SIXTEEN PAGES
Vol. XXIX.
NEW IOWA BILK I
BY LEGISLATURE
House and Senate Have Passed a
Number of important Bills
During PaM Week.
WOMEN ( AN BECOME
MEBBRS LEGISLATURE
The Tax Adm mini ration Queation
i» a Bi* Pnklem and Reeeiv
in* Plenty Attention Now.
Dn« Moines, .lowa, Feb. 12 —The
Fortieth lowa General Assembly last
v> ark allowed the- roads queation to
frieep almost undisturbed, while at
to-.tim was turned to the tax laws.
A lull, during which even the road
committees have not been particu
larly busy, followed passage by the
house a fortnight ago of the Pat- ,
ter.-on and Fackler bills. The most
interesting development was an an
nouncement by Senator Mead of But
ler that he intends soon to propose
it gain his plan to reduce the state 1
I) ghway board to a one-man com- '
mi -ion, and to move the highway
’ 4
offices to lies Moines. Senator Mean
fathered such a bill two years age,
tmd it received seventeen votes in
the senate—only nine less than a
constitutional majority.
Early last week the senate cleared
the decks fir work on the legi jativo |
tax committee's report. In order to
give the ways and means committee
•tin * fcft its huge ta-k, the .rebate (
nil last week put off its morning
(reeling* until 11 o'clock. The cor*- ,
inittee thus had about two hours to ,
inert, before the session each mom
in*■ Up to Saturday the committee
had spent a total of perhaps ten 1
hours’s talking over proposed tax \
law t-Kbnges. ,
The committee has fixed it* plan ,
of procedure. It has started to
crack the hardest nut first. Its rule,,
«rv me tax committee's report, TiTr
to take up the five bills proposed In \
the order in w*hich they appear.
Therefore the committee will entire
ly dispose of the bill proposing to
cje-ate a state board of assessment
and a system of county assessois, be
fore it does any other business.
The committee in its frequent meet
ings is in effect probably determin
ing the policy of the senate Os to
whether (the present state tax ad
ministration system shall be changed
and how. Twenty-seven members ot
the senate—one more than half of
the entire membership—are fin tiie
committee. Therefore any committee
recommendation that has anythin;-
like unanimous committee approval
will be through the upper hou.-e
without further argument.
The committee feels its re-ponsi
bdlity, and it is going cautiously. Ho
far the time has been spent mostly
in informal debate. At the end of
last week there had not been a com
'mittee vote taken that would indi
cate a majority committee convlc
(ion upon any of the tax committee’s
suggestions. But the talking had
*erved an important purpose. Com
mitteemen had begun to grasp the!
tax problem. They had been in
formed of the facts of the lowa tax
system, and haul been somewhat
equipped with a vision of its actual
operation. When this vision be
come* a little more detailed and
precise they will be ready, peahaps
wuthin a week from now to take up
the proposes! administration bill,
work it over to conform to the com
mittee’s majority opinion, and re
commend the re.-ultii\g measure to
ithe senate. %
Whether this job, when completed,
will propose a system anything like
the one urged by the legislative tax
committee is a matter atill securely
hidden behind the curtain of the
future. When the report first whs
Tnml<* public it is doubt!ul if more
than two of the 27 way* and means
committeemen were thoroughly
“sold” on the u**CH*inent board
county assessor pte". " tA ' w
were Senators Smith pnd iKiuiier,
who helped to writ* the report. On
the other hand ther# we e scsefd
member* of the committee -1 am in
formed of a« le*H ha, f “
who ueicrinelh ed otf-hi»nd »o le *ve
the present »>*t*m u'*Ueturt»’»L
veiv fe" of the cotdmitt* •” u ha%#
evi'tenrml s dl*po»Jt|*re ’a hs Hm
fl(. ah ‘ ‘heir off Hnml m dot *.
