Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-12-31
IMMENSE suslNEss TRANS.
ACTED At STATE HOUSE DUR
ING TWELVE MONTHS.
IOWA LEADS IN CONDUCT
OF BUSINESS AFFAIRS
No Delay, Leakage, Waste or Graft
Automobile Fees and Taxes Alone
Run Over Million Mars-sserstary,
Treasurer and Auditor Handle Bulk
Of STATES Business.

Special to Times-Repubican.
Des Moines, Dec. Sit has been q
million dollar year at the state house.
More business has been done than ever
before
The distinguishing feature Of state
affairs in Iowa 10 that Iowa, perhaps
more than any other state Of the union.
has it's business all done ON q strictly
business basis. There Is no graft, no
leakage, no waste, no scattering money
about without adequate returns. Re-
suit Of q number Of years persistence
in having all the affairs Of the state
brought down to q basis where every
cent can be accounted for every bill
can be seen and every expense de-
Tended, has resulted in situation that
can safely be compared to that Of any
and every other state Of the union.
This year the automobile fees and
taxes alone run up to over a million
dollars. Last evening the total was
1891, 900. and more coming. Before to-
day is over the aggregate will be over
a million dollars. And practically every
dollar Of this goes back to the counties
to be made use Of in connection with
highways.
The big business offices Of the state
are those of the secretary, auditor and
treasurer. All have had an enormous
}n oil ~
them, as elsewhere at the state house
insisted upon.
Fee Collections Large.
Aside from the big business In auto
mobile fees. Secretary w. 8. Aliens
Office has collected over 3218,453 in
general fees. So this Office handled
practically million and a quarter for
the state. Yet twelve years ago the
Office collected only $4,000 for the
state. The business has been well dis
posed Of, too, and practically from this
time on for the first time the auto
mobile business will be kept right up
to date ana numbers issued as fast as
fees are received. The corporation
business has been enormously in
creased, and especially the blue sky
and other laws are entailing q vast
amount Of extra labor.
Treasurer w. C. Browns Office has
been equally weighted down with work
this year. For instance, in December
the office collected $20,133 in collateral
inheritance taxes and for the year over
$2s6.140. This is but one of the activi-
ties of this Office. but 1t represents
great care and diligence on behalf Of
the state.
State Auditor John L. Bleakly has
had busy year in his office. For in.
stance the insurance fees for the year
amounted to $4,000 an din the munici-
pal accounting department over $1,000.
Insura nee taxes run up into the hun
dreds Of thousands. all turned over to
the state. and bank fees ard examina-
tons are heavy. The newly created
county accounting bureau has already
examined about thirty-fve counties Of
the state and Is going right along with
this big work. The total Of securities
on file with the auditor Of state has in
creased by about four millions this
year and is now about $4,000. 900. The
handling Of these securities is a deli
cate task.
othsr Business Large.
Then there is the state superinten-
dents Office, which has handled up
wards Of 10000 certificates. The de-
partment rendered legal opinions on
Interpretation Of the school laws in
1884 cases and wrote about 5000 let
tiers.
The office of railroad commissioner
has been one Of the busiest; in fact, it
has spread out all over the state house,
and Is doing an enormous business in
the interest of the shippers and con-
sumers Of the state.
The work of the state executive
council. Of which the governor is chair
man. 10 a growing and important one.
Thousands Of bills pass thru Its hands
yearly. and its work In connection with
corporations. lake beds, capitol grounds
and other SUBJECTS. entails a vast
amount Of hard work. all of which
counts for the good Of the state.
The office Of attorney general has
been one Of the busiest, for 1t has been
a year Of big cases. The supreme
court has also had hard year of It.
Commissioners Barneys department has
been one Of the most active and in
spection for weights. pure foods, pure
drugs, etc, has been very active.