Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-12-15
issued in cities and counties. and is !.

follows:
n Licenses or cestifcates OF authorit,
to engage In any occupation or busy
ness or to perfornysany act Issued UNI
der Authority Of Shy state, county or
municipal enactment, as well as appli'
cations or returns therefor are no
subject to tax. *Sueh instruments IN
clude marriage licenses. automobile IL
censes. liquor dealers Licences, certi-
ficates of authority to insurance COM
panies and agents and orher Similar
documents. Any previous rulings In
conflict herewith are hereby revoked"
80 ,A w..
| A chance is good for. a try 4outJ of
a knotty question in Buchanan county
over the termination Of the term of
office of an appointive county official.
The county auditor, who was elected
to succeed himself. has died since cleo
ton, and the board having authority
to make the appointment has chosen
a man to fill the vacancy. A majority
|of the board will change politics when
new officials come in Jan. next. The
man now selected probably would not
| be the choice OF the board as 1t Will
| be cons tituted when the next term
commences.
!. The state legal department has ruled
/ that the appointment continue only
until the end Of the present term, and
a new vacancy will appear Jan. next.
The county attorney has advised that
! the person just appointed holds the
! office until the election two years
hence Now what will the newly elected
board do in January?
It is probable that the question will
| be so raised that the supreme court
will have to determine the point. Au-
! thorities are cited for both positions
/ and the constitution Is not as clear on
| the subject as might seem at first
reading.
| There will be q larger sale of the
Red Cross seals this year than usual.
The tuberculosis department has had
calls for them from more cities ard
towns of Iowa than ever before and
the sale Is said to be going well. The
proceeds from these Red Cross seals go
to the tuberculosis work, chiefly in
Iowa, a small percentage going to the
national association. No part Of the
proceeds go to the relief work in Eu-
rope. Recently there has been some
advice given from reliable quarters that
contributors to the Red Cross funds
tributed shall be used for really aiding
the war, as for instance hospital work
with the armies and feeding prisoners.
But the proceeds from the sale of seals
does not leave the United States.
An inquiry to the office of attorney
general the other day brought out the
fact that there is no provision in the
Iowa law for the payment Of compen-
sation to judges of election. The in
quiry was as to the rate Of compen-
sation. But there is nothing in the
law that they shall be paid. The only
way they have been paid is that they
are in the rural districts, either town
ship trustees In fact or temporarily so,
and receive the pay Of trustees
The governor has received an in
quiry from officials in Arizona regard
ing prison farms, which indicates that
already Iowa has the repute among
the states as having taken a decided
forward step in the prison reform. The
quesuoner desires to be informed as
to the Iowa prison farm. its size and
management, etc. OF course he will
have to be informed that the farm has
not yet been opened for operation and
details are lacking. The questions are
for the purpose Of enlightenment be-
cause Of the fact that Arizona Is go
! ing to establish such a farm.
| Iowans who attended the national
! convention OF insurance commissioners
| in New York have just returned. This
includes Commissioner English and
Commissioner Garst. It was strictly
| business session. The convention got
| into a controversy over approval of a
plan for closer supervision OF fire in
surance rates as proposed by COM
mfttee headed by the Wisconsin COM
missioner. The eastern men took a
| conservative view and opposed legisla-
ton giving commissioners power to
| supervise rates. A large part OF the
program. however. was adopted.
The convention approved OF having
| the valuation OF securities decided for
next year as the value June 30 last
| instead OF the close of the year. be-
cause Of the closing OF the stock ex
! changes. The convention refused to
back up on group insurance and will
continue to oppose II. A bill for uni
form law as to mutual fire companies
was approved. also recommendation
| for legislation permitting q board au-
| tomobile insurance policy.
The committee on appraisement OF
! the remaining Impoverished properties
in the capitol grounds extension will
| probably have little to do when it
meets next Monday. More than half
| OF the recalcitrant property owners
I have already come in and made terms
| on their properties rather than risk
having jury pass on the value of the
property. It Is possible there will be
only four or five properties to view.
The railroad commission has set July
% for the argument on the Council
Bluffs union station case.
The testimony was taken last week
as to the need OF a union station and
the conditions surrounding the traffic.
The commission will have to decide
first as to whether the law Is broad
enough to cover case of the kind
| presented, whether the meeting Of the
| railroads Is in fact such crossing and
Intersection as meant by the law to
give the commission Jurisdiction. It
will then have to decide as to whether
4 the law was meant to cover situations
| like the one at Council Bluffs.
Judge Henderson, commerce counsel,
4 is preparing the argument In associa-
! ton with others. and the argument
promises to be interesting as raising
ques tons that are Of interest in many
parts Of the state.