Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-03-15
Local Comment

While both houses Of the Iowa leg :
| islature agreed as to the increases OF
| salaries of mayors and councilmen In
| cities of less than $4,000 population
| operating under the commission plan
Of government, the job of being a
councilman won't be 50 bad after all.
Possibly if this particular legislation
had been enacted little earlier IN the
campaign there would have been more
candidates in the local field who would
have consented" to run following the
urgent solicitation Of friends.
The municipal primary takes place
Monday. The campaign has been an
unusually quiet one and, with few eX-
ceptions, clean. The usual eleventh
hour attacks by means Of handbills
may be expected, but will have but
little weight, as people have become
so accustomed to them that they con-
slider the source and let them pass
without reflection. The man who
thinks he can avoid liability by means
of the handbill-yet the liability is
there's not one whom the voters are
going to take seriously.
Voters should realize the Importance
of the primary Monday and vote. The
primary is the true expression Of the
wishes of the people. The election IT.
self, which comes in two weeks will
give the voter the opportunity of de-
Gliding between the candidates nomi-
mated, and the nominees may prove
not to be the individual voters choice.
II &c IN n rh ho
preston of choice is made from the
field: therefore it is important that
full vote be cast at the primary.
The election of B. F. Cummings as
school director was a wise choice by
the people of the independent district.
Mr.. Cummings is the type of public
spirited citizen which town needs,
and if we had more Of his caliber, with
the same amount Of nerve" as we are
wont to call it, in promoting building
enterprises, the eternal cry for more
houses to rent would not be apparent
to such an extent as it is now.
Speaking Of houses as renting enter
prises a local architect has made the
statement that if some local builders
would invest in several modern apart
ment houses and flats there could
easily be brought to Marshalltown
from twenty five to fifty desirable
families. Il happen to know of few
travelling men myself he said, who
are seeking a chance to come to this
city, but who want to rent a small flat
or apartment rather than house.
Their object is to have a cosy place for
their families while they are on the
road, and to solve the heating prob
lem and the care of furnaces. l do not
believe there is an opportunity for
better investment in MarshalltoWn to-
day. and one that would pay 10 per
cent net, than in the building of some
modern flats that would rent around
SIS per month"
The new year is now one-quarter
gone. and the Times Republican has
announced to date the arrival of 126
new people as residents of Marshall
town. This is an average OF forty
two month. counting March a full
month, when it is only half gone. With
this same ratio maintained thruout the
year over 500 new people will become
residents of the city before the bells
ring in the succeeding year.
If it were not for the legal question
that interferes the city of MARSHALL
town might be induced to give to the
Y. NJ. c. A. the old Baptist church
property as site for handsome new
building in which the association ex-
poets to invest between $4,000 and
$4,000. A former administration was
willing to donate valuable corner for
a $50, 900 Carnegie library, and the
people were, and are still. willing to be
taxed for its maintenance. A fine new
y. NJ. c. A. building, erected in the
heart of the city, with it's fine auditor
ium for public meetings, it's reading
rooms. dormitories, bathing facilities,
and other conveniences, makes the in
stitution of public nature. and one
almost as public as the library.