Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-01-13
webster,s Attack on Glucose.


Mr.. Webster's attack on the glucose
company was startling in that it was
entirely unexpected. 1t stirred up a
few dead bones, especially in it's refer
ence to an action of former council.
that was hoodwinked by the glucose
officials in Chicago, and twisted around
the little finger of the big trust, to the
Ecity's detriment. Mr.. Webster thinks
the time has come when Marshalltown
should cease to look upon the glucose
works as benefit, but rather as an old
sore which, the longer it is allowed to
run without the aid of medicine, the
worse it becomes.
The report was signed in toto by Mr..
Webster and Mr.. Greene, but the other
member OF the committee, Mr.. kreutz-
err, signed 1t only as 1T referred to the
legal phases. AS he was member of
the council that Mr.. Webster takes oc-
casion to criticize, he does not wish to
stand in the light of being in favor of
such criticism. Mr.. Webster's report
was very caustic and pertinent. 1t fol-
lows:
ITO the Honorable Mayor and City
Council: Your committee, to whom was
referred the question of assessment and
taxes OF the Glucose Sugar Refining
COMPANY, begs leave to submit the fol-
lowing:
ION entering upon the investigation
OF this subject the committee found
itself at once confronted with the ques-
ton, What are our legal relations with
the company, made by existing con-
tract entered into by a former council
Of this city?' 1t became necessary,
therefore, to understand what this con-
tract was and its binding force.
I'm 1900 the Glucose Sugar Refining
Company was enjoined by our neigh
Dor, Tama county, from polluting the
Iowa river, and it was question then
of taking care Of the sewage or clos
ing the factory,
1.-THE company proposed to the city
council the construction of a dispos-
al plant, the plans of which had been
prepared by skilled engineer and were
believed to be adequate and sufficient
for that purpose. The estimated cost
OF this plant was $4,000, which sum
the company offered to advance to the:
city at per cent interest, to be re-
paid by the refunding and rebating
OF taxes and water rent as they be-
came due.
This, then, was the substance OF the
contract entered into, with the adj
ditional bait held out that the COM
pany would erect syrup mixing plant
that would employ $50 men. The con-
tract was entered into by committee
from the city council, at meeting
held in Chicago, where they were
'wined and dined' in the palatial offices
of that great combination. These wiley
spiders weaved the web of their gil
gantic corporation about these Inno-
cents Abroad in such an influential
manner as to induce them to overlook
the all-important feature, that there
should be an agreement In the con-
tract upon the part of the company to
operate the syrup plant after 1t was
built, as we'll as the main factory; but
this was not done for a day nor an
hour. Not an obligation of any binding
force was put upon them except the
loaning of the money at good in
terest, and for this they held mort
gage upon their taxes and water rent.
mot satisfied with the one sided
agreement, as the entertainment
warmed up, they asked for everything
in sight and got it. The assessment
was to be reduced to $4,000 on the
plant for period of ten years and the
personal property to escape almost en-
tirely
ut is not the purpose of this commit
tee to find fault or criticise the coun-
ell that afterwards ratified this con-
tract Some things are too sacred to
be mentioned in public, others too od-
oriferous to be stirred up. Suffice 1t,
is this contract legal Has the Glu
cose Sugar Refining Company carried
out its part of the contract, or the
spirit of the contract. SO as to morally
bind the city to fulfill it's contract?
i ct is a we'll known principle OF law,
established by our highest courts, that
municipal corporations can not aid
an enterprise exclusively private, with
out special legislation authorizing it,
The agreement to rebate and refund
taxes and water rents must therefore
be Illegal and void. because the legis-