Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-03-22
reasonable time Il performance - not
actually effected.

reasonable time u performance u not
actually effected.
The voters will be asked to recon-
mend that the city council sell the old
Baptist church property opposite the
court house to the r. NJ. CA. for
$1,000. the price at which it has been
appraised. The Y. M. C. "A. plans to
build on it a magnificent public build
Ing costing not less than $4,000. which
Will be q handsome companion to the
postoffice and court house. This ape
praisal IL higher than the Y. NJ. G. A.
committee had hoped for. because the
Beckwtth lot lying alongside had been
bought for the postoffice site at $500,
and the Masonic Temple Association
paid $1,000 for the same sized lot on
which its temple was erected. How
ever. the committee Of appraisers in
sisted upon the city getting full value
for Its property regardless Of the fact
that 1t was to be used for q Y. M. C. A.,
and their Judgment Is not to be ques-
toned. The site is more suitable for a
Y. M. G. A. than for anything else. in
fact It IL not suitable for business pur-
poses. and even at the price Of $1,000
the 7. M. c. A. can not obtain an
other site which will be so centrally
located or which will permit its public
building to stand out so prominently
as an ornament to the civic center of
the town. Our citizens generally should
approve of the sale, as the city is now
losing most Of the interest on its in
vestment while carrying the property
tn M non1 v,,,hI{o n,,vpaoa
Like Mr.. Brockway. who obtained a
formal resolution from the legislature
giving him certificate of character
when criticized for obstructing good
roads Legislation, County Attorney. DAILY
has secured from a friendly grand
jury an expression Of confidence. How
ever, the action Of the state fire mar
shall in appealing to the attorney gem
erals department to direct the charges
against certain suspects in Marshall
county. could have been taken only
because of one OF two reasons. Either
1t was the fire marshafs general pol
icy to use the attorney general in en-
forcing the law, in which event the
county attorney should have consented
gracefully without barring the state at
torney from the grand jury room; or
the fire marshal had reason to believe
that there would not be vigorous pros
ecution by the county attorney unless
pressed by his superiors from the at
torney generals office. The protest
raised by County Attorney Daily to the
appearance Of the attorney generals
assistant. and the latter gentleman's
reply that there was fear that some
assistance was needed in Marshall
county. would indicate that the gem
eral impression is not exactly in har-
mony with the friendly grand jury's
bill of health. The thing to do under
the circumstances is to hasten to re-
gain public confidence and not depend
have no more information upon the
subject than the average observer.
Mayor Jones has nailed one cam
paign lie quite effectively were it not
for the fact that truth can never travel
SO fast as fiction. The township as
SCISSORS who assess farm lands did
agree to raise valuations Of farm prop
erty 10 per cent because farm lands
now are selling for nearly three times
their assessed valuations, but the city
councils instructions to city assess 5rs
were quite different. City assessors
were instructed to equalize assessments
by bringing the better class OF prop
erty up to fair valuations, as com
pared to modest homes. It is a no.
torious fact that while the $4,000 prop
erty In Marshalltown is assessed at
about IS per cent of its real value, tile
$4,000 property is often assessed not to
exceed 40 or so per cent of its value.
These inequalities the council would
remove. but those who would like to
destroy the present administration
have started the lie that the homes Of
the people are to be increased 10 per
cent for taxation.
AS much as the most Of US dislike to
see it the fact sticks out very plainly
that the lineup for the coming city
election is going to be ON the old. old
issue of law enforcement and a clean
town VS.. free and easy wide open
policies. Fred Wasem, defeated candi
date for mayor before the primaries,
says that he was approached with an
offer Of organized support if he would
agree to support a saloon petition and
free and easy police force.
He refused and the opposition to the
present administration was centered on
another. It is matter of common
that several saloon build
ings are still kept under lease by former
saloon men in the hope that saloons
may return to Marshalltown. BY reason
Of q clean city administration, no one
Of which was elected on a dry
ticket. our town has shown such
marked improvement since the saloons
closed that public sentiment has rap
idly gained in favor Of a dry town. I'm
less sentiment is changed 1t is all up
with the saloon business here forever,
hence the very natural desire for Mr..
Wasem or for some one 10 conduct q
free and easy administration. With the
police and mayor winking at a wide
open town an effort to have a dry town
would soon become joke and a farce,
public sentiment would then return to
saloons as necessary evil because an
over lawless conditions.
On the ticket opposed to the law en-
forcement members Of the present ad
is Mr.. Herman, of the
Personal Liberty
League, wet and proud of it. There is
Mr.. Nicholson. formerly chief of police
under a previous free and easy mayor
and Mr. Millard whose juatice Of the