Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-10-31


reOpened, as In years past.
Mr.. Websser's report to the council
was as follows:
ITO the honorable mayor and city
council: In accordance with the in
structions Of this council had an In
teryiew with President Glass General
Superintendent Wagner and other Off
GERS OF the Glucose Sugar Refining
Company in Chicago Monday Oct. ~.
In regard to the reopening OF their
plant In this city.
1.-The company had, no doubt, laband-
oned all hopes OF reopening the Mar
shalltown plant for some time to come,
IL at all this winter, on account. as
they said. Of the sewage disposal plant
not being completed and ready to take
care Of their sewage. They Were de-
termined not to again defy the Tama
county prosecutions. or even public
sentiment In polluting the Iowa river.
They were satisfied the system of dis
posal we have adopted would do the
work when put to the test according
to the plans. AS to the plant being
ready they had the report of their own
agent sent out here In August to inves-
tigate and OF Professor Marston, our
engineer, who had made later report
just prior tc, the recent trial test. But
when assured them that the machin-
cry was all set complete and capable
of doing the work for any amount of
sewage they could produce, and every
part Of the plant adequate. with, pos
sibly the exception of the filter beds
being, in number, sufficiently filled, they
agreed that they would be satisfied to
commence work when Professor Mars
ton 10 stated this was fact; and
later. General Superintendent Wagner
agreed to come to Marshalltown about
the 18th OF November to meet Professor
Marston and members OF the city coun-
Gil for determination Of this ques-
ton.
while the completion OF the dis
posal plant is one condition Of the
company's opening their works this
fall. another one was discussed which,
In my Judgment, is more vital one
and always will be during its operation;
that is, the corn crop. Its condition
and adequate supply.
And here some conditions affecting
the interests Of Marshalltown were
developed to your committee that were
new and exceedingly interesting, and
doubt not will be to members of this
council and many citizens.
<The M,lrshalltown plant, so it is
stated by President Glass has been
greatly 1iscriminated against by the
Northwestern Railway Company in the
way Of securing corn for operating,
thus making it less profitable than at
Chicago and Peoria, where this rail-
roads Influence and greedy grasp could
not reach or control. The Northwest
ern road has a grain agency of their
own, operating several hundred eleva-
tors on their lines and are virtually
masters OF the grain market-to Sc
cure the long haul-as against all in
termediate. points. It was only by the
aid OF the Iowa Central and Chicago
& Great Western railroads that they
had been able in the past to operate
the plant to advantage, and when this
remedy failed they had to shut down
as they always will have to do. The
corn belt, therefore, from which they
are to draw sufficient supply to oper-
ate successfully their plant, is the all
Important question.
President Glass said: We want to
operate all our plants al! the time, but
can not do SO at loss. and when we
can not do SO and have to shut dowE
any we select those to close which are
least profitable, as any prudent BUSH
ness man would do, and, while the
Marshalltown plant is not the worst in
this regard, it Is not the best, and es-
pecially with other local environments
against IT, as we have had experience
In the past.
1.-The company have had four plants
closed for some time with the Mar
shalltown plant, until the Chicago fire
which recently destroyed part of their
plant there, when the Peoria plant was
opened. I was assured that the Mar
shalltown plant would be the next one
selected to open, with the disposal plant
question disposed of and the corn crop
warranting 1T.
ITO determine the latter question, the
corn supply agent was called in to the
meeting. and so unsatisfactory were the
reports that he had received from coun-
try buyers as to damages by frost, that
1t was then decided to send him out
thru the corn belt of Iowa and Ne
braska during the next ten days, to de-
termine this question fer himself, and
he is now on this mission.
1.-THE officers earnestly protested
against the charge that they were dis
mantling their works here, or had any
intention of abandoning cr permanently
closing them; they had no such
thoughts. From other evidence that
has come to my knowledge since, ] am
fully satisfied this Ii true, and that the