* •’ 'orit> lien* re nth
,v ( 0 p - w under way with mind
, Hr op* . So ff*tr Chairuuui Smith
l Continu#*l ou page 91
w e ■ r*
£Jctoial) ftebiii ©pinion.
“NERO” COMING I
V TO THE LYRIC
\
!•*>* SuT' Special, Staged in Italy 1
Has i. ’ful Photographic
Effects.
MANY CAMERAS
HERE USED
I
This tinadiwe Spectacle of .Ancient
Rome Took New York Audi- ,
eneiew By Storm, Evok
ing Avalanche of Praise.
“Nero,” the tremendou» Fox pic
ture which is bo be shown at the
Lyric Theatre next Sunday, Mon- j
day anil Tuesday is a spectacle (
such as has not been previously (
seen on the silver mirror. It works ,
and abrupt but welcome turn from (
the problem plot* to those which {
combined history’ with romance.
Throughout its unfolding one -ees ,
the stupendous conceit of the last of t
the Caesars, which resulted in the j
destination of Rome, that he might 4
gain therefrom an inspiration to t
cempore a new lyric. Then follow.- t
tlie turning of the Hons 100.- e on <
the helpers Christians, -*he revolt of t
the Roman armies, and mob scenes 1
wherein thousands of persons are
within the scope of the mirror. j
There are startling incidental scenes, !
such ax a huge -lave slaying a lion i
with Ids bare hands and rescuing \
his mi. stress, a Vannian Priueees. t
The photographing wa- done in A
iudy, with the actual localities of c
the >tnry as the scenes. One sees, 1
however, the celebratd Villa d'E.-te c
in Tivoli, the Italian Alp*, and Mount
Vesuvius in eruption. ;
Copies of actual costume- were 1
u-sed and the story agree.- with the 1
accounts of Nero’s, life a.- related by (
Tacitus Cgsslus, C.' Suetonious | ‘
Tranquillus and other authorities. *
bom e idea of the greatness of the *
spectacle may be gained from the 1
information 4Jm* fee we«w «# *
pictures taken, trwenty-six cameras j
were used, and so great was the j
number wt - peixons employed that ’
the Italian government loaned a
squadron of cavalry to keep order. (
- ..... f
The .sensational feature with which 1
the picture is packed, include? the 1
burning of Rome. 1
This effect is the greatest thing
of the* kind ever shown on the
screen. The destruction iof the
doomed city, amid the mounting -ea (
of flame and the immense clouds of |
smoke, is made more realistic by the
large crowds of terrified men and
women fleeing for safety from the
tumbling walls and burning brand' of
; the holocaust. i
o
Oneotn Golf and Country Club
The annual meeting of the Oneota
Golf and Country Club was held in
the City Hall Tuesday evening, lu
spite of the blizzard, a very large
crowd attended, and a lot of golf
enthusiasm was shown. Mr. F. if.
I ehmkuhl, the expert who is in
charge of the Wapsi pin icon Golf
Club at Independence, lowa add res ?-
, esl the meeting. Mr. 1/ehmkuhl was
engaged to come to Decorah for a
! couple weeks In the spring to .show
I us some of the inside things about
golf.
The meeting v<yted to install* a wa
tering system which will carry water
to eight of the greens. This will
make it possible to build permanent
I grass greens, and keep them in fine
playing condition.
Tie Treasurer’s annual renort
I showed the Club to be In excellent
1 financial condition. The funds have
been very carefully handled and ex
penses kept down as well as is con
sistent with the proper upbuilding of
the giaueds.
The following new members were
, unanimously elected to membership:
[ I'/r. Che ier K. Peck, Dr. Gordon
R. Luce, R. A. Kugbretson, H. J.
Hutchinson, G. L. Hjenleid, Marshall
Range, K. J. Hook, Miss Monnie
Whalen, Miss Tina Whalen, Prof.
C. C. Garnettefekler, H. C. Orton, |
, | McGregor, lowu.
