Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-04-08
Local Comment

n II takes ninc taiiors TO make one
, man, George Herman Is pretty big
ninth as one of two men who are
responsible for the government OF Mar
shalltown at the present time.
II the new council is going to con-
.,nue to transact its business In the
came businesslike manner evidenced In
it's first meeting. 1t will be n source OF
real satisfaction to the public to Wit
ness it. And there appears to be every
reason to believe that business meth
DDS will prevail In the management OF
city affairs, and that unless the MEM
bers can agree on certain policies to be
pursued the questions will not be raised
in omen council. at any rate not until nj!
efforts to arrive at a conclusion are
exhausted This will do away with
the tiresome harangues that have been
listened to for years over some unim-
portant question that an ordinary ous-
mess man would dismiss with a mo-
ment's deliberation. and Will result IN
open meetings being over without be-
ing long drawn-out and nothing being
accomplished.
| II the council Is able to overcome
any legal obstacles that may stand In
| the way. and refund the outstanding
warrants Of the city at lower rate
| of interest. it will have accomplished
at the start a business move In the
right direction. The saving OF II per
cent on $4,000 Is worth while. and
there isn't an individual with a grain
OF business Judgment. but who would
save 1t II he could.
It il a significant fact that Marshall
town Is the smallest city in the coun-
| try in which the production OF BEN
Hur' has ever been given in tho twelve
years during which the dramatization
! OF the immortal work of General Wal
| lace has been before the public. Fur
| therrnore it Is significant that In Mar
shalltown the presentation was attend
| ed with success from a boxoffice stand
point. The experiment OF producing In
small city an attraction OF such mag
nitude proved that it could be done
successfully--flrst by having an at
traction Of merit. and then by giving 1t
tho proper amount OF publicity.
Patrons from a distance did not come
| from the county alone. or even from
the county adjoining. but from points
| fifty miles or more away. The attend
ance from out Of town proved OF inter
est to the Times Republican from tho
fact that the patrons were drawn from
the territory in which the Times-Re-
publican circulates SO extensively. and
| because the Times Republican was
| used as the medium to inform the pub
lie Of the attraction.
4
The closing OF the postoffice on Sun
days insofar az the carriers windows
| t.
easy matter to make a radical change
In custom providing the public senti-
ment favors such change. For years
people have been in the habit OF going
to the postoffice for mail on Sunday
mornings. and they had become 80
accustomed to the every Sunday
morning trip that IT seemed almost In
dispensab1e. But when 1t was an
nounced that the government favored
giving mail carriers a day OF rest. and
the public was asked to register OBJ
jections II they did not approve Of the
change. not single complaint was
made. The situation was accepted
gracefully. and rs a result patrons Of
the office will either do without their
mail on Sundays. or else secure lock
boxes, and they will not complain
about it either.
Next Wednesday the merchants OF
Marshalltown will give to the buying
public Of central Iowa bargains in all
lnies OF merchandising. On that day
will be held the second OF the big
Wednesday" sales. in which the mer-
chants vie with ono another in offering
real bargains to their customers The
first trial Of this mid-week bargain day
was successful from every yiewpoint
and 1t is the intention to make each
succeeding one Of more value to the
public. and one that will result In at
tracing moro people 70 Marshalltown,
this advertising the city as a trading
center. Marshalltown IL fortunately
situated. in the heart of an immense
area filled with the best class Of the
buying public, and all merchants have
to do to get that trade Is to prove by
their merchandise that they have VAL
ues to offer, and inform the public as