Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1915-10-21
Change Parole Ruling.

Important changes in rules with re-
gard to handling convicts have been
announced by the state board of pa.
role.
In the future prisoners will be con.
sidered for parole within six menths
Of the time of entering the pri7on.
Under the old rule prisoner was re-
quirsd to serve nine months before
being eligible to a parole.
The board in the future will con
duct six terms each year instead of
four. They will be held in February.
April, June, August, October and De-
cember. The purpose OF the change
Is TO get more prompt action on merl.
torious eases and to enable the state
agents to secure Jobs for the men with
less delay.
The average wage received during
August by paroled prisoners was
s34.91 for the month. Other prisoners
earned $45.76 each for the month.
The total earnings OF paroled prison
ers for August was $7.1is.s1.
State Gets Help from Railroad.
The state has perfected an arrange
ment with the Des Moines Western
railroad whereby the state takes over
some $4,000 square feet OF land north
of the right of way OF this road be-
tween East Seventh and Eleventh
streets and the railroad gets in ex-
change about $4,000 square feet of
land lying to the south of the tracks
and some 10000 square feet in va
Gated streets and alleys. The land
is at the south border of the capitol
extension tract. The road has enter
ed an agreement to raise its tracks to
grade and do other necessary grading
in this tract. The road also agrees
not to erect any warehouses which
will interfere with the view of the
capitol grounds in this area.
Telephone and Telegraph Taxes.
w. Fl. Williams of the state audi
tors office, has just finished tabulat-
ing the figures on the taxable value
Of the property OF the telephone and
telegraph companies of Iowa. Tho
state executive council increased the
taxable value OF the properties in Iowa
almost half a million dollars this
year. In 1914 the taxable value of
the telephone and telegraph proper
ties in this state was $4,700,1S7 and
in 1915 it was s5,132.327. These prop
critics are more extensive in Potta-
wattamie county than in any other
county in the state. In that county
their taxable value Is $162.252. In
Woodbury. county the taxable value
of these properties is s150,647; in Polk
county $140,S00. and in Linn sS3,3S3.
Teachers Get Better Pay.
School boards in Iowa who have
been inclined to pay niggardly sal
aries are being made to live up to the
new law which fixes the minimum
wage on a basis of the grades a
teacher has received in the state ex-
aminations and her certificate. This
law has resulted in better wages to
school teachers in those districts
where the pay has been small.
The scarcity of teachers, noticeable
before the fall schools opened, is not
apparent now, the state superintend-
ent's Office says, and the schools OF
the state are all supplied with teach
ers in so far as the state officials
are informed.
Many Drug Victims at Knoxville.
Victims Of the drug habit are more
numerous now at the hospital for In
ebriates at Knoxville than for some
time, say members of the state board
of control who recently visited that
institution. It seems that many OF
the drug fiends laid in supply OF
drugs" before the Harrison law took
effect and that this supply has been
exhausted. There are now 17s in
mates at Knoxville, whereas the av-
erage for the past two years has been
ia.
Prison Farm Profitable.
Fort Madison penitentiary farm,
operated by honor prisoners. has pro-
duced $70,s16 since 1912, according to
a report made to the state board OF
control by Warden ]. C. Sanders. The
prisoners earned a total of $135,S16
and were paid $4,000 wages. Milk
was the chief product since the honor
system was invoked, the 1875 cows
producing 5S5,115 pounds valued at
s19,292.
Find Much undeiivered Mail.
Fifty-four pieces of mail, some of
them dated In 1885 and 1883, were
found by workmen when they were
tearing out the fixtures OF the legis-
lative postoffice at the capitol. The
mail had slipped into spaces between
the boxes and dropped out OF sight.
The letters and cards were turned
over to the postoffice authorities and
were sent to their various destina-
tions.
Must Keep Insurance Funds Here.
Emory H. English. state insurance
commissioner. states that the Iowa
laws governing insurance companies
do not permit them to invest any of
their funds in bonds of any foreign
country. Therefore. 1t will not be
possible for any of the local concerns
to take up any of the English-French
notes. he says.
Distribute Many Fish.
Nearly million fish have been