Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-08-22
Local Comment


The library board has before it a
suggestion to close the public library
at o'clock in the evening. 1t would
be Just about as consistent to nail up
the windows and send the key back
to Carnegie with curt note, telling
him to come and get his old shack Ii
a public library is intended for public
use as a reading room it should be
open every evening until o'clock, and
on Sunday afternoons during the
months from September l to May /.
During the summer months, when peo-
pie prefer to spend their evening hours
out OF doors, o'clock closing of
public library causes no inconvenience,
but as soon as the evenings become
chilly people seek the reading lamp
and their books and magazines. 1t is
then that public library should throw
wide It's welcome until a reasonable
hour for retiring. Nor should this
arrangement necessitate overly. long
days of service for the librarians. With
three librarians, an apprentice, and
man employed, 1t ought not to be diff
ficuH to so arrange the work in shifts
that the evening service would not
lengthen the number of hours of
service in week for any individual
Keep the library open and advertise
the fact.
There is need in this town for better
charity work, more of it, and organiza-
ton. The church societies are doing
something, but charity is too much Of
an incident in church activity. Build
ing up membership, paying off mort
cages, raising organ funds, and foreign
missions, consume the major efforts,
when aid to the sick and needy should
always come first. But charity is
discouraging business. Nearly every
body who tries it gets slapped in the
face with some case of 1mposture or
inexcusable mismanagement. 1t casts
suspicion on all poverty, and d1sheart-
ems the giver, but nevertheless need
and distress do exist. They should be
promptly relieved. Why not organize
a central union of all church societies,
and establish a general secretary to
investigate cases of need and make an
official report to the constituent So
cieties? If such were done, free news
paper publicity could be used In rails
ing funds for the work. The personal
work of church people, and the slsterly
care of need within their own church
membership would not be 1nterfered
with at ALL We have an organized
charities now, but it can not accom-
plish much because it is not sup
ported. Let the church people take
charge Of it and Immediately there will
be a following behind the work to give
it support. Everybody, then, can be
called upon to contribute, and they
will contribute, for there will be some
thing doing.
When swift running horse down at
the county fair seems to have the track
all to himself for big purse, the
Judges should not attempt to put an
unequal amount Of lead in the saddle
of some new horse which is offered for
entry so as to make a race. This same
principle applies to the telephone
franchise now before the city council.
The field should be a fair one, as free
to one as another. The saddles and
riders should be weighed and weighted
alike, and then If somebody enters a
slow horse he can't blame the judges
when he loses his money
&
If there is any one in Marshall
town who is not sure that his city is
prospecting, he should scan the record
The Western Grocer company, at It's
Marshalltown mills, will within a week
double it's capacity for coffee roasting,
enabling an output of car load OF
coffee daily It's pay roll now numbers
sixty people. In it's canning depart
ment beginning Monday, the working
force will be practically doubled, fur
nishing employment for between 100
and 200 people. The Plymouth Stone
ware company, Marshalltown's new
pottery, is getting ready to double Its
capacity, and is employing forty peo-
pie: The Lennox Furnace company is
increasing it's force, in an effort to
supply the demand for new furnaces
before cold weather sets in. The pack
ing house and the A. E. Shorthill COM
pany were advertising for more help
this week, and are running full
handed. The Marshalltown Buggy COM
pany has been running on full time
during the season when big eastern
factories in the same line have either
been idle or on half time. The Mar
shalltown Syrup and Sugar company
starts up Monday with thirty people
The LennoX Machine company is WORK
ing it's usual large number of skilled
mechanics The Marshall OIL company
is increasing it's business by a new
plant. which will be supplied from the
headquarters here. The Drop Forge
company, the Durham company, the
trowel works, Fisher Governor COM
pany and numerous other factories are
all busy. In fact all that is desired for
prosperity and happiness is the re-
sumption of work by the old shop ems
ployes of the Iowa Central. When they