Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-03-06

and they are almost prohibited rom
making ice cream under the Iowa law
which requires at least II per cent or
butter fat to come up to the standard
In some states the percentage requlr-
ed is as low as s. but in most of the
states surrounding Iowa it is IA, which
Is also the standard set by the govern
ment under the federal pure food law.
Power Concerns Seek Right.
The senate substitute for the Head
bill in regard to transmission lines for
electric current and the granting or
the right to eminent domain for such
lines, was debated short time yester-
day in the senate before adjournment.
The bill places the matter in the hands
Of the district court, which may, upon
written petition and after proper no
tice, grant to an individual or corpora
ton. in any place outside city or
town, the right to put up poles and
wires for transmission Of electric cur
rents across and over public lands and
streams and across private lands.
The court shall fix the compensation
to be paid to the private land owner for
such a right Of way.
At highway crossings notices shall be
put up of danger because Of the electric
currents and the wires shall be placed
high.
In case of injury to persons because
gence shall be presumed on the part or
the operating company.
If the bill passes both houses 1t will
enable companies like the keokuk dam
company and others to send their wires
across the state and to transmit power
to all parts of the state 1t is thought
best to provide that these lines should
go across fields rather than along
highways as being less dangerous to
the public. Mr.. Head explained the bill
at length but a vote was not reached
on Tuesday in the senate.
Clarke Wants More Room.
Governor Clarke is deeply interested
in the project to have the state erect
an office building, which seems very
necessary, and to make a start in the
matter of the purchase of sufficient
ground around the capitol to afford a
proper setting for the building and for
all other state buildings and for num-
erous memorials and monuments. In
view Of the fact that the state has no
ready money for the improvements ac-
tually needed it is proposed that
millage tax Of very small amounts be
provided, one which will bring about
100000 a year for year or two and
later a much smaller sum for several
years. and that this be placed in the
hands of the executive council to be
used in erection of the office building
and buying the cheap land needed by
the state. In this way the problem can
be worked out very easily. Unless this
is done it will soon be that the state
is renting lare amount OF floor space
and subjecting itself to loss and waste
from improper facilities for the trans
action Of business.
The house has received favorable
report on a bill which provides that
where an effort has been made to Sc
cure saloon license and it has failed
another effort cannot be made for five
years. At present a petition may be
circulated once each year. The argu-
ment for the longer time is that it Is
the same as that of the life Of a petit
ton and if it is right to have a wet
territory undisturbed for five years 1t
is right to have it left alone as dry
territory for like time