miss Julia A. Robinson, supervising
librarian for Iowa institutions. said
that inasmuch as the object of the in
stitutional libraries is to furnish not
only recreation and instruction but
mental and moral healing, great care
is necessary to exclude those books
which would be harmful and to include
only the helpful ones for the different
classes of readers in the different inst!-
tutions. There must be attractive read
ing rooms to get the best out of the
Libraries.
Miss Florence Curtis. of Illinois, re-
lated facts regarding the difficulties in
the way of making proper selection
of books for a prison library.
There is no city Of the state where
Memorial Day is more given over to
religious observance Of the letter and
spirit of the occasion than in keokuk.
So Dr. A. E. Kepford declares. He
spoke to 5000 people and declares that
in his twenty years on the platform he
never had finer or more attentive
audience.
"Keokuk is a historic city" he said.
IT never so fully realized its wealth OF
associations as this time on my visit
on Memorial Day. The hotel where
STAYED was a hospital during the war
and so was another hotel still used
They have a national cemetery there
and the exercises were held there. The
stores and business houss all closed
There We're no sports or amusementss..
The whole city, observed the day. Five
hundred school children had part and
sang patriotic songs. A pathetic and
interesting touch was given by the fact
that when the marching column
reached the cemetery gate an old con-
federate soldier ii full uniform met and
greeted them and went on in to attend
the exercises and the eleven graves of
confederates were duly decorated along
with the hundreds Of graves of the
union soldiers. But the feature that in
terested me most was the fact that the
entire city participated 1t was les
son for other cities OF the state"
The first step in trying out the law
to determine whether or not the state
of Iowa has ability to compel railroads
to make reduced excursion rates for
the benefit of the large agricultural
population Of the state DESTROYS of at
tending the state fair, has just been
taken by the preparation of formal
petition on the part Of the state board
of agriculture asking the railroad COM
mission to order the rates. The board
had previously applied for reduction OF
rates to the fair and this was refused
The next step is to take 1t before the
railroad commission and to secure
formal order. The commission will
set an early date for. a hearing on the
merits Of the case. The legislature
passed special law. at the instance
of the farmer members. to clothe the
commission with power to order the
rates. The petition asks for the same
excursion rates as formerly given and
such as are given in other states to
events Of even less Importance.
Prof. O. H. Benson, of the national
| bureau of education, is to be at the
Wright county educational conference
at Clarion today: also State Superin-
tendent A. NJ. Deyoe and other promi-
nent educators. The, conference is for
the purpose of considering general ed
ucational matters and. especially the
advantages of new legislation.
.
There are seventX-six medica! sehooi
graduates engaged in taking examina .
lions before DR.. Sumner, secretary Oh
the state board Of examiners. for GER
.ificates emitting them to practice the
art Of healing in Iowa.
The state railroad commission goes
Thursday to Dubuque to near case
involving the rates or classihcation VI.
excelsior bolts the claim being mace
that Iowa manufacturers of excelsior
ore discriminated against in favor OF
those of other states and are at as
advantage. The Dubuque complainants
came to Des Moines to present the''