Decorah public opinion., March 22, 1922, Image 1

About Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928

Image provided by: State Historical Society of Iowa

                
TWELVE PAGES
Vol. XXVIII.
EQUITY ANSWERS
FARM RUREAU
Defends Their Stand on Resol
Recently Passed by the '*>
Society.
TAX MATTERS
ARE DISCUSSED
Says A. S. of E. Has Made Its Own
Way Without Leaning on Tax
Payer for Support.
In the March Bth issue of the D'e
corah papers in Farm Bureau news
we read that it must be considered
the height of folly for any farm or
ganization to pass resolutions such
as were passed at the mass meeting
called by the directors of the Winne
shiek county Union of A. S. of E.
Well maybe so, but it is surprising
how much company we have in our
folly. Note the number of mass
meetings all over the state who very
foolishly draw up just such resolu
tions. We cannot help feeling that
where so many independent men who
are far more prone to act individual
ly than collectively, still have gotten
together and raise the same com
plaint, asking for relief, there must
be something more than a ludicrous
bit of Rube ignorance and closefist-w
edness to start them going.
' This article states that only 8.02
per cent of the taxes levied within
the county are used for local gov
ernment. In the same issue Pres.
Pearson of Agri. College at Ames
states that at least 5)0 per cent of
all taxes levied are spent within the
county where they are levied. So
much for that. As to the statement
that no increase was made in tax
levies from 1907 to 1915 looks like
a smoke screen to cover up facts, as
we all know we are not paying 1915
taxes today. This i* 1922. We also
know that there is a limit placed
upon tax levies and no county ma;’
go beyond this limit, but this is
easily gotten around by increasing
the valuation of the pioperty upon
which taxes are levied. This the
county agent knows but does not
explain.
We just plain cannot see how a
man at the head of a socalled farm
organization can find it in his heart
to defend the present high taxes or
to oppose any reasonable measures
to reduce them. As for the statis
tics given, even the devil may quote
scriptures to prove that his asser
tion is correct. We leave it to each
individual tax payer to decide fy
himself if his or her taxes have or
have not been noticeably increased.
If the reader will observe closely
the wording of the resolutions as
passed by this meeting and then
compare it with the impression which
the Farm Bureau news manages to
convey, you will note that several of
these resolutions have become sadly
garbled.
Plea.se note that this meeting does
not ask .that the offices of county
agent ami county nurse be closed, but
it does ask that those who wish for
these services should also be willing
to pay for them. The American
Society of Equity and most other
farm organizations have had to make
their way without leaning upon the
mt payer for support and when the
A. S. of E. through lack of interest
or from any other cause is unable to
stand on its own feet it must fall.
We believe any organization should
.'tand or fall by its own merits.
It has seemed absolutely necessary
for us to come out and defend our
£tand this time, but one of the re
solutions passed by this organization
a long time ago was that we agreed
to leave all intruding organizations
severely alone and we are sorry to
have had to break away from this
rule.
Winneshihk County Union of the
American Society of Equity.
To the treasurer of the Winneshiek
County Chapter of the American Red
Cross and to the people in General.
In passing the resolution f gain
ing to the wages of the county nurse,
you will note that no mention is
made of how this nurse is being paid.
At the present time we are very
well aware that she is paid by the
Ked Cross chapter; however, one of
the measure* passed by the dKth
Gen. Assembly provided that school
boards, township trustees or super
visors shall have the power to em
ploy nurse or nurses /or their own
county and it is a fact that in many
Stoml) Public ©pinion.
IN BUSINESS HERE
FOR 35 YEARS
F. J. Rosenthal, Well Known laical
Merchant, Celebrating His
k Anniversary Today.
%
K % NOW W ILL BE
/Z J. ROSENTHAL & SONS
\
Fitting k 'mition for the Young
Men Wi. Tave Been Valued
Assistants for Number
Years.
On March 22, 1887, F. J. Rosen
thal, one of Decorah’s well known
pioneer merchants joined the ranks
of Decorah business men and has
been one of the prominent merchants
here all these years and today he is
celebrating his thirty-fifth anniver
sary. He bought out Hammond
Smith who conducted a grocery store
on the present site of Mr. Rosentha
MR. FRED J. ROSENTHAL
business place now, and has been at
the head of this store ever since.
