Omaha daily bee., 1915-07-03
Iowa
DIES MONIES men WRATHY
Merchants Sue for Injunction
Against the City Water Com
psny's Move.
METERS AT sPRINK1ING PLANTS
(From a staff Correspondent.)

prevent the Des Moines Water company
placing large water meters at all sta
tionery sprinkling plants in the city used
for fire protection. The company some
time ago gave notice to business houses
that meters would be installed to measure
the water used in their fire protection
pipes and to prevent any use OF water
for purposes other than stated
The cost Of each meter for the property
owner would be about $3.50. The business
men declared II was merely holdup for
revenue and went to court.
Towns should Govern Themselves.
The question of infringement on the
part of the state upon local government
in Iowa cities and towns was the sub
ject of forceful discussion by Frank
J.. Dawley, president of the State Bar
association, in his annual address to that
body at their recent meeting at Fort
Dodge. He presented the view that
purely local matters should be controlled
by local government and that this at
taches to the towns and cities as a right.
at the last session of the legislature
hill was introduced for the restoration
TO the cities and towns of Iowa a few
OF the immemorial liberties and free Gus
toms of local self-government of which
they have been deprived" explained Mr..
Dawiey. That this should be necessary
Is another proof that eternal vigilance is
the prize of liberty. The request was
denied there being no barons with
swords. or commons with bows aud ar
rows, 20 enforce It. Through the love
Of arbitrary power and a habit of tin
kering with everything, the legislatures
of this country have assumed absolute
authority over all the activities of cities
and towns. whether pertaining to mat
ters of general public interest or local
affairs belonging only to the cities and
towns themselves. In this they have been
assisted by politicians from the cities.
with axes to grind, and upheld by the
compliance and acquiesence of the courts
which naturally have hesitated to declare
statutes unconstitutional and very few
of which seem to have investigated the
true origin of municipal corporations
A large part OF the responsibility for
the general view that such corporations
are mere creatures of the state. subject
70 it's every within, rests with the courts,
which have generally failed to observe
the historical fact that communities of
people known as towns ana villages
originated before state governments and
independently Of them. and possessed
and exercised rights and powers not de-
rived from the state, but inherent in the
very nature of our system of govern
ment.
After discussing this question to some
length MIR Dawley concluded that 'If
the rule of our cities and towns have no
powers except such are expressly
granted Is too fairly established in this
state to be set aside by the court, then
the cities and towns are entitled to have
the bill proposed at the last session, or
similar one, enacted into law"
The doings of the town councils in
Iowa will hereafter be published offici-
ally in the newspapers at legal rates.
This law will go into effect on July 9TH
and thereafter Iowa people will have
The opportunity of watching the doinRs
of their city fathers more closely than
ever before. There has been a law to
the effect that such proceedings should
be printed on order of the council, but
this did not secure the publicity intended
SO the last legislature amended the law
making 1t compulsory. All of the pro-
ceedings must be printed including the
list OF claims allowed and showing from
what FUNDS they were appropriated.
Chairman of Board of Control.
Tho Board of Control was organized
at meeting held today and w. ]. Dixon
of Sac City was made chairman of the
board. The matter of letting coal con-
tracts for 10000 tons Of coal for state
institutions was given consideration, but
the contracts will probably not be
awarded for a few days. Contracts for
the medical group of buildings at the
state epileptic colony at Woodward will
be let July II.
Consider the Lindsey Case.
The Board of Parole has been consider
ing the case Of Earl Lindsey OF Jasper
county. serving a life sentence for a
statutory crime. The case is one which
aroused a great deal OF discussion and
developed differences of opinion. The
parole board went into many matters
that are not shown in the record OF the
trial and reported to the governor. Lind
sey Is the man who, at the time OF his
incarceration, was making good Roadway
IN aeronautics and who since he has been
In prison turned his skill and genius in
useful way by supervising the making
OF the motor cars at Fort Madison.
Iowa Railroad Business Good.
All of the principal railroad companies
operating in Iowa show a prosperous
business in their reports TO the state
executive council for the year ending De-
cember 81, 1914. The digest of the re-
ports has Just been compiled by f. A.
Swan, assistant secretary of the council.
The only roads which report a loss are
the small roads. The report covers the
Iowa business Of these roads only.
The gross earnings OF all of the steam
roads operating in Iowa were s. 900 900
greater than the gross earnings in the
year preceding. and the net earnings were
100000 greater than those of 1918. The
total gross earnings OF Iowa roads in
Iowa during the last year were $4,000,
compared to ss7,s5,OOO in 1913. The
total net earnings were S2S.092 600 in 1914.
rs compared to s2oess,OOO the year pre-
ceding
Iowa roads were able TO decrease their
operating expenses In the last year. The
total operating expenses for all of the
roads in the state were more than a
quarter of a million less than in 1913
TIE Cnicago & Northwestern leads in
ret earnings. showing 5000. 45S as their
net profits during the last year. The
Milwaukee shows net earnings to the