Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-03-04
,BR f iowa COMMENT


| The great state of iowa is advancing
lin every phase of material develop
lment. 1t is also making unusual
strides in law enforcement and moral
luplift. Crime that has been covered
FOR burt half concealed for long time
lis being ferretsd out and the criminals
arrested and punished. Ne9arious en-
Eterprises that have been permitted TO
flourish under the very eyes of nu-
Enicipal and judicial authorities are be-
ling broken up and rooted out. The in
gnuence of reformatory efforts are be.
ling felt in society generally. Iowa is
la good state now, but 1t will be bet
ter. 1t is growing better every day
Out in Council Bluffs the hand of
the law has descended upon one Of the
worst syndicates of swindlers that ever
fexisted in the state. The magnitude
and success of their operations almost
challenge belief. Disclosures of their
shrewd and systematic fleeing of
wealthy victims read more like ro-
nance than fact. Yet proof is abund-
ant and positive that the story is not
OillY IIuc, Is NOuOtlSSS IiOl Iiiil tQii
yet. But retribution is at hand The
law has been outraged and justice has
seemed to sleep, but an awakening has
come and the infamous work of the
forty thieves" is doubtless at an end.
1t will take Council Bluffs long time
however to remove the stigma caused
by harboring this notorious gang until
its ill-gotten gains aggregated prob
ably million dollars.
Mason City is holding it's own, il
not indeed breaking the record, in
landing big Industrial enterprises.
Hardly had people quit wondering
how Mason City succeeded in securing
another million dollar cement plant up
there when news came that 100000
tinware factory was in sight. While
the locality is peculiarly favored on
account of raw material for the cement
industry, it's advantages in other di
rections are no greater than other
towns of its size But it has lot of
business men who do things and get
things and keep at it all the time.
Apparently they have never yet
reached the point when they thought
they had enough. That's the spirit that
wins.
Has it occurred to the average read
err that Mason City is steadily growing
and prospecting and keeps right on Sc
curing big new manufacturing plants,
despite the fact that the city has no
saloons, hence derives no revenue from
the liquor traffic? Such is the fact and
the Inference is plain that a town can
prosper without the saloon. Further
comment is needless.
Grinnell citizens are getting busy on
the short course proposition. The
splendid success attending the holding
of short courses at Waterloo, Marshall
town and other cities has prompted
Grinnell to get into the game, hence a
delegation of representative business
men of that town came to Marshall
town and spent day in attendance ut
the exhibition here, with the result
that they became so enthused that a
short course for Grinnell is already as
sured. 1t is a good thing to pass around
and keep going.
While Iowa is making history and
breaking records in nearly all lines OF
advancement, the good roads problem
is not making the progress that it
should United effort and practicable
system are the primary essentials.
Money must be forthcoming, but it has
always cost money to make good roads
and lots of it has been wasted, while
the highways as rule are by no means
in as good condition as they should lie
if the labor and money had been iu-
diciously expended The demand Tor
better roads is growing. How to meet
it is the question of the hour.
The rural school issuesis live one
just now. And it is going to be still
more lively. Not in years. if ever, has
there been so much agitation of the
centralized school question. One par
unfortunate feature of The
controversy, however, is the very APP
parent lack of information on the sub
iect in many quarters There would be
far less contention and bitterness if
everybody We're familiar with the law
and the facts, and such knowledge
would simplify matters immensely.
Let's get posted, lay aside prejudice
and personal interest and then we can
all join hands and work for the COM
mon good.
Hope should be awakened or revived
in the breast of the consumpt!ve. Great
results are attending the efforts of the
commission. The hospital
ut Oakdale. Rea,. Iowa CITY is curing