In honor of the event Mr. Rosen
thal is opening up a big special an
niversary sale today which will con
tinue the balance of the week.
Another item of interest in con
nection with the anniversary is Che
fact that Mr. Rosenthal has taken
his sons int' partnership with him
and the ill be known as F. J.
Rosenthai Sons in the future. This
is a fitting recognition of the
young men who have been his valued
assistants for a number of years.
Mr. Rosenthal was bom in the
Province of Posen, Germany, and has
been a resident of the United States
and Decorah for 40 years, coming to
this community direct from Ws birth
place, and has been one of our re
presentative citizens ever since. His
store has been one of the represent
ative high class grocery stores of
this city and northeastern lowa, and
the firm has carried only the very
best line of goods obtainable which
has given them a reputation for
excellent merchandise far and wide.
The thirty five years of business
activity seems to have fallen lightly
on the head of this firm, as Mr.
Rosenthal is as active ami attentive
to his large list of customers as he
was 35 years ago, and many cus-1
tomers who started trading with him •
then are still with him. Mr. Rosen-i
thal has been one of those merchants
who has practiced a square deal in!
business and as a consequence he I
has built up a large and prosperous
business with satisfied customers on
every hand.
Mr. Rosenthal has contributed his
best efforts for the upbuilding and
advancement of Decorah during these
thirty five years as one of her lead
ing business men, and he has lent his
aid to every wouthy cause, and by
so doing he has made scores of close
friends and every one of them join
Public Opinion today in extending
most profuse congratulations and
best wishes to Mr. Rosenthal on his
anniversary and it i 3 the hope of all
he will be permitted to celebrate
many more anniversaries as one of
Decorah’s leading and influential
business men, and it is the hope the
new’ firm Fred J. Rosenthal & Sons
will flourish for many years to come.
Fat men who realize they are
fat, laugh about it, but fat women
don’t laugh about it.
counties the health nurses are being
paid through taxes.
Our resolution then had reference
to this measure and to the future.
Winneshiek County Union
American Society of Equity.
DECORAH, WINNESHIEK COUNTY, IOWA, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 1922
PAVING GOES AT
$2.45 SQ. YARD
Fititeen Miles on Grant Highway in
Buchanan County Let at
Cheap Price.
SHOWS CONTRACTORS
ARE COMING DOWN
Fourteen Bids Were Entered for the
Job, and Concerns all of
High Standing.
The Buchanan county board of sup
pervisors last week awarded the con
tract for hard surfacing 15.56 miles
of the Grant highway, or between
winthrop and Jesup, according to the
Independence Bulletin-Journal, the
winning contractor being the Western
Asphalt Paving Corporation, of Sioux
City, at a price of $2.43 per square
yard or $25,6G0.8G per mile. This
compahy submitted the lowest of
fourteen bids entered. The bidders
were concerns of a high order, ev
ery one of them being strong, res
ponsible companies. Mr. Campen of
Omaha, assistant chief engineer for
the federal government, Assistant
Chief Engineer Coykendall of the
state highway commission, and As
sistant District Engineer Good rich
were among the outside cfficials pre
sent at the letting. Engineer Nash
of the Illinois Central’s office in
Dubuque, also was present. His
company is not against the proposed
hard surfacing, although it will mst
the company for assessment and also
in freight traffic if the paving work
is done.
The successful bid, $2.43 per yard,
is below' what had been expected by
a considerable margin. All w-ho had
watched the proposition consider it
an exceptionally low- bid. The lowest
other bid heretofore made in lowa
was $2.52 in Clinton county. Our
freight rate here. Is 20c mora. and
that fact makes a difference of 10c
per yard in the price, so that when
com pared with the Clinton price it Is
that much lower in reality. Engineer
Cam pen, the federal man, says it was
the lowest paving bid made in lowa
since the primary road law went into
effect.
Woman to P*»n for lowa Senate
Des Moinf lowa —Mrs. Bessie
Farnsworth Muscatine will be
asked to become a candidate for no
mination as state senator from the
twentieth district, Mrs. Florence P.
