Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-09-13
Secretary Pierce of the Muni-
cipal League Meeting sug-
gests Important Changes
MEET AT BURLINGTON TODAY
Large Attendance at the Eighth An
nual Convention Of the League Of
Iowa NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Of the
Work of the League for the Past
Year Given.
Special to Times Republican

| Special to Times es-Republican
Burlington, Sept. 13.-The eighth an
nual meeting of the League of Iowa
Municipalities began in this city today
In the auditorium Of the Burlington
public library. The meeting was call
ed to order at 10 o'clock this morning
and Mayor Caster delivered the address
of welcome. President c. D. Huston,
| mayor of Cedar Rapids responded and
delivered his annual address. The
most important part of the program
today was the report of the secretary
! treasurer, Hon. +. G. Pierce, of Mar
shalltown, in which he reviewed the
| work of the league for the past year
| and made recommendations for the fu-
ture. One of the principal recommen-
dations was for the centralizing of
power and making certain offices APP
| pointive instead of elective. He adj
vocated four-year term for mayors
without eligibility for immediate re-
election and appointment by the mayor
of treasurer, city attorney, assessor and
the committee on street paving will be
made. The attendance is large.
Secretary Pierce's report is as fol-
lows:
Secretary Pierce's Report.
Mr. President and members of the
League of Iowa Municipalities: 1t is
with pleasure that 1 submit for your
consideration my seventh annual re-
port as secretary trea surer of Your or
ganization, and in doing SO it would
seem fitting to review briefly the de-
twelopment of municipal thought and
activities in the state of Iowa during
the past year. The year has been an
important one, the seed that was sown
in the past by earnest workers of the
league has begun to ripen and the citi-
zens of our beautiful and progressive
municipalities are beginning to reap
the harvest of greater opportunities,
more consistent service and better ur-
ban conveniences and improvements.
AS predicted one year ago the SUI
preme court of Iowa, in unanimous
opinion, upheld the validity of the law
passed by the last legislature, allow
ing cities of the second class and
towns to incur an additional debt of
one and one-fourth per centum Of the
value Of the taxable property, for the
purpose of erecting water works and
sewer systems and now the way is
opened for many of our municipalities
to obtain these necessities that before
the law was passed were utterly un-
able to do so on account Of the lack
Of necessary funds. Several of the
smaller cities have already taken steps
to avail themselves of the law, some to
build water works and others sewer
systems. This opinion is important in
that it is the first time that the SUI
preme court has squarely decided the
meaning of the constitutional provi-
sion in regard to indebtedness of mum
icipal corporations. The constitution
gives municipalities considerable lee
way in the matter Of Indebtedness, five
per centum of the real value of the
taxable property. The legislature,
however, has limited this to one and
one quarter per cent for general pur-
poses and one and one-q quarter per
cent for water works and sewers. The
Legislature could allow our municipal
tiles to incur a debt twice as large as
at present, but I see no immediate
need for any further increase and we
should fully test the present law be-
fore asking further concessions along
this line.
Sewage and Garbage.
Interest in the questions of sewage
and garbage disposal continues to
grow Many of the small municipali-
ties are taking steps to install sew
age disposal plants. Oskaloosa has
just lately completed plans for dis
posal plant that is now in course of
construction. The city engineer of Des
Moines within the last month has re-
commended the construction of plant
to take care of part of the sewage of
that city. Wherever this question is
carefully Investigated the decision
must be reached that it is against the
best interests Of our commonwealth to
dump our sewage ino our creeks and
rivers With the general installation
of sewage disposal plants our rivers
will again be clear and sparkling and a
pleasure and a source of health. With
the greatly reduced cost of sewage
disposal plants that has been brought
about in the last few years, in conse-
uuence of the better understanding OF
the action of the septic tank, there is
little excuse for any municipality con-
tinuing to contaminate our streams.
| There has been little progress in gar
bage disposal, there being no city in
! the state so far as l know that has a
sanitary system of disposing OF Its
garbage.
Sidewalks.
The permanent sidewalk epidemic,
/
course with unabated energy. The
permanent sidewalk of cement or brick
| is being adopted by all our cities and
| towns even to the smallest and in the
course of a few years a board walk
lin Iowa will be curiosity and this
most prolific source of damage suits
Continued on Second Page)