Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-09-10
NOW FOR PETITIONS
Mr.. Binford's Committee Cannot
Quite Agree With Public
Committee.
Latter Wants Issue Confined to
One of Two Sites-Can.
vass Anyway.
Public Must Choose Between
Central Site and Boardman
Residence Lot.

As might be expected the postoffice
location matter was kept brewing hot
ly all day. Mr.. Binford's reply to the
committees offer to proceed with Mr..
Shaw's suggestions was received early
in the morning and the large commit
tees met at 10 o'clock in the office of
County Attorney Stone to discuss the
matter. Most of the committee of
eleven were present, Mr.. Binford being
represented by Messrs. George +. kir-
by, T. j. Fletcher, John Atkinson, Seth
Zug and 1. S. Willard. Mr.. George A.
Turner was chairman and I. S. Willard
secretary.
Mr.. Kirby replied for his committee.
stating as preliminary that Mr. Bin
ford had held, during all this postofiice
controversy, the letter from Assistant
Secretary Taylor to which Secretary
Shaw refers. 1T is this said MT. hlr-
by, that we claim as a vindicauon OF
our claims that the matter had not yet
been settled" 1t was very plain to all
that Secretary Shaw did not know OF
his assistants letter when he approved
Mr. Wheaton's report and, as ne now
admits that his previous approval Is set
aside, to carry out the promise OF MS
assistant, everybody's statements have
been INDICATED. 80 this point was
passed without discussion.
Mr.. Kirby then explained that, 1uog
ing from the secretary's letter, ne
thought Mr.. Shaw had misunderstood
Mr. Binfords claims as to the ~ per
cent. Mr. Kirby had supervised the
writing of that letter along with others
and could say that they claimed only
that 80 per cent did not favor SITE
around the public square. which state
ment was made in refutation OF claims
that had been made publicly on THIS
matter. It will be remembered that
Secretary Shaw's letter as publlsned
direct from the original in these col
umns last evening stated Mr.. Bln1ord
assures me that 80 per cent of the peo-
pie will readily sign a petition for the
other Site
Mr.. Kirby continuing then wanted to
know whether it was proposed to make
this a brass band canvass with posters
and sensational newspaper headlines"
or whether they would Ego about 1t in
a quiet, fair way" He thought that II
the committees could come to an agree
ment on working plan the mass meet
ing ought to be called off. Mr.. Fletcher
also. was opposed to holding the mass
meeting,as was Mr.. Atkinson. 1t was sug-
pested that inasmuch as Mr.. Kirby In
his remarks had intimated that the
daily newspaper had been unfair IN Its
presentation of the case the mass meet
| ing was the only other method by which
the general public could be fully and
fairly informed as to the plans of the
committee. This suggestion came from
| Mr.. Norris, who stated that In view OF
the fact that no course pursued by the
newspaper could be satisfactory to all
he wanted the responsibility OF pre-
senting the matter to the pubic al
yided and the mass meeting held Tor
the purpose Of giving all sides an OPP
portunity to be heard outside OF the
newspaper columns. The matter was
then dropped and the mass meeting VIII
be held as advertised.
Mr.. Fletcher then moved that COM
mittee of three from each side be Sc
iected to draw up the working plans 1or
Joint canvass. These committees. con-
sistinp OF Messrs. Binford, Kirby and
Fletcher on one side and ST. Clair, Es-
| tabrook and F. G. Pierce on the other,
met again in the Fidelity Bank rooms
and, at the request OF MI. hIroy De-
hind closed doors.
An unexpected controversy arose IN
this committee meeting which Will de-
lay arrangements that might otherwise
have rushed this canvass of the pupllc
TO a quick decision. The commlttee
representing the public committee,
which had received the letter from MT.
shaw, assumed that the wording OF that
letter confined the issue to a decision
between one of two sites, the pubic
square site once approved ana the
Boardman site, heretofore favored py
Mr.. Binford and others. To this MT.
Binford and Mr. Kirby objected. MT.
Kirby claimed the right to go to trial
before the court of public opinion upon
any site as against the public square
site. or such site as the public commit
Tee might select. Such desire 10 PICK
the field against the winner ala not
unite suit the sporting procllVltles OF
Messrs. Pierce, Estabrook and ST. Clair,
so it was then proposed that the east
end committee draw up sucn
netition as they wished to use tnat
| T. might be considered by both COM
mittees jointly before men were sen.
out to canvass. To this Mr.. Bin1ord
objected claiming that his committee
would allow the public committee to
draw up their own petition IN tneir
own way and that his committee would
do the same but that neither would
have the right to revise the petition
of the other. Members OF the pubic
committee thought that each ought to
know the kind Of a petition they would
have to meet from the other to go about
the work fairly.
Here the meeting adjourned at the
call Of either side. however, before
leaving, the public committee put In
writing it's Interpretation Of Secretary
Shaw's letter and asked for Mr.. Bin
ford's Interpretation of It, This was
refused because as he claimed, Mr..
Shaw would be satisfied with any site
The public committee is now in favos
of going ahead with the canvass re-
CARELESS of the east end committee.
Mr. c. 7. LaPlant is excited but in
oornaet I4a offarS 10 nav the whole