Pierce, state chairman of the lowa
League of Women Voters, announced
here today on learning that Mrs.
Farnsworth ha<l been informed bv
the attorney general that women are
not eligible to seats in the lower
house. It was learned here today
that while the state constitution pro
vides for only the election of “male
citizens” to the House of Representa
tives t> -equirements for the state
Senate are somewhat different and
may permit women to hold seats .in
the upper house.
Priinghar, lowa—A new field in
auto thievery was opened at a farm
sale at the Robert Johnson farm,
*>uth of Primghar.
A sedan was bid in at $540 by a
man who gave his name as Ott.
While the sale continued Ott step
ped into the sedan and drove away.
People who noticed him believed he
was trying out the car. Ott pur
chased gas and went merrily on his
way, without making any of the
usual arrangements with the astute
clerk of the sale, R. Hitunan, of
the Primghar First National Bank,
not even offering the $lO down.
Gamer dispatch in Mason City
Globe-Gazette: Red hot arguments
are on and a fight to a finish is sche
duled between of this,
Hancock county, and residents ot
German blood of Liberty township
over the move to change the name of
the township from “Liberty ’ back to
‘’German." The towmship was named
“German” before the war. During the
war the name "Liberty” was taken.
Now 87 of the 102 male voters in the
township have signed a petition filed
with the board of supervisors asking
that the old name be returned. All of
the county’s Legion posts—Garner,
Britt, Crystal Lake, Corwith, Kana
wha ami Goodell —have adopted reso
lutions of protest. Hearing set by
the board for April 17.
New Swindle at Auction Sale
Fight Over Township Name
COAL VEIN STRUCK
AT FREEPORT
Decorah Man Prospecting for Coal
, Strikes Vein 2Vi Feet Thick at
Old Paper Mill Dam.
DRILLING STARTED
LAST FRIDAY
Coal Appears to be of Good Quality
And Burns Well According
To Reports.
It looks like old Winneshiek coun
ty is going to prove one of the lead
ing mining centers of the country,
with oil and coal prospects in view.
During .the past w r eek Mr. Chas.
Mollart of Decorah, who recently
secured the right to drill on the
Gross land at the old paper mill dam
at Freeport, hired Helmer Hendrick
son, the driller, to set up his machine
and proceed to drill for coal. The
work was started Friday, and yes
terday at a -.iepth of about 45 feet a
2 *<2 foot v%in f soft coal was strudk,
and it is <>f good quality stuff too.
Some of it was taken to Decorah and
certain ones tried it out in their
stoves and it burned fine.
Just what further prospecting and
plans for mining has flat been dis
closed at this writing. At any rate
there is coal in the ground at Free
port. That fact has already been
established. How much is another
question. The first experiment in
drilling is very encouraging, any
way, and next to the oil question
here, the coal question is receivng
the most attention.
HIGH SCHOOL NOTES
The Lass of Limericktown Tuesday
Evening, March 28.
Next Tuesday evening, March 28,
the hi* * scbuxd presents their an
nual operetta “The Lass of .Limericks
vsmrr The cast “and ttotus have
been drilling faithfully under the
leadership of Miss Bergeson, assisted
by Mrs. Altfillisch ami Miss Thomp
son, and a production of finish and
charm is assured.
A hint of the plot may be obtained
from the following synopsis.
Two cousins, Rose and Betty, live
together in Limericktowm under the
guardianship of Judge Hooley. Rose,
supposedly the elder of the two, in
herits money from a rich American
uncle and for this reason is being
wooed toy Capt. Pomeroy Worthing
ton. In order fo “show up” the emp
tiness of his affection the girls de
cide to change names. The captain,
however, makes up his mind that
that is just what will do. The in
evitable complications ensue. The
situation is finally happily cleared
by the arrival and intervention of
Ezra Hicks, retired fainter.
The first week in April is spring
vacation after which there will be
just eight weeks of school.
Baseball will be coached by Mr.
Lynch. Decorians will remember the
excellent teams turned outl by him
some few years ago. The following
schedule has been arranged:
April 28, Friday—Calmar here.
May 2, Tuesday—L. C. Preps
there.
