Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1914-10-23

END had the following article concern.
ing the passage Of the capitol exten.
sion bill. Read tit is good republi.
can authority-and see if it does not
more than corroborate all that the
Plain Dealer or Mr.. McWilliams have
charged concerning the stealthy pas
sage of the capitol extension bill de.
Tended by Governor Clark and voted
Tor by Representative Elwood.
''Stung for ten millions will be the YER
dict of the people when they learn just
what was done by tthe legislature in
the way of enlarging the state capitol
grounds. Up to this time we have
never seen a correct account of just
what happened. In fact it is not like.
ly dozen members of the legislature
could tell just what was done.
According to the records, the legis-
lature authorized debt of over two
millions to the end that the state may
purchase about twenty blocks :of oc-
cupied. grounds around the present
capitol grounds. A direct levy Of half
mill was ordered for the next two
years on all taxable property of the
state. This will yield a revenue of
about ss5O,OOO. An additional levy to
raise the net sum of $3.50, 900 annually
for the succeeding eight years also was
ordered. Not only this, but the exec
utive was directed to issue certificates
against the levy to cover the entire
amount as the same may be needed,
the certificates to bear five per cent in.
terest till paid. The constitution pro.
hibits any state indebtedness, except
for war and defense. in excess of $3.50, !.
900, but by some process possibly le-
gal, the legislature has saddled a two
million dollar debt opon the people, to
be paid off within ten years.
One of the strange things ABOUT this
is the fact that the Legislature had no
official statements as to the value Of
the lands in question. Newspaper re-
porters placed the possible expense at
two million dollars as the extreme lin
it while some said that it would not
cost as much. But nobody knows what
it will cost. The legislative fact is
that debt of over So, 600, 600 has been
ordered. Of course not more than that
sum can be expended, but the work
once begun, where and when will it
end, is the question now being asked
by members who opposed the bill, as
we'll as the cold feet fellows who voted
for it and now wish they had not. The
best argument that can be used against
the measure is the apparent fact that
if the bill could have been voted upon
two days after its passage, it could not
have commanded forty votes in the
house.
A we'll known citizen of Iowa, now
residing temporarily in Des Moines,
a former state senator, and we'll post.
ed in state affairs, says that the two
million is but beginning. He says
that the greater Des Moines boosters
who backed this affair, have plans in.
volving new capitol structure, and he
predicts that within twenty years the
state will have expended $25, 900, 600 on
the new capitol grounds and buildings.
This same authority says that when
the people read the next morning of
this action of the legislature. the ask.
ing price of every piece of land in the
tract went up hundred percent. An
instance is told where a real estate
firm had lot of this property listed by
the owners to be sold. In the after.
noon of the day when the bill passed
both houses, this firm closed up options
in the name of their stenographers and
clerks for all the lands for which they
were agents, thus insuring to them.
selves the profits of advanced values.
A member of the house said that early
in the session he had an offer of some
lots just east of the capitol on an option
basis, with the suggestion that if the
state ordered the lots purchased, there
would be fine profit. He said that
while he could have made nice profit,
and on the face of things could have
made clear record by voting agains,
the bill, as he did, still he thought il
hardly proper to make the investment.
The Des Moines papers give Curator
Harlan of the state historical depart.
ment credit for conducting the plan Of
the campaign for the capitol grount
extension, but he had manv willing
helpers. The Des Moines inflence, al
ways powerful in legislative matters
left no stone unturned to carry tn,
bill, They knew it could not stand tn,
state wide discussion which would fol
low extended consideration, 80 the bill
was held out till near the end of tn,
session. 1t came from the commit te,
on appropriations. as committee bill
and was never printed as bills usual!