Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-05-04
DEs MONIES PLAN OF GOVERN
MENT THREATENED WITH BE.
COMING plscREplTEo.
CITIZENS THREATEN
TO INVOKE THE RECALL
Supreme Court Expected to Decide
Cedar Rapids Gas Case at May Term
Ruling Awaited With Great inter-
est by Other Cities of the State -
Court Decision on lnebriates.
Special to Times-Republican.


Des Moines. May 4.-Unless there is
speedy settlement of pending troubles
in the Des Moines city commission the
whole scheme of government is going
to suffer a great setback in the first
city of the northern states to try it
out. Already there are rumblings of
the coming storm and threats OF appli-
cation of the recall TO the whole Des
Moines commission because of the dis
graceful quarrel into which the COM
mission has got itself over the build
ing OF city hall. Nobody seems TO
be able to point out just what the
trouble is or who is to blame and SO
ii is that the entire commission is fall
ing into disfavor The immediate cause
Of the quarrel is the unwillingness of
the council 10 permit John S1acNicar,
in whose department the construction
Of new hail would come. 10 designate
the supervising architect for the build
ing. Councilman Hamery appears to be
first in opposing MacNicar, but others
have joined in the quarrel. The upshot
of it is that there is a deadlock, that
the members are accusing each other
OF all sorts Of viuaines, that they are
raking up early records and past and
forgotten traditions, saying the city
is facing a prospect OF no city build
ing al all The threats OF using the re-
call are becoming numerous and it will
not be surprising if the whole COM
mission is ordered out and new set
is placed in charge.
The supreme court is in session for
the May term and interest centers in
the expected decision on the Cedar
Rapids gas case. This is the case
wherein the city of Cedar Rapids sue
eeeded in getting a reduction in the
courts of the price of gas lower than
what the company contended was a
fair remuneration. The case was ap-
pealed 10 the supreme court and de-
cision is awaited by all the larger cit
les of the state which are interested
in knowing what powers a municipali-
~ has in fixing the rates 10 be charged
by public utility corporation doing
business under a city franchise.
Il ali the district court judges in
Iowa assume the same tactics adopted
by Judge Jesse Miller. of Polk county,
when he instructed the grand jury
Mondya, there will probably be no more
escapes from the state inebr;ate hos
pital at Knoxville The instruction
came up in connection with the judge
instruction regarding the new law that
makes it a crime for saloon keepers or
druggists to sell liquor to any person
who has taken the cure" and puts the
burden Of the evidence upon them.
Judge Miller in this connection Gale
attention Of the jurors to the fact that
the Knoxville institution is state hos
pital TO which men are regularly COM
1nitted by court and that any man es-
cay:ng from the institution is guilty
of an indictable misdeamor. He IN
structed the jury that they should re-
turn indictments against any such es-
capes found in Polk county, with the
inference that he will give them a rock
1 pile sentence such as will discourage
others from returning 70 Polk county
! should they escape. Now if other
judges follow suit there will be n
4 county 10 which man may esca pc
with safety and accordingly inmates
Of the state inebriate hospital will havs
Ito stay and take their medicine or 81
to the rock pile
Grand juries turnout the state viii
have heavy work this fall, as they vii
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