Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-01-18

tc0xn, C0f08 OF WOOD, acres OF ASHu
tons Of hay, bushels Of potatoes anc
loans Of money. l should not follow
the readers; should have joe
Chandler Harris Uncle Remus stor-
les, Earnest Thompson Seton's ami
NAL stories, Cooper's The Deerslayer
The Spy, The Pioneer, The Path
finder.
May I not suggest, also, that the
best thought of the day seems to
have reached the conclusion that pro-
vision ought to be made for district
agricultural and manual training
schools, including domestic science.
The distance from the public school
to the agricultural college is long
one, but if the school referred to
were found on the way for q period
Of training it would be of inestmable
value. l invite your serious consider
alton Of this question.
Office of School Treasurer Abolished.
I am advised that we now pay
school treasurers $175,0Oc annually.
! This is a needless waste OF the peo-
ple's money. The Office ought to be
abolished and provision made author.
king the county treasurer to pay all
warrants drawn on school funds.
/ Public Health.
! The preservation of the public
health is a matter Of the greatest i'm
portance. Thirty-two years have
passed since the law was enacted Gre
ating \ state board Of health. There
has been, little legislation since and
none that makes it possible for the
board to be a really efficient instru-
ment for the public good. In the be-
ginning 100000 was appropriated
annually and it has pever been IN
creased, but of this the secretary's
salary, $4,000 all the contingent
expenses of his office, the expenses OF
the board and all costs of printing
are paid. It is manifest that there
can be nothing of consequence lett TO
enable the board to meet the demands
made upon it by great state. There
have been epidemics of typhoid fever
and other scourges in the state, but
the board when called upon could do
nothing in the way of making inves-
Grations because it had no funds.
am advised that in one distinct there
are thirteen towns now known to
have impure water supply. In view
of the progress made by medical SCI
ence in the last ten years in the abll-
ity to detect the cause Of disease, in
view of the advance that has been
made in sanitary engineering with
reference to water supply and sew
age and garbage disposal and to the
end that prompt action may be taken
to prevent the spread Of communlca-
bile diseases and that there may be
prevention of the pollution Of water
supplies and to the end that better
sanitary conditions generally may be
brought about especially in our
towns, l suggest that there ought to
be. after careful consideration and
consultation with experts in sanitary
science, a rewriting Of the law re-
latinr to the whole subject and an
appropriation made commensurate
with the Importance Of it. While
talking about the conservation OF our
soil, forests, mines and water power,
we ought not to forget the necessity
Of conserving the lives and health OF
the people.
Hog Cholera.
Every few recurring years the state
In ravaged by hog cholera. Millions
Of dollars have been lost by this
seourge. 1t is estimated that fifteen
millions of dollars have been lost to
the farmers of the state during the
last year. The hog industry is one
of the greatest sources Of wealth
the state has. 1t is now claimed that
this is a preventable disease. 1t is
Of great public interest that the loss
of such vast sums be prevented. 1t
is doubtless beyond the power Of the
individual to protect himself. The
matter, therefore, becomes one of
public concern. l therefore urge upon
you to investigate the subject thor
oughly and enact such provisions and
make such an appropriation as in
your Judgment will afford relief.
Penitent' Reform.
The question OF reform in the
management of our penal instltu-
lions is one which for some time has
commanded the attention Of our peo-
pie. Personally, I am ready to say
that the contract labor system ought
to be abolished. It is a system OF
slavery. It is an exploitation of men
on the part Of the state for the ben
eft of contractor. It is taking hope
out of the lives of men and returning
them to society embittered against it.
It neither cares for the health, i'm
proves the morals nor has any ten
dency to reform the men but results
quite otherwise. 1t is an economic
absurdity. 1t is fine thing, how
ever, for the manufacturer to have
the state furnish him a plant fully
equipped with machinery, heat. light.