Thi- brings the resident member
ship to 72 members. The commit-
I tee on membti'hip hus about 15
mots- who ate “almost persuaded”.
The club is limited to 100 so there
'! cams to be no nuestkm but what
'.hi' number will be reached by next
'i ye U r. After 100 is attained# no
II more can become members us the
■ gsound* and club house adl only
take cure of that number with their
families It will then be necessary
• to hu\e a waiting list as moat Glof
l ,M u!u have tuduy.
• lection of ers ami director*
. p !hs f’« Ut imnimously for
‘I u , Lit ,> -h d; 11. U.
• \ e p lit; U Amuml
t . .*i v; .J. MrKity, ti*«*ur
. VdU< e <;• ~b* ' • *"•
j, \\, Coin*' h. I*, neu, A. L.
j.VtTa t.
DECORAH, WINNESHIEK COUNTY, IOWA, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1923
HAD GOOD SERVICE I
UNRER OLD LAW
1 J
When the People Elected County |
Superintendent* of Schools
Under Old Law We Had
Just as Good Service
as Now. .
POLITICS CANNOT
BE ELIMINATED
''he Office Shoold be Killed by Find A
Class Teacher Who la Almo a
Good Polßician.
(Waverly Irulepemlent Republican)
A few years ago the lawmakers of
lowa changed the law governing the {
election ef the county super!ntenden’ c
of schools. Up to that time that of- h
ficial had been elected by the voters
of the county—the same as other 0
county officers. n
Then they itiade the present law. o
under‘which the county sujrerintend- P
ent is chosen by the directors and
presidents of the school boards 01 «'
tlie county. The principal argument o
of the advocates for the change wa a
that the office should be taWli oui
of politic.*. But since the change e
the office lias been in politics as 1'
much as ever before. ci
And now* there is a move in the t<
pre-ent legislature to change the r<
law* again, so that the county super- ii
inUmdenrt will be elected by the U
voters. It may be possible to take tl
the office out of politics, but no Irvw |.'
wv have ever had has ever taken it
out of politics, and there i* no gmxl tl
reason why it should be taken out tl
of politics. * o
We do no propose to work very s ,
seriously to take (the county super- f,
Intendent out of politics. The fact is, |,
the really good county superintend
ent will be all the better if she or he
is al-o a first class politician. If you
find a man or a woman who has h
the intellectual, physical and moral c
qualification* to make a first dare p,
oouuty nuevrisUiwimt, J»e or «ko will f
be still better qua)ifie<i for the woik m
if lie or she is also u good politician y
In the best sense of the word. w
There is no office in which the 5
qualities of u really good politician
can be put to better use than in the tj
office of county superintendent of the p
public schools. , p
In this connection we are using the .
word politics in its best serwe. Web- H
ster says, “Politics is the art and
science of government, the science
dealing wth the organisation, regu
lation anil administration of a state
in both its internal and external af
fair-.” A politician, he says, is also
a polite person.
A county superintendent will not
be a pei feet success if he or s-he is not
a good politician. The office should
be filled by a first class teacher who .
i.- also a good politician. *
The best county superintendent*
amt the best state superintendents, ■
who have also been good politicians,
have done the cause of education the
most good.
The average director or the aver- ,
age sub-director is not better quali- |
fied to choose a good county super- .
interulent than the average voter. (
When the people elected the coun- ,
ty superintendent umier the old la"’,
we hail a.- good service as we have
had under the new law. • We be
lieve in the people. But we don't
like the.se frequent changes hi our
election laws.
0
California's dried peach yield is 93
per cent of that of the entire Unified
States. •
, a-2
Mexico has a tree that has
branches resembling blood red hand*.
