The Oskaloosa herald., 1911-09-14
1Ol2 MAJORITY
FOR CITY HALL
Work on New Municipal Building
Will be Started Soon.
1886 MEN; 772 WOMEN VOTED
OF the Men 1912 Voted For and 1894
Aganst-of the Women SOB vot-
ed For and 2o4 Against the
Proposition.

Oskaloosa is to have the new mum.
cipal building.
The majority for the new building
was 1,012.
Mems majority, GAS.
Women's majority, 1854.
The proposition carried almost two
to one for the measure.
A total of 2,2OS votes figured in the
result; 1,436 men't votes were count.
ed and 772 votes of women. Twelve
ballots had been spoiled and were re-
1ected, making the total vote cast
1920.
Not ward in the city that did not
give the city hall a majority in both
the vote of men and of women. The
Third ward is the banner ward in the
election, casting the most votes, men
and women, and returning the largest
majOrities, men, women and total,
while the First ward gave the small
est majority and the Fifth returned
the smallest women's majority.
Favorable weather conditions per-
mitted the polling of a good sized
vote and the work commenced early
and was carried on with vigor up to
the minute of closing the polls at
ZOO o'clock. The vote of the morn
ing, so far as could be judged by
expressions of voters, was of a some
what adverse character to the project,
buta with the coming of the afternoon
hours the tide changed and enthusi-
carried the day. A score or more of
automobiles were in service, convey
ing both men and women voters to
the polls, and they were busy all
afternoon in all wards. Seventy-two
and half per cent of the men voting
voted for the municipal building and
of the women voters almost seventy
per cent marked in the square oppo-
site Yes" In the total of 2,20S votes
counted, only 598 were cast against
the improvement, or a fraction over
81 per cent. This result, in the face
of the opposition that has been talk
ed since the action of The city coun-
Gil was put before the people for rati-
fCatiOn, is somewhat surprising. 1t
shows that the people of Oskaloosa
are in favor of the city going on to
greater and better things. 1t is
needless to say that the results of the
election are gratifying to the city
administration in particular and to
the people of OskaloOsa in general.
How II Started.
Talk of erecting a city hall in Os-
kalOOsa has been heard for years,
but it remained for the administra-
| ton of John c. Williams to take
steps toward securing such an i'm
provement. The first plans for city
building were secured by Byron V,
Sewers in previous administration,
but for some reason the time did not
| seem ripe for the improvement and
| he project was not taken up for ser
| iOus consideration. Under J. c. Will
Jams administration plans were or.
dered and the council engaged F. +,
Wetherell to make plans and speciti'
cations The plans were under con
sideratiOn when the OskalOosa &
! Buxton interurban railway enterprise
put all else in the background and
the council decided to wait for time
The plans would have been taken up
by the late lamented William Cricket,
whose death occurred before he was
! fairly entered upon the policy of his
administration. Charles H. Ralston
who succeeded William Cricket, for
mulared Il plan for the erection OF
| the fire department, which was a part
of tire municipal building upder the
| plans furnished by Architect Weth
erell The fire department was erect
provement fund and is all paid for
It is one Of the pest buildings of it,
kind to be found anywhere in the
state and is a credit to Mr.. Ralston
and his administrator.
Since the completion of the fire de
partment citizens have urged the
completion Of the municipal building
but it remained for s. ". Reynolds
Administrator 20 take up the project
in a practical w&v and to obtain re
suits. The finances of the city were
brought to pOint where actor
along this line could be considered
the subject WAS given c1"etul study
by the council 'IhA W.therell plan
being found undesirable in some o
the details and the expense of thu
building greater than the city coult
afford at this time, modification
was ordered and S. B. Sinclair wa
ordered to make changes and altera
tions, with the result that an entirel!
new set of plans, which, however, in
cluded the fire department building
were finally ordered, made and adopt
ed, bids advertised for and contrac
entered into between the council an,