May 5, Frid#r—Oelwein here.
May 9, Tuesday —Calmar there.
May 12, Friday—Cresco here.
May 16, Tues<lay—Fayette here.
May 19, Friday—Oelwein there.
May 23, Tuesday, Fayette there.
May 26, Friday—-Cresco there.
June 1, Thursday—L. C. Preps
here.
Adams Seed Co. Catalogue
The Adams Seed Co. has just is
sued >O,OOO spring catalogues, won
<terfu'. r illustrated, many of the pic
tures being in natural colors. The
book contains 100 pages ami every
body who has seen it is unanimous
in saying it is one of the finest seed
catalogues ever issued by any con
cern in the United States. Over
1000 items of flowers, vegetables and
field seeds are offered. This cata
logue being sent to every state in
the union and 21 foreign countries
should spread the name of the Adams
Seed Co. ami Decorah in a way
that no other concern has ever done
here before. Get one of these cat
olagues and get posted on what the
company has to offer.
Observing that a Boone man was
granted an absoli divorce because
his wife smoked cigarets and chewed
tobacco, the presiding judge holding
that plaintiff had ample grounds up
on which to be freed from his spouse,
the Toledo Chronicle wonders “what
would have happened had the case
been reversed?”
An auctioneer always knows he
'an sell an article to women if he
an got it in a light where it will
clitter.
OUR 1922 TAXES
ARE HIGHER
lowa Taxes Have Increased Seven
Million Dollars or About H
Per Cent Past Year.
SCHOOL GET A
BIG SHARE
Nearly Half of the Taxes Are Raised
For School Purposes
Figures Show.
Taxes in lowa have increased $7,
771,310.01 or about 8 per cent in the
past year, according to R. E. John
son, secretary of the stale executive
council, who has compiled a table
showing the increase in each class of
taxes and the per cent of each dol
lar which goes to state, county, cities
and schools.
Of the $96,454,243.61 of taxes
collected in 1921, $8,501,620.68 was
for state purposes, including the
state schools and colleges; $31,513,-
594.87 was for county and township
purposes; $13,078,683.07 was city and
town levies, and $43,357,344.99 was
for city and district schools.
Of the $104,225,553.62 of taxes
collectab'c this year $0,982,699.36
goes to the state; $31,591,808.79 to
the county and township; $13,650,-
607 to towns urul cities, and $49,-
000,438.47 to schools.
In other words, 9.5 cents of each
tax dollar paid out in 1922; outside
special assessments, goes to the
state; 30.3 cents to the county, in
cluding township roads; 13.1 cents
to cities and towns, and 47.1 per
cent to city and district schools.
The figures show that less than
one-tenth of the tax levy goes to
the state and that nearly half of the
taxes are raised for school pur
pses.
An analysis of the increase in
Tji tw*. TTOwr»«n, -Jnrwn rtmi ine pti
cent of increase has been greater
for the state and least for the coun
ty. While the average per cent of
increase in taxes is 8 per cent, the
increase in the state taxes has been
over 17 per cent; the increase In
school taxes just 13 per cent, the
increase in city and town taxes over
4 per cent and the increase in coun
ty taxes has been one-fourth of 1
per cent.—Des Moines Register.
AUTO PLATES LOWER
State Accepts liid for 1923 Numbers
at $60,000.
Des Moines, lowa—ln the opin
ion of several state official the state
of lowa should make its own auto
mobile plates. Lt is probable the
next general assembly will be asked
to make provision for this and the
state board of control will be given
an appropriation to utilize in estab
lishing an automobile plate factory at
one of the state prisons.
For the plates being used this year
the state expended approximately
SIOO,OOO. The contracts for the 1923
plates were let just this past week.
The state was enabled to get a much
more advantageous price this year
than heretofore, so that the plates
for 1923 will cost about $60,000. The
same firm, Adams Stamp and Sta
tionery’ Company of St. Louis, which
has had the contract heretofore, was
awarded the contract for 1923.
The state of Michigan makes its
own automobile plates at its states
penitentiary, and the warden of the
prison there was in Des Moines this
past week ami put in a bid on fur
nishing lowa’s supply of plates. His
bid was a little higher than that of
the St Louis firm, however, and he
did not land the contract.
