Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-11-24
Council Reconsiders Ordinance
Licensing Theaters and Es-
tablishes Old Rate
lTiNERANT HucksTERs BARRED
Section Covering Sales of Transient
Vegetable Men on the Streets Is
Observation-Disclosures Do Not Admit of
Limitation. But Council Will Run
6Iuff-Many Ordinances Adopted.

The city council. at its adjourned
meeting Monday night. reconsidered
the ordinance on licenses, adopted at
the meeting a week ago, and amended
the section on theaters. Instead of a
maximum license of $3.50, which was
passed In an amendment of Mr.. Greene
the old rate of $50, the same as nov
paid. was made the maximum. There
censes hereafter. but the rate will be
fiat one.
Mr.. Webster called for the reconsid-
,eration of the final vote on the passage
of the ordinance and announced that
he had an amendment to the section
covering theaters. Mr.. Webster said
that when the ordinance was amended
by Mr. Greene he had not given the
matter any thought Since that time
however. he had investigated and had
found that statements made concern
Ing the character of the shows given
We're not in accordance with the facts
and that the maximum of $50 was eX
orbitant. as compared with other cities
even larger than Marshalltown. He
said that the owners of the theatel
here We're taxpayers, had spent money
for the improvement of their property
and he thought it unjust to charge
such a high license. He cited the cit.
of Dubuque, with population of AS
000 where only $75 was charged
Clinton. with $4,000 population, had bu.
a $50 theater license, an Quincy, H.. @
larger city, charged but SIS. Ottumwa
with $4,000 population, charged $40, but
always RENTED 1t. and the same was
true of Oskaloosa. He considered $5C
sufficient license for Marshalltown.
The vote to reconsider was unani-
nous, as was also that on the amend
ment.
AS long as the ordinance was again
open for amendment Mr.. Abbott called
for section 5, which bears on the sale
Of vegetables on the streets. Mr.. ABB
bolt amended the section by placing the
words. "of his or her own raising" after
the clause that deals with hucksters
City Solicitor Van Law Called the coun-
CHS attention to assertion or the stat
utes, which does not permit of such a
limitation, and considerable debate
followed on whether or not the council
should amend the ordinance in view OF
the direct violation to the statutes.
The retail grocers of the city are
back of the amendment, and Mr.. IT,
8. Peckham was given permission TO
explain the object of the move. He said
that 1t was the custom, oftentimes, for
travelling vendors to buy a car load OF
potatoes. apples or other vegetables,
and haul them into town for the pur-
pose of disposing of them at retail to
consumers. In nearly every instance
the goods were perishable, and could
not be disposed of at home, therefore
they were taken to some other town,
where they were sold to housewives
who were not able to judge of their
character. He thought the Ignorance
of the people was taken advantage OF
by these irresponsible vendors. and SAD
something ought to be done to protect
the consumers, as we'll as the RESPONSE
BILE merchants.
1t was finally decided, after con-
siderable argument, that while the or
dtnance would conflict with the stat
utes, IL would be as we'll to run the
bluff, as 1t might have good moral
effect. The amendment carried, Kreut-
ger and Webster alone voting nay. The
rules were then suspended and the or
dinance again placed on It's maj read
ing, and was adopted.
Many Ordinances Passed.
The council practically brought to a
close the work of a year and haif
on ordinance revision. The entire coun-
ell. with the exception of Mr.. Greene
and Mr.. Psenicka, who were absent,
voted forty-one consecutive times,
yea" in the adoption of the ordinances
that had been considered at previous
meetings, and were on their second and
third readings. The ordinances on their
third readings which were adotped,
were the curfew. numbering of build
ings, moving of buildings. estab-
fishing curb lines, destruction of
gaming instruments, liquor tax,
regulation OF bill posters, mainten-
ance of flagmen at railroad crossings.
weights and measures and providing
for city scales, repairing and cleaning
sidewalks of snow and ice. defining du-
ties Of city marshal, trimming shade
and ornamental trees, time and manner
of making all appropriations for money
for maintenance Of city government,
establishing and regulating police de-
partment. punishment by hard labor OF
those under sentence for misdemeanor,
punishment and providing penalties for
misdemeanor, protection of water
works from injury and damage, pro-
fibiting stock from running at large,
and boiler inspection and regulation of
steam boilers.
Aside from the above, ordinances on
their second reading We're placed on
their third and We're adopted as fol-
lows: Misdemeanors, regulating Dill
Hard halls, construction, reconstruction
and repairing of temporary sidewalks,
reconstruction and re-
pairing of permanent sidewalks, and
assessment of costs thereof, street I'M
provements, filing or draing of lots
on which water becomes stasnant ana
providing for the assessment of costs
thereof, providing for road and poll tax
and the manner of collecting same,
naming of streets and avenues, con-
struction of sewers, sidewalks and
other public improvements, defining
nuisances and the suppression and
abatement thereof. prescribing the
manner of holding elections. registra-
ton and the election of city officers and
providing methods for their removal,
boundaries of city and wards, regulat-
ing the licensing OF dogs and the con-
troll of dogs running at large estab-
lishIn1, the official seals of the city Of