##**#teeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee#eee#e#ee#eeee###e#j
1 10 Farm Auction Sales j
e •
• Thin wick’s Public* Opinion viirrw* l‘*n law* l«'ui J
• miction salc>, which liuikue a record for thi* line •• •
• advertiniiijf for tliik M*c*tion, which hliowk the adver ,
2 tisiiur mlvmitiip r cs of the* Public Opinion arc uppici •
J nted by the fiirtucrs of Winneshiek t minty, n* well ■ e
2 the progressive business men of this community !*i»i»l i« - •
2 Opinion lu»s tdwHVH striven to Rive* its |mtrolls the ' *• ' 2
2 of service and its mpidh grrowiuK eireulation ix pmot 2
2 (hat the people appreciate our ellorts. 'This week s 2
• issue contain sixteen pajrt ” ami the hig; lowa Mitgn 2
• zinc, and the issue speaks lt»r itself, It has Ish*h out
• aim to give the people the best weekly paper possible j
• and we shall strive to keep this record up.* •
:• . i
I jtbk,
* •••••••#•#•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
—IRL
INCOME TAX
MAN IS COMINC
.
Deputy Collector 11. 11. Clark Hill
be in Decorah at Court House
• Feb, 20 to 21.
TAXPAYERS URGED
TO CALL ON HIM
All Return* Must be in the Hand* »f
the Collector of Internal Re
venue Before March IS
File your income tax return* now.
All returns for individuals, corpora
tions and partnership covering tlie
calendar year 1922, must be in the
hands of the Collector of Internal
Revenue, or one of his deputies, m,
or before March 15, 1923. Every un
married person having a net Income
of sl,oo<i or over, every muiried
person having a net income of $2,-
000 or more, and every married pei-j
son having a gross income of $3,000 |
or more must file a return whether i
any fix i lo be paid or not.
A deputy collector will go ii o
every county during the filing pe;
led and visit principal towns for the '
convenience of the (taxpayers amt 1
to assist them in making out their
returns correctly. This servire is j
In all rare fie.*. Deputy Collector 1
H. H. Clurk will be in Decorah
the Court House from Feb. 20tJi to
Feb. 24'*.h, inclusive.
Every taxpayer is urged to cull o>
the deputy collector and make sure j
tlia his return is correct and is filed !
on time. If a taxpayer wi-hes to
secure blanks they may be secure:
front the division office in Dubuque,*
lowa, or generally from bank.-.
o
In Webster City's ( use
But for tax exemptions on money
borrowed by the people Web-U'.’
City would undoubtedly be paying fij
per cent i terest instead of 5 on the
•ftso£W ♦worth of school bond* thffl
•old a couple years ago, says the
Webster City Freeman Journal. That j
would increase taxes by at least s2.* j
500 per year in this school district.
There is no question but that the
tax exemption feature enables the!
people to save from one-half to one
per cent on what they borrow, which
is worth more to them Ilian to hav *
such securities tuxed by the fedrr.il
government. They would not be
subject to local taxation in any «*v-,
ent, because they are held large',v
the east, where nearly all taxable
mortgages are also held. Why, in j
1921 New York state pawl in in- ;
come taxes of $814,000,000 while low a j
paid less than $29,000,000, the ret
capita tax in New York being around
SBO while in lowa It was only about
$9.50. %
•
IOWA EIGHTH IN NUMBER <>l
CARS
lowa is the eighth state in numbei
of autonvbiles owned. Altho >»
population lowa is much smaller th. 1.1
a number of the oiljcr states, it far
exceeds in per capita ownership in
cars. A total of 449/40 cars are
running on the roads of lowa. This
is an increase of 8.5 per cent over
1921.
New York still is In the lead with
1'002,293 cars, but New York state
has five times"'the population of
lowa and only twice as many <ai s.
1 Ohio is second with more than 85®.-
000 cars and California is thin.
Other states in succession are Penn
sylvania, Illinois, Michigan, Texas,
i and lowa. The total cars in th«
. country is 12,281,445,
TAX REFORM PLAN I
OF THE STATE
Many New Laws SuKßeMed by the
Joint Legislative Committee on
Taxation.
