Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-01-10
LOCAL COMMENT.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

8
SAAAeeeeeeeeeeAeeeAeeAeAee
| The death this week Of Mr.. A. G.
Abbott. while known to be only Il
question of short time. produced
greater shock to the community In gen
eral than the removal of any citizen
| of Marshalltown in long time. Mr..
| Abbott was prominent figure IN the
business life Of Marshalltown for many
years. He was in the height OF ms
usefulness at time when Marshall
town needed such men, and he, with
others of his character, advanced
Marshalltown to such proportions IN
the business world as other cities In
the state, equal in size have never been
able to reach. Men like A. G. Abbott
make town, and IL there were more
like him today Marshalltown would
be better off. He had lived to see the
town grow from struggling hamlet
to a city. He never was inclined to
look upon himself as having been re-
sponsible for the growth OF Marshall
town, vet. that same fact was recog-
nized by others. His death mas been
the subject Of much newspaper COM
ment turnout the Sldle.
The experience of many representa-
tive citizens with water meters he's
made a remarkable showing for the
saving of precious water which has
heretofore been wasted in untold guam
titles. 1t even justifies the city coun-
ellis contention that the rates OF thels
new ordinance are even lower than pre-
viously existing rates If citizens will
put in meters. There has been much
|indiscriminate criticism OF the coun-
ellis action In drafting its new water
ordinance which has been wholly I'M
| Just and in many cases actuated SOLE
lily from malice, and this disclosure OF
| the meters work should convince even
the unthinking that the council is head
ed in the right direction. 1t intends
to do away with the necessity for adj
hitting river water to the mains on
any occasion. There is, however, just
criticism that has been raised, not par
| ticularly against this council as
against previous ones alike. for many
have done the same thing and that is
as to the questionable practice
Of transferring surplus water rent rev.
enues from the water fund to the gem
eral fund. Mr.. A. p. Augustine has
called the T.-R.'s attention to sections
of the code which seem to declare
councilmen guilty of the crime of en-
| bezzlement who will even consent to
this, and it is clearly illegal. Likewise
| 1t is UNEQUAL taxation to ask the users
of city water to pay more than fair
cost OF supplying that water. How
ever, one council is as guilty as anoth-
err, and each membership doubtless
thought it was serving the best inter-
ests Of the public.
The city clerk tells us that while the
total income for the first six months
under the new ordinance. fiat rates and
meters, will exceed the old rates on the
same services by few hundred dollars
only the addition of services heretofore
lost in the shuttle will bring in an an
| nual increased revenue of $4,000, and,
with other economies brought about In
| the cost of operation, he estimates
considerable surplus of revenue to be
obtained under the new ordinance over
and above what was to be estimated
! from past experiences OF the DEPART
ment. If this is so the rates ought to
be reduced all down the line. Water at
actual cost with a reasonable margin
for repairs, for extension of mains and
| for paying off the bonds is what the
public is entitled to.
That there can be different degrees
of good service even in librarian busl-
ness has been amply demonstrated by
Mrs. BATHS, Of our public library this
winter. Always accommodating, OF
good sense, efficient and painstaking In
her work she had long ago won the APP
prevail of the library frequenting pub
lie and further service was not de-
manded, but this fall she stopped &
busy woman on the street with the
glad intelligence "When you get ready
to write your club paper, come up.
I've got your material all picked out for
you" What surprise and what glad
news this was can be appreciated only
by the busy housewife who has tackled
the proposition of writing club paper.
1t seems that Mrs. BATHS had taken
every club calendar at the beginning
of the season and at an endless amount
OF work prepared complete bibliog-
raphy of articles and books bearing
on the subject of each members paper.
The idea must have been her own and
the help to the women of Marshalltown
clubs is Unreasonable. yet the service
was not demanded Of librarian.
Several of the business men have
proposed to have the Commercial Club
give banquet at its annual meeting
or at about that time to the end that
the business men of this city be
brought together for an evenings dis
cussion of means and methods OF ad-
vancing the industrial interests of Mar
shalltown The idea is good one.
While they are at it tho. the invitation
should include the farmers OF this
county who are interested in the oulld-
ing Of an electric line. Since the news
announcement in these columns that
such line was being planned dozens