Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-12-04

Thoughtful persons always buy
early" says an Ottumwa merchant
who Is genuinely interesting himseIft
In campaign to induce early shop.
ping and avoid the usual Christmas
rush. Possibly experience has taught
the thoughtful person the manifold
advantages in early Christmas shop
s&Dg. Possibly, too, that same expert
sNsce has taught them the disadvan-
tages that befall the tardy shopper.
Promptness is a characteristic to be
admired in anyone. The delinquent has
always grievance to recite They us
ually blame anybody and everybody
for their disappointments. The early
shopper is a delightful buyer, always
full Of sunshine and by their happy
spirit they make everybody with whom
they come in contact happy They are
thoughtful of their own welfare and
the welfare of others, too They are
s4ever failing in the duty they owe
themselves and their neighbor. 1t is
really pleasure to come in contact
with people who are thoughtful of the
necessity of early Christmas shopping.
They realize the good they do for
others without extra cost, in fact, they
know 1t would be costliest to wait. and
unfair to others to defer things till the
last. Too much stress cannot be
brought to bear on the necessities of
early Christmas shopping. 1t is en-
couraging to the merchants and sales
people to see people shopping early.
They will appreciate your effort. Can
you realize the good it will do? OF
cource you can. Itemize your list, start
out and do at least part of your shop
ping tomorrow"
81 am heartily in favor of the COM
r.ission plan of government, declared
Sumner Siberell, when asked his opin
ion of the new form of conducting
municipal affairs. There are several
reasons why | favor it. One of the
reasons is that the commissioners are
elected directly by all of the voters
not locally by wards as in the case of
the majority of the aldermen. Anoth
er reason is that they pay a better sal
airy and stand an opportunity of secur-
ing better and safer business men 10
accept the positions. It also requires
them to devote much more of their
time to the4 transaction of the city's
business. The third reason is that it
obliterates party lines, as there are ten
candidates nominated at the primaries
without any reference to the party af
filiations and only five are elected at
the general city election. Then the
recall feature of the commission plan
has the tendency, / think, of making
commissioners more careful in the
transacting of the city's business and
more likely to prevent graft and eX-
travagances for the reason that the
majority of the electors can recall
them and elect their successor. 1t has
been the experience of cities that have
adopted the commission form of gov
eminent that much more work can be
accomplished with less expenditures
of money than under the old plan
My observation has been that people
In cities which have adopted the COM
mission plan are almost universally OPP
posed to returning to the old plan. All
of the people of Ottumwa whom | have
heard express themselves are In favor
of giving it a trial | see that Burling-
ton has adopted the plan by vote of
2 to / and I see no reason why it
should not meet with the same result
here, as both cities are of the same
Sizao