Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-01-16

ton for the erection Of woman'I
building upon the state fair grounds
to be used not only as an art build
ing, but as an auditorium for lecture!
and for other purposes tending to th'
promotion of the moral, social and in
tellectual advancement Of the people
of the state. In considering improve.
ments to be made, you should give
thoughtful consideration to this re-
quest. We should not overlook the
necessity and importance Of promot
ing the welfare and strengthening
the citizenship Of the state. The re-
quest for the erection Of woman's
building is with a view to accom-.
plishing these results, and l desire
to give it my hearty approval.
State Sheriff.
1t has been suggested that there is
need of a state official or officials
who, under the direction of the gov
ernor, could be sent into any part OF
the state to make investigation where
crime has been committed, and to as
sist the governor and the attorney
general in enforcing the laws. Sew
eral occasions have arisen during the
last year where such an official might
have accomplished great good and
some instances have arisen where be-
yond question his services would have
been of value to the state.
Arbitration of Disputes.
I want again to call your attention
to the necessity for the enactment Of
a law requiring disputes between
employer and employee to be submit
ted to arbitration before strike or
lock- out can be ordered. This matter
was called to the attention of the
Thirty-fourth session of the general
assembly, but the necessity for action
did not seem to impress itself upon
the members of that body. Since
then we have had a number of dis
putes of a more or less serious char
acter. In. some instances the dis
agreement arose over matters OF a
trivial nature, which ought to have
been adjusted without difficulty.
Law Enforcement.
In my inaugural address of four
years ago I stated that events that
had recently occurred had brought
forth a demand for law enforcement
and that the matters referred to had
reference to violations Of the liquor
statutes of the state.
The Thirty-third general assembly,
then in session, enacted what are
commonly known as the Cosson re-
moval statutes, which statutes, in my
opinion, have done much to bring
about a wholesome regard for all
laws of the state, and especially for
the liquor laws, so that feel war
ranted in saying that perhaps at no
time in the states history have these
laws been better observed than at
present. s...
From the Iowa Official Register
and from other sources it appears
that in September, 1908, saloons were
being operated in forty counties Of
the state and that there was total
of sixteen hundred and twelve in
operation. Recent statistics show
that there are at present only thirteen
counties where saloons generally ex-
list, that there is one county which
has saloons in two cities only and
nine counties which have saloons in
only one city each, while there are
seventy-six counties that have no sa-
looms at all and the total number in
the state is only seven hundred
thirty-one.
This shows the largest extent OF
"dry" territory and the smallest num-
Der of saloons for many years, If in
deed not at any time in the history
of the state since it attained to any
considerable size in population.
Public Utilities Commission.
Again I want to call your attention
to the need for better laws with ref
erence to, regulation and control Of
public utilities and to the creation Of
q public utilities commission. 1t is
not necessary to enter into lengthy
discussion Of this subject. That you
can find in my message of two years
ago. What I want to do here is to
urge that this question be taken up
early 50 that it cannot be said in the
closing hours Of the session that
"There is not sufficient time to prop
erly consider the matter" / would
recommend the Crist bill Of the last
session Of the general assembly as a
basis from which to work, making
any change therein that may be nee
essary to meet the conditions and re-
ouirements of our state. Let no man
offer the excuse that he opposed q
measure because it contained objec-
tionable features unless he can, in
good faith, show that he tried to
secure the elimination or modification
Of such provisions as do not meet
with his approval.
State Board of Education.