Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-10-01
BONUS PAYING IN kEokuk.

achievement and progress alike de.
pend
/ BONUS PAYING IN KEOKUK.
A recent boom edition of the Keo.
kuk Gate City discloses very ingeni.
GUS plan for encouraging industries
that will be studied with interest b.
ambitious towns elsewhere. The great
problems in all bonus paying is to dis.
! tribute the burden among all who viii
/ derive the benefit. Manifestly paymen,
1 from the funds raised by general taxa
ton would be the most equitable distri-
button, since there is no class of citi.
zens so directly benefited by the loca.
ton of new industries and the growth
Of a city as real estate owners from
whom tax money is raised. However
the payment of bonus out of city
funds is not allowed by law, and some
way around to the same result has been
sought.
The Keokuk plan is as follows: The
city council makes formal appropria-
ton OF a certain sum of money to the
incoming Arm or company. conditional
upon contract being signed; the con-
tract binds the newcomers to put up
buildings and plant of specified value,
to spend certain amount Of money
each year in wages, and to continue in
business here certain number of
years.
All that action OF the council is be-
yond its power and can be enjoined.
But before that can be done paper
has been signed by citizens. This pa
per is a contract guarantee underwrit-
ing the city warrants for the appropri-
alton mentioned above. There are
names on it which makes 1t good in the
banks-but considered equally impor-
tant are the hundreds OF names which
perhaps are not worth the wear and
tear on the pen In writing them, SO far
as the signature to bank paper is con-
cerned.
These hundreds of names, however.
include practically all the different lines
Of influence in the city. They include
the republican, democratic, gold DEM
ocratic, populist, socialist and prohfbi-
ton parties: they include all the lines
of business; they include all the secret
societies: they include all the profess
sions, and not least an or nearly all of
the lawyers: they include all the ward
workers in politics and all the men who
ever go to state conventions for any par
ty; they include all the newspaper
men: they include al! the enthusiasts
and all the kickers; they include many
representative wages earners-in short,
the list of guarantors includes every
body in town as the phrase is colloqui-
ally used
After that paper is signed, anybody
who pleases can get out an injunction,
IL he wishes-and dares. If anybody
enjoins the payment of the city war.
rants he Is making several hundred of
the kind Of people described above pay
them out OF their private pockets, Liv-
ing in Keokuk would not be reclining
on bed of roses for that man. When
every other man he met had been
forced to pay good money on account of
his action, and when all the wage earn
ers felt that he had diminished the de-
smand for labor here-when he had the
injunction in his pocket and the con-
seriousness OF public sentiment in his
heart--that man probably would
change his residence; and the place
that now knows him will know him no
more forever.
Keokuk people justify their plan on
the ground that 1t can be worked only
when the real public sentiment of the
city favors the individual contract
which is being made; the warrants are
thus generally underwritten only when
all the classes Of citizens above enum-
Grated favor their issuance; and such
general favor for them means that the
city as city favors the completion OF
the project. And when public sentiment
is so unanimous, there is no reason why
general laws made for general Ncondi-
lions should prevent this public senti-
ment doing what it pleases. The city
of Keokuk, by it's city council, has paid
upon the signing of contracts satisfac-
tory to it, during the last year, the sum
Of $4O,35O, and has received full value
in return each time.
IOWA OPINIONS AND NOTES.
The Upton Advertiser notices that
'aThe Henderson incident is almost for
gotten. It served while it lasted, how
ever, to thoroughly clarity the political
atmosphere in Iowa, and that result re-
mains. The discussions brought about
by the speakers declaration regarding
party division has demonstrated that
there are no real or vital differences
between Iowa republicans"
II