Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-10-18
0|1|S|VE STRIFE
CAUSED BY RIVER
State Accountants Examination
at Waterloo Shows Intense
Rivalry Exists
EAST SIDE AGAINST WEST SIDE
When Dollar of Public Funds is Spent
for Town on One Side of River,
Other Side Must Receive Like Sum
Dark Horse for Congress in the Sixth
Kendall Can't Win.
Special to Times Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines. Oct. 1S.--While the re-
port of Inspector Sheets, of the muni-
cipal accounts department Of the state
dition of Wateroo's books are in ex-
cellent shape and will praise generally
the lines the report viii disclose the
horribly divided state of affairs be-
cause Of the river. This showing is not
to be intentional on the part of the
inspector. Inspector Sheets is much
taken with Waterloo and much taken
with the way Waterloo has kept It's
books and accounts.
But it is learned that the exainina-
tion discloses that the river in Water
loo divides the city into two parts and
that there might almost as well be two
rival cities as to have the present state
of affairs. The hard fight over the Ii
brary situation that finally resulted In
two Carnegie libraries being erected in
the city is we'll remembered by news
paper readers. The examination Of the
city's accounts show that there is re-
ligiously maintained separate sewer
funds, separate grading funds. separate
"all kinds of funds" for the two sides
of the river. When one side got a new
theater the other side got one too, but
in city affairs there are two secretar-
les of the park board with two offices
and two sets of books, one on the east
side and one on the west.
The city doesn't maintain two seats
of city government, but when it spends
q dollar on one side of the river 1t
must spend another on the other side.
Even down to the tax levy the two
sides of the river are maintained. On
one side the tax levy is different from
the other side and every cent raised
on one side of the river must be spent
on that side.
Des Moines is divided by the river
and while 1t crops out now and then
it Is not allowed to make much differ
ence in the welfare of the city. The
west side has been generous all along
and tho 1t is the larger and has the
hulk of the property it allows the east
side to get more than it's share Of the
public money. 1t is allowing it to get
the new city hall when from an eco
nomic standpoint 1t is rank folly. The
price paid for the new city hall site is
about one-third more than it is worth
at least and Furthermore the city al
I,ac cit tvhprn tho n1d
city hall stands and from a business
there is no reason in buy
ing additional land somewhere else.
The only plausible excuse so far CIV
en- is that it will improve the appear
ance of the east side but it is to cost
the CITY of Des Moines an expenditure
of more than 100000 to do 1t more
than to build the new city hall in the
old place.
These facts are perfectly well known
to West Des Moines business men but
they refuse to make any objection be-
cause they wish to disarm the east side
prejudice and give nothing to feed on.
A dark horse in the Sixth district
and a candidate from every county in
the Third is the prophecy that some
OF the politicians are making lat ~.
l. is leE,g argued that not one OF the
cf the Sixth distri !. ca1
win. Representative Offill is laughed
at. One politician declares that Offill
will not be able to get the support OF
more than dozen farmers. Kendall.
Rominger and Judge Roberts are all
said to be losing candidates for one
reason or another and the prophecy
is that dark horse will win in the
Sixth. Some inquiry as to who the
dark horse will be discloses that Judge
Clements. of Newton, is the man
thought of.
IT is claimed that Clements is very
strong with the people and good vote
getter. Clements Judicial district
takes in four counties out of the seven
in the Sixth congressional district.
These are Jasper. Powershiek. Ma
haska and Keokuk. The other three
in the Sixth congressional district are:
Monroe, Wapello and Davis. Kendall
lives in Monroe, Roberts in Wapello
and Rominger in Davis. Just there is
where the other fellows have hopes of
their dark horse. They think that
Clements will be stronger in the four
than all the other three can
put together and in their reck-
oning they take no account whatever
II Offill. as never being in it."
In the Third congressional district
It is being claimed that the candidacy
If Sweet of Waverly will result in a
candidate being out in the Third from
very county in the district. Sweet is
i middle of the road man, according to
here. 1t is claimed that
MS coming out will break the ice and
hat Birdsall will have candidate in
very county with Pickett the prob
,ble candidate from Blackhawk coun-
".
Iowa National Guardsmen are inter
.sted in new bullet and the target
,ractices of the coming season in Iowa
sill probably be with this bullet. IL