Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-10-23
DAN fight Gan Be
AN|CABLY SETTLED
Mr.. Sieg Carries a Message of
Peace 10 the City Council, But
Lacking a Definite Offer
PEACEFUL SOLUTION POSSIBLE

tabIishins Flood Gates City Could
Rebuild Dam-council Takes No
Definite Action-lndulses In Much
Taik-Herran Anarchistic.
One OF the councilmen from the
Second ward, Mr.. Sieg, came to the
whole council Monday night with q
message of peace. II Mr.. Sieg speaks
with authority the aggravs.ting dam
controversy can and should be AMIGA
bly, settled and expensive litigation
stopped. Mr.. Sieg told the council that
all the land owners interested in the
! various suits growing out of the eff
forts to remove the dam, with the ex-
ception Of Mr.. G. w. LaPlant. had
signed an agreement to dismiss theft
suits, provided the city replaced the
old dam or built a new one. and equip
ped 1t with flood gates, and that these
flood gates be left open except when
they were needed to conserve the wa
ter supply in the gravel beds.
h. Mr.. Sieg informed the council. that
he is certain the controversy can be
ended by reimbursing Mr.. LaPlant to
the extent Of the expense that he mes
entailed, and by replacing the dam
with gates and keeping them open all
the time except when, in the judg-
ment OF the water committee, they
should be closed. Mr.. sieg said this
would satisfy all the interested prop
erty owners No definite action was
taken by the council. but the informal
ton brought out much discussion,
number of the councilmen favoring
settlement II one is possible, while
others want to.fight the question thru
the courts. NJ, Sfeg said it would rec
quire about $500 to reimburse La
Plant.
The statement OF Mr.. Sieg was made
following a lengthy discussion OF the
whole dam question. which grew out
of the request Of Chairman Clark, OF
the water committee, for authority to
employ Attorney Van Law to assist the
city solicitor in the legal fight now go
ing on. The discussion brought out
declarations from a majority of the
aldermen as to where they stood,
Messrs. Mcdonald and Clark accept
ing the opportunity to declare that they
had no interest in a possible ice fight
one way or another. Mr. Clark, while
desiring finish fight. admitted that
the high stage Of the river all summer
had given no opportunity for a fair
test as to the effect of the loss of the
dam on the supply.
Mr.. Herman also made speech, In
which he declared that If he were
mayor he would see that the dam was
replaced. law or no law, and he de-
manded that Mayor Ingledue declare
his attitude in the controversy, IN or
der to refute rumors that he was not
in sympathy with the present efforts
Of the council Mr.. Ingledue declared
there was no reason to doubt his po-
sition-that he stood where he always
did. and If the water supply is en-
dangered. as the reports Of the experts
indicated. he would leave no stone un-
turned to protect 1t. IIe wants the
council to fight to get tho dam back in.
hit ut the same time he desires to
safeguard the public funds. He said
he had no personal interest in estab-
fishing an ice field tor private cor
poration, or in any effort to put that
ice company out of business, and il he
thought the present council was work.
ing in the interests of an Ice COM
pany. he would not stand for it one
minute.
Mayor Ingledue told the council that
he had believed from The first that
there was more probability of an effort
by the land owners to sell the city a
water right than that ice interests were
involved in the controversy. He said
to Mr.. Sieg that he, one of the land
owners, had better opportunity to
secure q settlement of the case than
any one else. but added that Mr.. Sieg
could not serve two masters. The may
or saws that while he Is in doubt as to
the extenteto which the dam affects the
water supply, and as to whether Its
removal would jeopardize the supply,
he is convinced that it has lowered this
level in the gravel beds and therefore
he believes the dam should be main
tanned.
1t was at this point that Mr.. Sieg in
formed the council that the contro-
versy can be settled, but no definite
action was taken other than the offer
Of a suggestion from the mayor that
negotiations for a settlement should be
opened at once, before litigation is
prosecuted further.
The water committee was empowered
to employ Attorney Van Law to assist
Solicitor Burritt, and contract with
him will be secured so the council will
know about what the cost is going to
be.
DR.. Devine rather surprised the
council by declaring that there was
In reserve one method by which the
city could maintain the dam, and that
was by appeal to the board of health.
He said the moment il. could be shown
that the health OF the city was imper-
lied by the water supply, the council
as board could act and take charge
of the whole proposition.
Upon the insistence Of the mayor
this morning, members Of the council
got together and opened negotiations
with Mr.. LaPlant looking to a settle,
mens 1t is probable that Mr.. LaPlant
ho aREad n rftv a daf-