VARIOUS NEW TAXES ,
ARE PROPOSED
' 1
Some of the law* Proponed Will No
Doubt Live and Othen Will
We on the Way.
P/es Moine*, lowa—-To aoquairvt
the citizens of the state with the
general conclusions and suggestions
of the joint legi-lative commr*tee j
on taxation, liearieri by Senator H. S.
VanAlstine, of Gibnore City, which, (
recently m.vle it* rejiort to the For- f
tieth genera! assembly, a summary of (
the reconimemlations of the com-
mittee ha.- I**«*n printed by the state.
Briefly stated, the major recom- .
mendation* of the committee relative j
to lowa taxation are:
First—Establi-lament of a -lute
, , . *
board of u--e--ment aiwl review, con
sisting of three members, a{i)Minted
by the governor, and confirmed by
the seriate, for a term of six years.
Second—Provision of appointment
of a county assessor. In each county j
who assumes all dutie- relating to
taxation now required of the county
auditor ami locul asse-sore. Such as-
sexsor to be appointed by a boon 1 t
composed of the chairman of the
county boat*! of supervisors, (the
county auilitor ami thp county treas- .
Third—A--e-sm*nt of all property
at full value, providing adequate f
safeguards against increase In tax j
burden. ‘
Fourth—lnclusive of the produc- ,j
tive or earning capacity of property, v
as a fa -tor in determining Its actuaf a
value for taxation purposes.
Fifth —Establishment of a county u
botuxi of review, coa»i*ting of (lie
county board of supervLor*, the q
county auditor and the county w
assessor, with authority to equalize n
asse-sment in individual’s piopertyor 0
class of property, with right of e
hearing and ap|>eul by the taxpayer. a
Sixth—Establishment of u staitr
budget system, with ex-offieo boerti t
consisting of the state board of as- t
sessment and review, the chaiiman or ,
the appropriation committees an<T! (J
| the ways and means committees ofjj
the house and senate, the auilitor of | f
-tate, and the governor, who shall v
act as chairman L
Seventh —Establishment of lofal 1 1
budget committee.-, consisting of 1 ,
town, county, or township board, with I
an equal number of free holder*, wtic
j
shall constitute the budget commit
tee for such taxing district,«nnd who
are required to prepare estimates of
| expenditures, giving full publicity to
-uch estimate*, with provisions for
hearings and appeal.
Eight—lmposition of a tax on
gasoline of 1 cent per gallon, apply
ing proceeds of such tax in lieu of
mileage tax for county road building
fund, and repeal the present county
mad building act.
Ninth—Approval of the principle
of a state income tax, in lieu of other
tax on mo.-t cla-.-e* of intangibles
and per-onul property; ami a supple
mentary tax combined with the gen
eral properly tax on intangible prop
erty. The revenue from such tax
1 -hould be applied in reduction of the
i general property tax.
Tenth—lmposition of a tax on ad
-1 mission to amusement, applying;
proceed.- of *uch tax in reduction of
county school taxes. »
Eleventh— Recommendation that
the ad ministration of the inheritance
| tax law b<» transferred to the state
board of assessment ami review.
Twelfth —Recommendation thut the
office of county recorder lx* abolisheit
and the dilies of the same lx* tran*-
| ferred to the county auditor.
Thirteenth —Recommendation that
| o far as consistent with securing
public revenue, a policy of segregat
ing or separating sources of revenue
I between the nation and the several
tutes lx- urged. We -ugge-t that
; e-tu’e nr Inheritance U-xe- -hould lx*
J abandoned by the federal government
ami relinquished to the -ta!’** as a
source of revenue.
Fourteenth - We lielieve
♦ ion s||lM! H. R. S., relating to
it ion of Vink hare* houl i lx- *
amended that • dd -ectmn wdl have
substantially »!••« ! **X“I b.qv*'
that M wa* construe*! ’<* «•«"> P” 01,
(Continued on page 8)
A •
wr ' T
SIXTEEN PAGES
GREAT PLAY AT
GRAND FER. ll
The 1 niverxity Theatre M ill i'rmeat
“The Merchant of \ enice,"
M ith Exceptionally Fine
Stage Setting*.
