Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1917-07-19
Bugs important Since War.

the various species and in determin.
ing which are injurious and which
are beneficial to crops. He will OBJ
serve whether birds eat the beneficial
forms and if so, he will report the
fact to the agricultural department
and steps will be taken to check the
destruction of beneficial forms.
Every year, Professor Wickham
points out, insects destroy 100000, 900
worth of grain in the United States.
The corn root worm, form of BEETLE,
alone takes . per cent, or $4,000, 900,
from the corn crop. The total loss in
the corn crop is sSO,OOO,0OO, and for
wheat the annual loss is 500, zoo, 900,
The demand for full efficiency in
| crop production caused by the war
has strengthened remarkably the pos
ition of the insect expert. Formerly
many persons were wont to look upon
him as a harmless individual who
amused himself by counting the legs
and examining the wings of flies and
other insects. But since the war be-
gan his true worth has come to the
surface in the way of supplying in
formation on insects that prey on
crops.
H. F. Wickham, professor of ento-
mology at the State university, has
received calls from two bureaus of
the government toimake an exhaust
i've study of the large group of in
sects known as beetles. The bureau
OF biological survey and the bureau
of entomology are the two organiza-
tions that have asked him to do this
work. Several of Professor Wick.
hams former students are now in
the emplov of the government and
part of this years graduates will take
up the work this summer.
Railroads Present Their Case.
Receipts of railroads operating in
Iowa have decreased at Sthe rate of
S10,O0O,O00 annually in the first months
of this year while operating expenses
have jumped s56OOO,OOO annually.
Railroads fred this claim in their
opening gun before the state railroad
commission in the first hearing on
their request for Is per cent in
crease in Iowa freight rates.
l.. E. Wetting, chief statistician for
the railroads statistical bureau, Chi
cago, representing the nine roads op-
Grating in the state introduced the fig
ures.
He declared that operating income
for the first four months of the pres
ent year was s3,613, 1S74S less than
in the same four months of 1916.
Receipts for the first four months
OF 1917 were $40,174, 011.61, according
to Mr.. Wetting. Income for the same
period of 1916 totalled $43,7S7,199.O9.
If receipts fall off in the same pro.
portion for the remainder of the pres.
ent year, Mr.. Wetting claims the
total decrease will exceed $4,000, 900.
The Adamson law, he asserts, will
cause more than 100000 increase
in wages; other increases granted or
agreed upon, $9,340, 1851; and in
crease in cost OF fuel s13,277,546, 3d.
277,546.14.
Child Research Committee Appointed,
President ". A. Jessup Of the State
University has selected an advisory
board of seven members for the Iowa
child research station at the Univers.
ity. established at the last session of
the legislature. Plans are going for
ward fast for making the station of
service to the people of the state at
an early date.
Prof. c. E. Seashore, dean of the
graduate college, has been chosen to
bead the committee. The other mem
bers selected by President Jessup
are: DR.. l.. w. Dean head of the COL
lege of medicine; DIR. F. T. Breene.
head of the college of dentistry; Prof.
F. c. Ensign OF the department OF ed.
ucation; Director o. E. Klingaman OF
the extension division; Prof. Ruth A.
Wardall, head of the department of
home economics; and Prof. P. s.
Peirce OF the department of sociology.
Problem Of supnormai Child.
The problem of the development of
sub-normal children is not alone for
the teacher in the schools but for
the cities and the state. Prof. H. T..
Blackmar OF Ottumwa, told the su.
perintendents Of state Institutions un.
der the board of control at their con.
ference at the state house recently.
He advocated industrial schools in
the cities and Juvenile courts to deal
especially with their delinquencies.
DR.. George Mogridge, superintend-
ent OF the institution for feeble mind
ed children at GlenwoOd, in an ad.
Dress on training teachers for the
work OF teaching subnormal children.
said common sense should constitute
an important element. He said a
teacher who would undertake this
work should have primary training
and manual and industrial training.
Plan State ArmorIes.
The Building and Business Commit.
tee of the State Board of Education
at a meeting held at the State house
decided that the armories to be built
at Iowa City and Ames would be 800
feet in length and $50 feet broad.
This is as large as s125,OOO will pay
for. Bids for these new buildings viii,
be out soon.
Fix Value Of Camp Tract.
The state of Iowa has placed a val.
uation of $52,292,90 upon 3l7 ncrr,
Of land adjoining Camp Dodge which
will be taken over for military DUP
poses.
The foregoing sum will be distribut.
ed among eight landowners.
Sums to be awarded to land owners