Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-12-07
Mr.. Pierce. Letter.


that the T.-R. is anxious to present all
sides of public questions ]. desire to
submit a few ideas on the proposed In
terurban proposition. Even at the risk
of being called knocker, | desire 70
call attention to several facts in re-
gard to the present proposition that
believe to be detrimental to the bes.
interests of Marshalltown. 1 do not
believe that every one who Is interest
ed in the welfare Of Marshalltown
must necessarily be in favor of this
particular interurban proposition,
neither do believe that everyone who
is in favor of this particular interur-
ban proposition is necessarily inter-
ested in the best welfare of this city.
There are many vital objections to
the present proposition.
First Mr.. Brown asks a three per
cent tax for the building of about four
teen miles of road, that is from here to
Melbourne. A per cent tax on our
present valuation of $1,766,75S would
amount to $53,002.74. Certainly this is
a considerable sum for the property
owners Of Marshalltown to donate to
Mr.. Browne for the construction Of
"a bout fourteen miles Of interurban that
will be of little or no benefit to the
property owners outside of the factor
les, jobbing houses and a limited num-
Der of our merchants. The great ma
jority of the property owners will not
be directly benefited one cent by such
a proposition and should not be asked
to bear an expense that will be of d.
rect benefit to only limited number
ne 1sfs sx,k ,,,A f1oo iyNa
will be of benefit to our jobbers and
merchants then they are the ones that
should bear the expense and not the
small property owner who will receive
no possible benefit from the same. A
small property owner working hard to
pay for his property is asked to do
nate from six to eight dollars to man
that is reported to have already ac-
cumulated large fortune. This is
certainly unfair.
Second. The statement is made that
this is only the beginning of an inter-
urban system, but Mr.. Browne does not
contract to build any other line than
the one to the Milwaukee and if, in the
future, other interurban lines are built,
an additional tax will no doubt be ask
ed. At least under the present propo-
sition the only interurban that the tax
payers are sure of, il they vote the tax,
is the one to the Milwaukee.
Third. The greatest objection to the
proposed proposition, however, is the
extension Of the present franchise of
the Marshalltown Light, Power and
Railway Company in regard to COM
mercial lighting. The extension asked
for is fourteen years from expiration
of the present franchise, or twenty-five
years, from date, and the only conces-
sion that the consumer of lights is to
franchise for twenty-five years is a
reduction of about 10 per cent in some
of their electric lighting rates or some-
thing like this. This is an immaterial
reduction when you consider that
with the wrong kind of a city council
the new rates might be enforced during
the entire twenty five years. while the
production of electrical current is be-
coming cheaper and cheaper each year
by the introduction of improved ma
chinery Of all kinds. The consumers
of gas for lighting and heating are
certainly entitled to some considera-
ton, but under the franchise outlined
in your paper they receive no conces-
sions at all.
Fourth. 1t has been the hope of most
officials and the majority of
our citizens that some day, at the ex-l
piration of the present lighting fran
chise, the city might secure the cleo
trio lighting and gas plant and oper-
ate these in connection with their
water works and other public utilities. /
The people of this city are we'll salts
fed that they would get better lights
and cheaper lights if the city We're to
own the lighting plant than they can
ever hope to receive under any private
and now the retail mer-
chants association and other citizens
present a proposition to us that We
should tie up these franchises for the
next twenty-five years. making it alb
solutely impossible for the city to sue
,essfully enter the commercial lighting
field during that period.
I believe that these objections are
If enough Importance so that the
present proposition should be defeated
md every property owner should give
his matter careful consideration be-
ore he signs the petition I know that
when a committee starts out on a
proposition of this kind that it is I'M
popular to refuse to sign, but certainly
10 small property owner or large
property owner either, for that mat
er, unless he Is interested directly or
Indirectly in the building Of the inter-