Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-02-06
SENATOR GIBSON TO PRESENT
BILL TO PROTECT CITIZENS
FROM SWINDLERS.
SAYS MILLIONS ARE
LOST EVERY YEAR
Under Present Law Land May Be Sold
to Which Seller. Has No Title and
Swindler Can Not Be Punished
Treasurer Brown Would Convert
Auto Fund Into Bonus For Roads.

Des Moines, Feb. 6.--F'rauds amount
ing to millions of dollars annually in
land deals would be checked by law
which will be proposed in the general
assembly by Senator B. j. Gibson, Of
Corning.
Iowa now has no statute providing
for criminal prosecution Of persons
who defraud others in the sale or
lands, the senator says. This has en-
abled INSCRIPTIONS real estate men to
clean up millions of dollars annually
by the sale of lands they do not own,
he declares.
When swindled, victim can only
reply by civil suit. IT,: is an I'M
certain and lengthy remedy.
Proposed Law.
The law proposed by the Corning
senator Is similar to an Ohio statute.
1t reads:
Whoever. with intent to defraud,
knowingly sells or conveys land or an
interest therein, without having title
to it either in law or equity, by de-
scent, devise, written contract or deed
of conveyance, shall be imprisoned in
the penitentiary not less than one year
nor more than seven years.
In Iowa, under the present law,
person selling personal property which
Goes not belong to him. may be pros
ecuted and sent to the penitentiary, but
person selling land which does not
exist, or to which he has no title, can
escape without any penalty whatever,
attorneys say.
In some parts Of Iowa there are
rings Of real estate men who operate
independently, putting thru fraudulent
land deals, Senator Gibson says.
Most of the land frauds are in the
sale of lands outside of Iowa to Iowa
purchasers, the senator says. Senator
Gibson says that the bill he proposes
will benefit the honest agent, and pro-
vide for punishment of the dishonest
dealer.
Auto Funds and Roads.
w. C. Brown, treasurer of state, rec
ommends that the present methods OF
distributing the automobile fund among
the counties according to the number
of civil townships be changed. He says
the funds should be used as a bonus
for the construction of good roads.
However, Il this can not be done,
he urges that the legislature distribute
the auto fund in the future either ac-
cording to population, area, or by the
amount paid in from each county.
The state treasurer urges that in
the future all appropriations be for
stated periods only. On this subject.
he says:
Il believe that the legislature should
make such appropriations as it thinks
necessary for the proper support of the
state government for a period of two
years and no more. Appropriations
that are payable annually hereafter
become cumulative in operation. Under
such a system the members of the leg
islature, other than those upon the APP
preparation committee, rarely if ever,
know what the appropria lions for
many purposes aggregate. The amount
appropriated in such a case Is an
amount in addition to existing annual
appropriations of which the members
probably have no knowledge when the
appropriation bill is being voted upon.
The members should have an oppor-
tunity to know what the amount APP
propriated to any purpose aggregates,
and under the present system that is
possible only when the members are
careful to inform themselves as to
what amount has been appropriated
for the same purpose by preceding
legislatures"
Jones May Not Be Confirmed.
That confirmation OF the appoint
ment Of Senator f. F. Jones, of VIII
lisca, to the state board of education
will be permitted to die under the linn
itation clause covering such appoint
ments is indicated at the state house.
The provision Of the law is that all
appointments made by the governor to
the board of education must be con-
firmed by the senate within thirty days
after the legislature has convened.
The thirty days on the Jones ap-
pointment will be up in two days
Thursday, Feb. 8. If an executive ses-
sion is not called and the approval of
al appointment put to vote before