Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-09-17
YOU'D ENTER PC[|ECS
Iowa League Of municipalities
Urged to Work For Election
of Fewer Farmers
PIERCE SCORES LEGISLATURE
Secretary Treasurcr's Annual Report
to Tenth Annual Meeting Attracts
Wide Interest-Features of tho Gath
erins, Which Will Adjourn Thurs
day.
Special to mes-Republican.

Special to Times-Republican.
Council Bluffs, Sept. 1.-THE tenth
annual convention of the League of
Iowa Municipalities is in session here,
beginning today, and will continue thru
Thursday. The meeting gives promise
on this, the opening day, of being the
most important Of the ten so far held,
as a good program has been arranged
and several important questions are to
be taken up.
Interest of the convention today CEN
tered in the report of the secretary
treasurer, Frank G. Pierce, of Mar
shalltown, which was presented this
afternoon. Secretary Pierce would
make the league an instrument of
force in politics, and in his report Sc
verely arraigns the legislature of the
farmers who do not appreciate the
needs of cities.
The report shows that the league
membership has increased to lis cit
les. compared to ninety one year ago.
Mr.. Pierce recommends that q repre-
sentative should be maintained at Des
Moines during the entire legislative
session. In his criticism of the legisla-
ture and in urging the league to enter
into politics, Secretary Pierce said:
"At the last three sessions of the
legislature the League of Iowa Munich
palities has asked the state legislature
to appropriate the sum Of five thousand
dollars annually to be expended by or
der Of the state executive council. for
the purpose of investigating questions
of interests to the cities and towns of
the state but we have never been able
to get much consideration for the prop
ositiont The great questions OF water
supply, paving, sewerage, sanitation
and many others of the greatest i'm
portance to the people of every city
and town in the state do not appeal to
the average member of the legisla-
ture
Ito him the improvement of the
breed Of horses and other domestic an
imals is of more Importance than the
health. the comfort and the lives of the
people of the municipalities of Iowa.
Immediately after the chairman OF the
house committee on appropriation in
the last legislature read the report
recommending the appropriation
asked by the league for indefinite post
ponement he again secured the atten-
ton of the chair to read the favor
able recommendation of bill to APP
propriate $500 to improve the breed
of different domestic animals 1t is no
doubt a satisfaction to the citizens or
our municipalities to know that the
breed of q horse or a COW or a pig IS
in the minds of our legislature, OF more
Importance than the health and lives
of themselves and their children
"This condition is better understood,
however, when the membership OF the
legislature Is analysed. In the house,
out of 1OS members, fifty-tive, or
constitutional majority, were farmers
or retired farmers, or interested In
farming. Fourteen democrats and
twenty-five republicans were elected
from cities of over 1000 population.
These cities, with only thirty-six
members, have a total population OF
over $4,000, and spend each year on
public improvements more tnan al
other political divisions in the state
combined. Six other members were
elected from towns having popuia-
ton of from 1000 to 1000.
Out Of thirty eight members OF the
appropriation committee in the house,
only eleven were residents OF cities OF
over 1000 population Twenty-four
of the thirty-eight were farmers or IN
terested in farming.
with this condition in the legisla-
ture and in the appropriation commit
tee. it is not surprising that the breed
ing Of domestic animals is CONSIDERED
Of more Importance than the welfare
of the inhabitants of our municipah-
ties"
Of the important legislation secured
thru the efforts of the league, Mr.
Pierce called special attention to that
permitting cities to increase their IN
debtedness for municipal improve
ments. He strongly recommended the
securing Of the passage OF law re-
moving the tax on municipal bonds,
thus reducing the rate of interest.
Banquet Wednesday Night.
The leading feature Of the enter
tainment planned for the visitors will
be the banquet to be given Wednesday
night at the Grand hotel. Invitations
to the banquet have been extended 10
all the business men of the city ana
members Of the commercial club, board
of park commissioners and board OF
education. Indications at present are
that the banquet will be one OF the
largest ever held in the city. The
principal address Of the evening Will
be delivered by Hon. Henry T. Clarke
Jr., of Omaha, member Of the Nebras-
ka railway commission and author OF
the terminal tax bill that was passed
by the Nebraska legislature last WIN
ter.
In addition to the banquet, the COM
mittee has arranged for an automobile
tour Of the city and vicinity and the
visitors will be afforded an opportun-
ity to examine some Of Supervisor
Bakers good roads" leading into the
CITY and the two stretches of road
built by the Iowa highway commits
sion.
The program is brim full of inter-
esting papers. Hon. Andrew RoseWater
of Omaha. will read one on the
Proper Width of Paving of Resident
Streets and as Mr.. Rosewater is a
recognized authority on all Questions
relating to paving, his ideas on the
subject undoubtedly will be Of interest
to property owners and others. In
connection with the paving question,
4 49,