Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1914-08-04
WILL PRESERVE IOWA LAKES
Change in Sentiment Toward Drain
age Manifest.
WILL GRANT NO MORE PERMITS
Legislature VIII ne Asked 90 Pass
Law to Encourage Their Use
~ Reservoir and Game
Preserves.
(From staff Correspondent

DES MONIES. Ia, Aug. 2.--(Special.)--
That complete change OF the attitude
OF the state toward the remaining lakes
Of Iowa il ahead IL now certain. II
has been forced upon the people by the
few very dry seasons that have prevailed
and by the completeness with which
drainage has been accomplished in the
northern part of the state.
The present state administration has
been especially conslderste OF the lake
question The control OF the lakes -
In the hands OF the executive council.
The present executive council has not
ordered the drainage OF single lake
where there has been the slightest OPP
position or any indication u protest. One
little lake In northern Iowa, which wGs
but a marshy pond, was ordered drained
and the land sold; but 1t was the uuRni-
nous opinion OF all persons that II was
worthless as a lake. The council in un-
dertalxinE to carry out the orders OF a
previous council let a contract to COM
plete the drainage OF one lake, and there
was such protest that the council can
celed the contract. But there seems
20 be no way Of resembling tho Previous
order and the lake has already been
partially drained, The council provided
for a considerable fund 60 aid in dredg-
Ing another lake and as to several where
efforts have been made TO secure drain
age the council has refused TO act.
The fact Is, that Il 10 the belief OF
tho present state administration that
under no circumstances should there be
any more drainage OF any OF the lakes
that may. BY any possibility, be made
use Of as lakes. OF that might be valu-
able for game preserves or that could
be OF service a. reservoirs for water
to aid In STAYING off the drouth. I'm
doubtedly a strong recommendation 70 the
legislature will be made along this line.
Organise for Prohibition work.
The various associations In the state
Interested in temperance work have been
very active lately and are engaged in
organising local associations 20 carry on
the work. In the past there has been
little attention paid to this work In the
dry counties OF the state; but with the
enforcement OF the webb-Kenyon federal
law, which makes II easier TO enforce
prohibition. organizations are formed 10
see TO Il that there Ia no violation OF the
state laws At Manchester In Delaware
strong temperate organization with cap
ital stock of 5000, prepared 70 fight
the illegal sale OF booze. II comprises
q number OF the leading business men OF
the town and county. The plan OF In
cooperating these associations and rails
ing fund with which to do business
seems to be highly IN favor, and II 10
found to be effective.
pest of Flies fan Iowa.
Information as 20 a remarkable situa-
ton with regard to ny pest in south
eastern Iowa has reached here. 1t seems
there has been an invasion OF great
swarms OF the Mormon fly ut Burlington
and Fort Madison and elsewhere They
arrived In an immense swarm at
| Burlington, but died very quickly.
The merchants were compelled practically
TO close their stores while the flies were
at their worst. But Later the greatest
danger came upon the city by reason
OF the decayinH heaps Of insects. The
street department in Burlington swept
up and hauled away sixteen wagon loads
OF the insects, but this represents but
a small part Of the whole and tho decay
ing insects cause great annoyance
Reports frOm Grain E1eIda.
Reports from tho fields OF southern
iowa, where much OF the threAhing Of
small grain has been done. are decidedly
encouraging for good times In Iowa the
next year. A sample OF what the fields
have been doing Ia reported from Jeffer-
son county. where record was secured
from fifty-four threshings. From these
It was computed that the average yield OF
rye. on the farms reported. was twenty
one bushels TO tho acre; the average Yield
OF wheat per acre was thirty and one
fourth bushels; tho average yield OF oats
per acre was forty-flve bushels. These
arc unusually high yields in Iowa and
indicate that the crop this year will be
above the average In quantity. The
quality II also said TO be very good. One
field OF oats threshed out over seventy
bushels 10 the acre and some OF the
wheat fields went as high as thirty bush
! els 10 the AGRA