Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-08-06
Department Resortins to RIackmaiI to
Make showins-Red Light District
Not Driven Out But Only Forced to
consresate in Other Places-other
Departments Working Well.
Special to Times-Republican.

Des Moines but have their homes else.
where but from living in Des Moines
see things at close range and there is
but one answer: .The system works
all right if you get the right men at
the head of it,"
Formerly there were nine aldermen
in Des Moines, each of whom drew
$3.50 year salary Consequently they
couldn't devote all their time to civ
affairs unless they made something
additional by graft for none of them
We're men of independent means. AS
matter of fact each of them devoted
more time to his own business affairs
than he did to the city's and largely
for this reason the city affairs were
poorly managed. Streets were not half
looked after. tho there was board of
public works and employees sufficient
to do the work.
NOW there are five men always on
the Job and the consensus of opinion
here seems to be that unless the peo-
PIE make a mistake and elect a poor
commissioner there will never fail to
nave things managed better than in
the old system. If one department is
managed poorly the system is much
better than the old because it is much
easier to get rid of the poor commits
sioner and thus reorganize his depart-
ment. Under the old system it was nee
essary to elect a majority of the coun-
eli and this couldn't always be done at
one election.
Practically there is but one depart
ment of the city government here that
is attracting any particularly unfayor-
able attention from the people at this
time Everyone seems agreed that the
streets are in much better condition
than ever before. The office work
which is in charge of the srperntend-
ent of accounts is much more syste-
matically and satisfactorily handled.
The mayors office and his work has
attracted no unfavorable attention ex-
cept that there seems to he a disposf-
ton there lately to make a rnatri-
monial bureau out of it, at the ex-
lpense of its dignity. The parks are in
lgood shape and are well cared for. Des
.Moines has mania for playing golf
and the city maintains two fine golf
courses and as long as these are in
| good shape there seems to be no COM
plant of the parks.
The department of public safety.
which includes the fire department and
city health department and the DO
lice. everything seems to be running
nicely except the police. The fire de-
partment seems to have been free from
criticism under the old regime and
there seems to be no particular change
In either that or the board of health.
1 Thespolice. concerned with the enforce
merit of the law, is ever q target for
criticism.
/ When Superintendent Harnery took
/ charge it was given out that he would
enforce the law and the lid went on y
Cherry street, which was the red light
district here was forced to quit bust
ness and gambling stopped. 1t looked
for time as tho the city would be
exceedingly clean in these respects
Lately the body polite seems to be
having some commissions and spasms in
this part of the reform movement.
The situation can better be illustra.
! ed than explained. A raid was made
on the hotel of r. j. Woollett next the
Y. NJ. c. A building. woollett former
" lived in Marshalltown, is high in
Masonic circles and a man with a rep
utation of a clean character and the
highest Integrity. The police entered
two rooms in the hotel and found 8
man and woman in each room. The
men We're policemen in plain clothes
and the girls were hired by the police
department to go to the hotel for the
purpose of making the raid. The cou
pies were in adjoining rooms. There
seems to be no denial at the police de.
partment but that the two girls wer,
shown into one room and the two mer
into an adjoining one. They did no
enter the hotel paired off in couples
One of the girles formerly worked at tn.
hotel and had pass key and she open.
ed the door in between the rooms ant
then they paired off awaiting the RAFT
by the department. One of the girl
has since admitted that she was pait
$50 for her work
While this was all going on ther
was another little scene enacted farthe
away from the business section and al
into the residence section of the city
A firm of architects in Des Moines ad
vertised for craftsman and engaged
man in Chicago. He came to De
Moines to take the position and in
quired for a room. One of the firm o
architects picked. up a Des Nome
daily paper and ran thru the wan
. column and checked off for him a mum
Der of rooms which from the location
he knew to be close in and in the resi-
dence section. The young man starte
out with the list and was shown
good room. He took it and started 4
arrange his grips and other property
He hadn't been in the room two min
! .utes sbefore a bevy of five or six fe
males entered his room and threw thei
arms about his neck with many expires
sions OF endearment They were al
former Inhabitants of the under worlt
1t was a decided surprise to tn
young Chicago architect and he .ibea
| a dlasty retreat and explained 10 fl1er
that he had gotten into the wrong pew
A respectable woman Of Des Nome
| IN fact one OF tf1e most highly respect
ed women Of the city, was standing a