Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-12-24
e. 3. kErchUM PRoPoaEa SAL
AIRED SECRETARY FOR MAR.
shALLToWN CLUB.
WOULD HAVE HIM CHECK
aHlPPERs' FREIGHT BILLS
Directors Doubt Whether There 10 De-
msnd Fer Such Seeretary-W. m.
Clark Makes Offer to Do Clubs
Clerical Work For Office Rent and
Membership Privileges.

A second adjournment until next
Tuesday evening was taken by the
board of directors of the MarshalltoWn
Club to give E. S. ketchum an oppor-
tunity to bring before the board a
definite proposition for the employ
ment of a salaried secretary for next
year.
The board, after years Of experience.
has come to the conclusion that there
is no need to spend $1,000 per year for
a man to do mere office detail, and
that all of the public movements In
augurated by the club have to be man
aged by groups of citizens anyway.
Clark Makes Proposition.
A special committee consisting OF J.
l.. Williams, d. w. Norris, and E. ID.
Hamilton had been appointed to bring
before the board d proposition to have
the membership dues collected by
some one who could use the office in
the club rooms for his own private
business as Well w. NJ. Clark, secre-
i
county fair association, offered to do
this work free OF all salary il he Were
made d regular employe of the club,
which would include dues and noon
day lunch, and if he were permitted
10 transact his insurance business and
do the work OF the school board and
county fair from the clubs office. The
office rent, heat, lights, telephone,
1, 10,
per annum to Clark, for which he
would collect all memberships for the
club and keep the membership books.
Mr.. " atrous, the custodian, would
have charge Of the rooms, and of the
cafe, as he does now, and there would
be left nothing else to be done except
the keeping Of the minutes of the
boards meetings and the leg work"
OF chasing after special committees.
The elective secretary, who, hereto
fore. has had a title without duty.
could take care OF the board meetings
and the office boy" work could be
done away with. The club would be
out not to exceed $50 per annum in
money, and would have the rest of the
| $4,000 available for promotion work
and for sending delegations Of bust
ness men away in search Of new fac
tories.
Would Employ Rate cIsrk.
| Messrs. e. H Draper. A. Il. Combs,
and l.. M. Osborne appeared before
the board to endorse Mr.. Ketchum' S
I plan To have railroad rate expert en-
ployed by the club as secretary who
should devote a portion Of his time to
doing the clubs detail and would then
check freight bills for merchants and
manufacturers VINO would pay a fee or
commission for the service.
| Mr.. Drapers department now per-
! forms this service for the Western
Grocer Company, Mr.. Coombs for the
! Marshall Oil Company, and Ketchum
| q CASTOR have ratec Jerk, so that
! none of these companys could use the
/ clubs service, but all thought there
We're others who could. Mr.. Osborne
{ thought that the Marshalltown Buggy
Company could use the clubs service
1t was estimated that a rate clerk
would cost $1,000 per annum, with S10C
| or SO additional for tariffs and sup
plies. 1t was Mr.. Ketchum's sugges-
ton that the club employ such a man
offer the service to local shippers, and
shippers to bring in business enough tc
justify the expenditure, giving as his
reason that the club would be doina
something for our local factories.
Board Has Doubts as to Demand.
The board thought that there might
zoe some doubts as to the demand fol
the service. inasmuch as nobody ask
ing for it except Osborne We're wilkins
to use 1t, SO Mr.. ketchum was re.
quested to call a meeting Of shipper.
and present to the club minimum
guarantee of patronage which the clu,
could rely upon if 1t chose to employ
rate clerk, and adjournment wa.
taken until next Tuesday.
Objection was raised that the check.
ing Of freight bills, like the conectio,
Of debts, was a business service which
should be paid for by those who pro
fit by it, altho 1t is fact that tn,
commercial clubs Of Des Mnines reda1
Rapids, Ottumwa, and Dubuque nov
maintain traffic clerks.
Whatever is done will probably b.
in the form Of a recommendation b,
this board to the incoming board
which meets within a. week altar NJ