However, the Michigan prison auto
plate industry appears to be a suc
cess, and the chances are the next
legislature will make provision for
lowa to go into this business.
“When the bonus is paid the world
war soldiers there should be no dis
tinction between officers and pri
vates,” insists the Wehster City Free
man-Journal. “The officers received
pay for their superior talents during
the war and there is no reason in
fairness and justice w’hy they should
receive more than privates in the
way of adjusted compensation.”
Sometimes a foolish young man
thinks he will get married, save
money and settle down only to dis
cover afterwards that he got mar
ried to spend money’ ami settle up.
TWELVE PAGES
NO. 12
THE OIL DRILLS
START POUNDING
Tomorrow Morning the Decorah Oil
And Gas Co. Start Their Drills
At Kakke No. 1 Lease.
BIG ( KOMI) PLANNING
ON GOING OUT
Machinery Will Ik* all Set Today,
Ready for Thursday
Morning.
Tomorrow morning marks the
openng day for the Decorah Oil &
Gas Co. to start their drills on Bakke
No. 1 Lease, about three miles from
I>eco rah.
Hundreds of people are planning
on going out ami see the drill in
operation. A lot of work has been
put in the past week and everything
is practically all set for the open
ing day.
Everybody is talking oil, and those
who hadn’t previously purchased
stock, have been doing so the past
week, and prospects look bright for
oil.
The men in charge are all ex
perienced oil men from the Texas
and Kansas field and If their is any
chance on the earth or under it to
strike oil these men will do it.
The lease is only about three
miles from Decorah and only a few
minutes ride, so if you have a few
leisure moments tomorrow make a
trip out and be in on the first
quiver of oil drilling excitement. '*
Mr. Oscar Brown, the well known
t-iP promoter w-ho has been guiding
the destinies of the Decorah Oil &
Gas qy. here has rented the Mrs %
Burdick Wilding on Winnebago
street formerly occupied by the Gas
Co. Mr. Brown will move his family
here and occupy the flat on the sec
ond floor and the the first floor will
be used ■«— MA. —nmit m nm*
headquarters for several companies.
Mr. Geo. Fagg, the engineer of the
company will occupy offices there
also. They take possession April
first.
I Am a Wildcat Well
I am a fortune builder.
I am the greatest creator of sud
den wealth that the world has ever
seen.
I lift mortgages, build homes, edu
cate children, provide motor cars and
make travel possible.
I bring joy of living where des
pair abode and I turn dire poverty
into untold wealth over night.
To make me a success, men spend
millions of*>doJlars.
I am sought in the dark under
growth of tropical swamps, on the
frost bound plains of the far north
and on the treeless deserts of the
southwest.
I turn waste places into scenes of
frenzied activity.
That they may share in me is
the basis of a thousand prayers amt
a mil lion eyes are always upon me.
I stay well hidden and only the
favored few can find me.
I am a fountain of Liquid Gold
I am a greasy blessing.
I am a WILDCAT WELL.
Let Us Know Before We Speak.
(New Hampton Gazette)
In the stressful, times
which we are passing there has been
and continues to 'be, much loose
thinking, loose talking and loose
writing. The average person is in
a frame of mind ,to blame anything
and everything.
The Gazette has received a letter
from a vexed tax-payer which tells
us that the fanners of lowa w'iLl be
put to a useless expense of many
thousands of dollars next year on ac
count of the wide-sled law. He says
that changing the okl sleds or buy
ing new ones wiLI make this com
pulsory and needless cost.
Now, the fact is that the law
does ndt require a man to make an
old sled wider nor does it compel him
to buy a new sled that is legal
width. It merely says that no new
sleds shall be less than the required
width. A man can run his old sled
the way it is and as Jong as he wants
to; but if he does buy a new’ sled
ami uses it on the highway it must
be of the required width.
In this connection it should be
remembered .that the laws of lowa
are made or sanctioned by men of
the farming industry, for they are
in a majority in the legislature. If
the farmer members of the General
Assembly do not want a bill to pass
and become a law they have the
votes to prevent its doing so.
Dry laws produce a good deal of
dry humor.
—Selected