Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-01-14

property owners on his street must be
ignored or else we would never have
any public Improvement. Likewise 1T
has seemed unfair to condemn the
council for ordering asphalt in prefer
ence to brick when the property own
ers on streets once ordered to be paw
ed with brick, demanded that the bids
be rejected and asphalt ordered.
1t has been repeatedly asserted by
councilmen that If they will only stick
to the truth We'll meet all criticism
and there has been some justice in this
implied request For instance man
circulating petition for the proposed
good citizenship league asserted to the
cashier of one of our banks that the
new reservoir was a failure, and was
not being used, but that the city water
supply was coming direct from the
wells as formerly. This implied anoth-
er sewage disposal plant fiasco and
possibly steal. but inquiry at the
pumping station reveals the fact that
the reservoir has been in constant use
WHY hdy SIlCt us lOIIIplSlIOll SotNS
one on which it was emptied and clean
ed. There is need for people to keep
their heads and not get excited over
these matters.
However there has been new criti-
cism raised by the anti-pavers which
Is q just and fair one as we'll as
very serious one If the facts are as
represented. If there is any paving
on our city streets that fails to meet
the specifications Of the contract the
council that accepted it must accept
responsibility for the negligence in the
performance of it's duty. Since there
seems to be no question as to
the right of the city and of property
owners to refuse paymen, for defec-
tive paving, even tho 1t has been ac-
cepted by the city authorities. the
council should use every effort to force
the contractors to make good on their
work. There can be no ifs nor
lands" about the duty of public Of
ficers in this regard. However, this
newspaper believes in being fair to the
council as we'll as to others and Is
willing to Withhold censure until the
Investigations have been made. At
present we have only the evidence OF
one side trying to make case. If they
prove right the council must accept
the blame.
Again it would seem that there is
an urgent necessity for the council to
take measures to avoid endless ex-
pense In litigation There was little
merit in the contention that the con-
tract made with assisting cousel could
be construed to have employed these
lawyers in all Of the succeeding cases
but the facts are that after the terms
of this contract had been fulfilled and
its obligations discharged the Judiciary
committee did employ these same law
yers in a second case and the expense
will eventually be as great as in the
first case. Now comes a member of
this firm remarking in a public gath
ering that this litigation has only be-
gum" that it will continue for years"
and the public has right to warn the
council to be careful Of expense. Law
yers, like other men, are hooking for
business. 1t is the duty OF the client
to count the cost.
Likewise in the matter of permanent
sidewalks, the question Of the public
need for same and the benefit confer
red upon adjacent property is always
one Of conclusion based upon the facts
In each specific case There can be
no question, however, as to the gener-
al policy of laying permanent side
walks as a matter of public improve
ment and one Of the peculiar phases OF
this question is that, while a great
many complaints about the hardship
Of sidewalk expense, ETC., have come to
this office, the informant in every in
stance has been a man who owned
houses to rent or carried vacant prop
erty as a speculation. In no case has
the poverty pinched person made the
complaint himself. Such things
suggest again the thoughts of the
hubble citizen who Is compelled to wade
thru snow on the uncleaned walk adj
jacent to some rich mans vacant lots
or who has to mire thru mud
where the owner of such property
should build walk and they
harmonic with the views Of the
man who breaks a leg as he goes thru
some rotten board walk IN front or
rented place owned by an uptown CAPT.
talist. Poor but worthy people have
been oppressed in occasional instances
by both paving and sidewalk improve
ments. Such things can't be helped
without blocking all improvements UNI
til the state laws are changed to appor-
ton the expense upon the general pub
lie. But If these people were left to
make their own "holler" there would
be a dead calm in the storm in COM
parison.
On the other hand there is even an
other issue upon which the council is
receiving considerable just censure.
A very large number Of very good citi-
zens are convinced that our saloon
evil is greater than it Of necessity
should be. They believe that the pres
emit council has neglected its opportun-
ity to reduce the number of saloons in
this city and it unquestionably has.
These good people are embarrassed in
every effort by radical element with
in their number which knows neither
policy nor reason, but 1t Is now evident
that future councils must listen to the
demands Of these people even II the