Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-01-28

Lighting plant city hall. a paid fire
department. more street railway and
several other reforms, important among
which she considered the need Of more
public spirited citizens
Mr.. G. F. Kirby speaking about the
Location of Public Buildings gave the
audience some plain talk from the
standpoint of practical business sense.
He said that the city ought to furnish
the site for the Carnegie public library
because all citizens should contribute TO
its benefits as they Will profit by them.
He thought that the market place COR
ner should be given to the library for
sight and the fire department building
located on the alley facing State street.
AS to a new city hall Mr.. Kirby said
that the city was already In debt over
the statutory limit and that it would
be an imposition on the tax payers to
make them erect city building when
admirable quarters could be secured in
the basement OF the county court house.
Mr.. Kirby had looked 1t up and found
that the city had paid one half OF the
cost OF building the court house and
was entitled to accommodations therein
al a reasonable rental. He also thought
that the county had no right to be rent
ing offices to private persons at a rental
that viii hardly cover the cost of heat
ing the room rented. Mr.. Kirby said the
city already owned more real estate
than it had any right to own and should
sell some of 1T or consolidate 1t so as to
furnish suitable sites for the public
buildings. Mr. I<irby's remarks were
heartily endorsed by all present.
Mr.. d. w. Norris. Jr., followed hav-
ing been asked to talk about Clean
Streets" Mr.. Norris paid his respects to
the man who neglects to remove snow
and ice from his sidewalk and expressed
the opinions that the city should clean
the sidewalks at the expense of the adj
jacent residents, which proposition was
applauded. He had scheme which he
thought would accomplish the work.
viz: Organize force 81 shovelers to
start out about 10 O'Clock in the morning
after snow storm and let 1t be known
that all walks not cleaned by that time
would be cleaned by the city with the
cost charged up to the resident whose
duty it was to clean them. Mr.. Norris
thought that the rule once enforced
would result in clean walks much be-
fore the 10 O'clock hour each morning.
He also thought that the city was large
enough to establish a garbage depart
ment whose duty 1t should be to keep
the alleys clean, utilizing the garbage
and compost for fertilizer and the ashes
for macademiZing cross streets where
traffic was not heavy and where pave
ments would be a long time coming. AS
to street cleaning Mr.. Norris thought
that they ought to be cleaned oftener
but whether by hand or 5y machine
sweeper he didn't know until machine
had been given a fair trial
Mr.. c. II. Van Law, who is always a
ready talker, discussed Municipal
Ownership" recounting the remarkable
success the city has attained with its
water works system, yielding a net rev.
enue and saving to the city of nearly
$50, 600 year on an investment of less
than $2b0000 and he ventured the opin-
ion that capitalists would gladly pay
$500, 900 for 1t and all Its advantages. MIR.
VanLaw reasoned from the experience
with the water works that the city
ought to own it's electric and gas Hight
ing plant and eventually, when the
present franchises expired, Its street
railway and telephone systems as well.