Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-04-28
Warns Council of Effort Likely
to Be Made to Sell Dam to
City at Inflated Value
POSSIBLY IA PLANT WANTS MILL
IT So, and City Wants to Sell, Provis-
ion Should Be Made to Prevent Any
suyslin. With Water LeveI-Mayor
Roasts His Political Rival About
Cost of Dam Litigation.

Because he has discovered scheme
on the part of George w. LaPlant's at
torneys in which he alleges that La
Plant is going to make a proposition
to the city to sell to it the Center
street dam at highly inflated value,
or buy the mill property in order to
hold up the Marshall Ice Company by
manipulating the water level, ex-City
Solicitor C. H. Van Law presented to
the council Monday night a lengthy
communication of warning. Mr.. Van
Law says that he discovered the plot
by accident, and fastened to inform
the council of just what he has reason
to suspect.
II the city is so disposed to sell the
mill, Mr.. Van Law urges and warns
that every precaution be taken to pre-
vent any juggling with the water level,
which could be done by putting in q
wheel and controlling the water in the
field, to the detriment of the citys
water supply, and the natural ice crop.
Activity Of Opposition Noticeable.
The sudden activity of LaPlant's at
torney in having the eight dam cases
Of an entire year, has caused Mr.. Van
Law to sound the note Of warning to
the city, he being the city's attorney in
the dam litigation. He points out that
the city has always expected to pay
something for the water power, having
protected itself in all other essentials
by obtaining ownership Of the land UP
to the dam and by right of mainten-
ance for public purposes.
Politics Now Stir 1t Up.
Born of business rivalry between
two ice companies, famed by the
claims Of a banks mortgage, this dam
case has now become the foot ball Of
a political campaign. The mayor and
Mr.. Van Law are rival candidates for
office and the mayor has a checkmate
for his rivals communication in a COM
Of his own in which he re-
cites the various steps taken in the
dam litigation and asserts that under
Mr.. Van Laws advice we have paid
$1,000 for mill which we can't run,
and have built a $4,000 dam and can't
use the water power. He then recon-
mends that the city buy the dam and
own the water power, warning the
council to ascertain what the attor-
neys' fees are going to amount to.
The facts are that everybody, the
mayor, Van Law and the city council,
would like to own the dam and the
water power. There has been much
it is true, but seven out of
the eight cases pending have been
brought against the city for the ulti-
mate purpose Of destroying the dam,
which the city's own experts have in
sisted would jeopardize the public wa
ter supply. The one case brought by
the city was for the purpose of estab-
fishing the city's right to maintain the
dam. Mr.. Van Law contends that up
to this time the litigation has failed to
prevent the city maintaining the dam
and its water supply and the only diff
ference in the recommendations Of the
two political candidates seems to be
that Van Law wants the city to buy
the dam at a reasonable price or If 1t
sells the mill, to protect and preserve
its right to control the water level,
while the mayor would have it appear
that the city should buy the dam be-
cause Mr.. Van Laws litigation and fees
have been very expensive.