Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1916-02-03
WILL TEST DRUC[AW
Pharmacy Commission Will Ac-
cept Merchants Challenge.
PEDOLERs MAY BE BARRED
Law Prohibits Sale Of Drugs Contain
ing Alcohol or Poison by Others
Than Registered Druggists
Question Legality Of Act.

/
| commission will accept the challenge
of the Iowa Retail Merchants associa-
| ton to go into the courts with a test
case to determine whether the state
can compel grocers and merchants
other than druggists to cease selling
medicines containing alcohol or pro-
ducts containing poison.
The situation is rather unusual, the
state officials say. If the state wins in
the proposed test case. the medicine
vendors who go through the state with
covered wagons will be forced out of
business. The state pharmacy COM
mission receives 1913 900 a year as IL
cense fees from these peddlers. If the
law in question Is valid, the commits
sion will have no power to continue to
license the vendors.
The retail merchants have been
vexed at the pharmacy commission
for some months over the order given
to grocers to cease selling proprie.
tary medicines and other products
containing alcohol or poison.
There was time when the phar-
macy commission was proud of the
| amount of fees that board turned in
annually to the state treasury. But
since the automobile department has
been collecting between one and two
millions each year, the collections Of
other state departments have appear
| ed small.
Tho thonru an u,hinh hn
may be put out of business is that
the state cannot license peddlers to
sell medicines and poisons, when re-
tail merchants other than druggists
cannot sell the same things.
The peddlers sell millions of doll
lars worth OF medicines each year in
this state.
Wants Stock Protection.
tuberculosis could be eradicated in
cattle and hogs IL some provision were
made by the legislature requiring the
testing Of all suspected herds and
providing for payment by the state
for animals killed, in the opinion of
DR.. j. |. Gibson. state veterinarian. AS
it is Iowa is losing $3000,0 900 year
in lower prices paid for hogs because
packers are paying on an average of
10 per cent below full market price
for the porkers due to the common
prevalence of tuberculosis
Experience at the packing houses
has shown that considerable per
cent of hogs are affected by tubercu-
lcsis and on an average the prices
paid are Is per cent lower than is
paid for hogs in prime condition.
Few Fair improvements This Year.
The state fair association may not
be able to do much in 1916 in the
way of improving the fair grounds. 1t
Is said. The members of the board
already have pledged themselves per-
sonally for big sum which was used
in improvements last year. II is prob
able that only absolutely necessary
things will be given attention this
season.
The "old MILL an attraction to be
added to the amusement section Of
the fair grounds, will be constructed
by private capital. The association
will share in the receipts of the de-
vice. The roller coaster. used In 1915
for the first time, is said to have
proved good investment for the as
ISOLATION as we'll as the builders.
Abandon Prospecting at Knoxville.
The state board of control has not
found sufficient coal on the farm at
Knoxville at the inebriate asylum to
pay for sinking shaft, members of
the board report During the early
fall considerable prospecting was
done at Knoxville and some pockets
OF coal were found, but no deposit Of
any extent.
The board is now prospecting for
coal ct the Flynn farm. II coal is
found there in sufficient quantities
to pay to sink shaft the board may
establish brick and tile plant there.
Since contract labor at the prisons
has been done away with the board
must find other work for the men to
do.
Allen Has "commissionv Problem.
W. 8. Allen, secretary of state, re-
ceived letter from an honest Iowa
farmer wanting to know If he had to
get license to sell his own beef and
hogs. "That is a commentary on the
increase in number of commissions"
said Mr.. Allen. Eve are being COM
missioned to death. 1t has gotten SO
that farmer hesitates to sell his own
beef and hogs without asking permis-
sion of the state government"
Denies Flaw In Amendment. 49,
Attorney General Cosson states that
in his opinion John B. Hammond is
wrong in his contention that there is
an error in the constitutional amend
ment passed by the last legislature.
He does not believe there is any flaw
which would render 1t invalid
Hammond contends that the amend
ment is wrong because 1t states that
It is to amend section rs. article /.
of the constitution, and that this par
ticular section is not part of the
constitution owing to the ruling Of
the supreme court.
May Ask New Insurance Laws.
Charges that number Of mutual
hail insurance companies doing bust
ness in the state are collecting too
much for salaries and other expenses
and that only comparatively small
amount of the assessments get back
to the policyholders are being made
to the state insurance commissioner.
1t is probable that bill will be in
troduced into the next legislature i'm