RESERVED SEATS
WILL SELL AT fljff
The Play in Being Produced Here
Under the Auspice* of the High
School Athletic Associa
tion.
When the University Theatre pre
sent* “The Merchant of Venice” at
the Grand Opera House Thursday
Evening, Feb. 22, the citizens of De
corah will lx* given a chance to co
operate in an important dramu move
ment a.s wed a* to enjoy a first
class production. Tlie University
Theatre makes all of It* booking* in
co-operation with the lowa Commun
ity Theatre circuit of the Dnurm
League of America.
Mr. Walter Prichard, prominent
dramatic crlJc of New York, is an
ardent .-upporter of the low’a p(an
of circuiting play*. He *ays:
“The Community Theatre Circuit,
started in lowa, hold- vast poten
tialities. because it can he extended
indefinitely, adapting it-elf t > local
condition*, and becau-e it an keep
alive the best -poken drama In place*
now abandoned by the j ofnxsiorval
theatre, take the spoken drama into
places where the professional the
atre never reached, and, above all,
becau-e it can call out tfie creative
energie- of the iieople themselves.
To realize the drama a* a living
force which doesn't depend on pro
fee-lonal companies or even on a
theatre in the conventional sense, but
does depend on the dramatic Impulse
witliin people themselves, Iso 'Shut
anybody can have a theatre who will*
it hard enough, is to give new hope
an«i encouragement.
“The Drama League has in the
Community Theatre Circuit idea
something bigger than even its origi
nators guei*ed, perhaps. It has the
opportunity to loose the creative
energie- of the people themselves
and the opportunity to foster in
time —and not such a long time, ei
ther —a local drama in various sec
tions of the oountry which will make
the theatre more vital to the lives
of tlio-e -ections than it has ever
| been before. One of the first things
j for the league to do is to co-operate
with the universities for the training
of authors, actors and directors. I/et
I us get over the idea that the theatre
| means Broadway.”
The particular play which will be
given at Decorah, Shake pea re’s “The
Merchant of Venice,“ has all the
qualities of a good acting play. Its
excellence of plot and character me
obvious. The points and situation**
are >0 shaped and ordered and the
interest is of such appeal, ranging
from broad comedy and .sparkling
wit to pathos and tragedy, that it
ha- always been effective on the
stage. We are assured that the
stage settings will lie exceptionally
fine. Elaborate scenic effects, pro
duced by the use of a velvet draped
stage and novel lighting, will mid to
the gorgeousne-s of the players cos
tumes in producing an unusual ef
fect of richness and splendor.
: The play is being proluced unde*
, the auspices of the High School Ath
letic Association ami the proceeds, if
any are left after meeting the ra
. ther large expense of moving so
I* large a body of players up Irom
lowa City, will go into the Athletic
. Association treasury which really
, should l*e called the school activity
, fund however, as its spon.-ors ull of
the High School activities,
p, You will be doing a service, not
I only to yourself, but also to the
. local high school and to the cau*«
of the community theatre idea by
1 making It a joint to attend tilt*
if production. Reserved seat • w'i!l l»o
. old at SI.OO. No war tux will bo
e j charged.
J j ■" ■ —■ o
,t 1 The Davenport Time- says "Mis*
e I May Franc!*, 'ate super nterxlent O#
t ; public instruction, lr»« rum* out
a ’ strongly In support of *he bill pro
viding fol the election of county »u*
pe-lntendent of -choolv by n direct
'• vu*e of the ixsople; which uggeste
0 iha* Ml 1 Francis I* a bo'tcr |x>litl
e than *he is a sehind head.”
rt -
" The United State* public iM»t waa
i«*lured $175,000,000 during 1922.
i
NO. 7
"p i
I