Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1917-02-02

partment for the same time, amount.
ing to 69,536.O2, showing that the
state reaps a harest Of net profits from
its transactions with insurance COM
panies, reaching $1,14O,17S.91 in two
years, or $57O,OS9.45 each year. Mr..
English shows that life insurance
companies have on deposit in his de-
partment for the protection Of their
obligations to policy holders, total
of 1864, S34.20 in securities which is
a gain of more than $2O,00O,0OO since
the insurance department was created
as a separate state department in
1914. On account Of the heavy in
crease in work in the department Mr..
English suggests that several salaries
should be increased. He thinks the
deputy commissioner should be raised
from 1880 to $4,000 a year and that
the security clerk should receive $4,000
annually instead of $1,000. He also
asks that per diem of examiners paid
by the companies examined, be raised
by law from IS to $40 per day. He
endorses the bill now before the as
sembly making important changes in
the workmen's compensation act, for
a larger reserve to be carried by COM
panies selling that kind Of insurance,
for the appointment of deputy COM
missioner and for raising the maxi
mum and minimum compensation to
be paid to workmen. He also recon-
mends the adoption Of standard pol
icy for health and accident insurance
companies.
Preparing Model Road Bill.
Before the close of the present week
there will be introduced in each house
Of the assembly what will undoubtedly
be known as the administration road
bill. The terms of the bill are being
determined upon by committee COM
posed Of members from the house and
senate, who are friendly to the slogan
that there shall be no bond issue for
road construction in Iowa, and who
are pledged to q more concentrated
control, locally of all road matters.
The provisions of the proposed bill
are not known, but it will be similar to
the Johnson bill, of two years ago,
with the added feature of appeal by
the taxpayers from a ruling OF the
supervisors. The appeal is to be taken
to the highway engineer and he will
have power to override the supervisors
If he is sustained by 40 per cent Of the
taxpayers. The bill, 1t is said will abol-
ish the state highway commission and
create in its place the office of state
highway engineer to be filled by q per-
son having a technical knowledge OF
road building; will give the engineer
supervisory rather than administrative
power, except on appeal supported by
the taxpayers; would abolish district
engineers; would modify the county
and township road systems and place
the emphasis m roads from the farm
to the market, rather than on county
roads, this being the point often en-
larged upon by Governor Harding in
his campaign for election last fall;
would give control of local expendi-
lures to local officials; would require
the engineer to furnish each county
board with monthly statements Of the
maximum prices for materials; would
remove the Office Of state engineer to
Des Moines The state highway COM
mission is now located at Ames.
From two bills, one introduced by
Elwood of Howard, and the other by
Gray Of Calhoun, the legislators will
have the pleasure of untangling the
problem of bond issues for the build
ing of roads and the issuance Of bonds
in anticipation of revenue for road
construction. The Elwood bill simply
provides for the amendment OF the
law so that county supervisors may
arrange for the issuance of county
road bonds on vote Of the people OF
the county. 1t is a provision intended
to permit the anticipation Of revenue
for road construction. The Gray bill
would keep the county supervisors
on a strictly cash basis in the work
of bridge and road construction by
specifically forbidding the creation OF
an Indebtedness for those purposes.
To Examine School Districts.
Senator Radcliffe, of Red Oak, has
introduced a bill which provides for
the eXam1Qdt1Ou Oh Lue uuduCcS VI III.
dependent school districts in cities Of
5000 or more population. The bill
amends the municipal accounting and
reporting law by providing that the
examiners of the municipal depart
ment in the office of Auditor of State
Shaw, who now make biennial exam
ination Of the financial proceedings OF
cities of 5000 or more population to
extend the examination to the school
districts in such cities. 1t Is claimed
the independent school districts ex-
pend more than $20,000,000 annually
and that there is no check or account
ing from them, except the reports OF
auditing committees appointed by
members of the boards. Senator Rat
cliffe is a member Of the school
board in his home town and says the
officials there and in other cities OF
the state are anxious to have the
check of their handling Of funds
made by the state department. He
A1a~