Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-03-28
Des Moines, March 2s-rhere &C

! honorable purpose to do good for the
sake OF good alone. It was the annua
| banquet at the Central Christian
church Of the Philo- Christos, which
is the name Of a Sunday school class
Now this class is unique and its
| achievements are worthy Of more thar
passing notice. It was formed as
| Glass No. 20 seventeen years ago, BY
the getting together of three intract.
ables from three other classes. 1t Il
| a class OF boys. 1t soon grew to large
| proportions. At times 1t numbers 15(
or more young men in attendance. i
has grown so that plans are being laic
| for enlargement of the church. in part
| at least, to accommodate this class. II
| is recognized as one of the most po-
tent Influences of the church-practi-
CAL sensible. helpful. The boys of the
| class maintain a class spirit that Is
admirable. They are devoted to the
ca1ise Of the church, but above all else
, they are trying to apply christianity tc
| the everyday problems, and are actu-
| ally doing it. There IS much helping
of each other. The class grows be
cause the boys bring in others tha'
they may be helped The Y NJ. {. a
people regard the class as the best
training school for it's workers In the
city. At the banquet a half dozen
bright young men delivered admirable
little addresses. They had as their
, guest of honor, Judge Deemer of the
supreme court, who delivered shor'
and admirable address. Senator Cum
minis. who was long ago made an non
orary member wrote cheering letter
| to the boys But there We're other let
tiers from old members OF the class
| In the seventeen years OF its exist
ence it has had about $500 members
They are scattered far and wide. Many
of them write fine letters to be read al
the banauets. One letter read at the
last banquet was from business man
out west who has made good. He at
tributes his success to his ASSOCIATION
with the Philo- Christos. He wrote
plainly and frankly about him self, ana
told how he had been literally picked
I'D out Of the gutter and made into a
man by the nourishing and inspiring
influence of that class. Il was a great
tribute 10 "a good work done modestN
The whole banquet with its revelation
Of what is actually being done. as
social service not by passing reso!u-
tivrls CT writing long letters to the pa
pers. but by real deeds in real life
was TO the writer, an inspiration.
The organizer and leader Of the elias
from the beginning and now is Dwigh'
Y. Lewis, assistant commerce counsel
for Iowa.
There is room in every city of the
state for a similar work among the
young men.
A meeting Of the legislative commit
tee on retren chment and reform pro-
vokes more comment about the state
house than anything else that can hap
pen It was so the past week. Every
body asks in whispers. what was done
what is going to be done, or what the
report is going to be. Nothing has
ever been done in connection with
state affairs that has been quite SO
mysterious. There is an impression
sion abroad that the committee was
formed to dig up a scandal or fnd
some terrible leak or something OF that
sort. Indeed some of the publicity the
committee got this week would indi-
cate that il was disappointed because
| the efficiency engin eers did not find
| any scandal at all and practically MOTH
! ing to criticize. VElx members OF the
committee deny this IN toto and say
that as a matter Of fact the report OF
the efficiency engineers is most ex-
ceNent production and that out OF II
will or ought to. come great gooo.
They also say that 1t is furthest from
their intent to try to find something
sensational in state affairs but rather
to find where most excellent conoi-
ton of affairs can be made better.
Their report when prepared. Will con-
vev this idea. On one occasion an IN
derling al the state house, much given
10 sly dissemination OF petty scandals
appeared before the committee and OF
fared some testimony as to certain al
legged wrong doings that had come 70
his attention The committee pointer!
informed him that it would near as
70 any suggestion in regard to hnanc!ai
mana cement but did not care TO go INTO
the personal conduct Of anyone Stor-
les Of scandal are always aioat apou'
the state house and have been 1oi
many years, but usually they originate
in the disappointed ambitions OF some
outsider who wanted a job and didn'
get it.
| There is, however. some disposition
"a crit;cise the committee for what ap-
| pears TO be undue secretiveness aoou'
rhe whole work. Last summer the com
| mittee decided that no lnlor-
nation of any kind should be giVer
! out except through certain channels
and then it was so fixed up that tnese
channels were availab BILE for just one
Des Moines newspaper and were CLOSED
! to ali others. It was clever scheme
by which favoritism could De sho"i
| and was shown for political erect. bu
the mast week an amusing sltuatlot
| developed, in that the benefciarles o.
! this clever scheme we're found demand
| ing an investigation as to no" II wa.
,ha, the fi,,, summary of the efficiency
| on gi,aer.s report got out thru chan
neIs other than that which mad peel
designated. In other words. why dlan
the Des Moines newspapers nave an eA
| elusive story on this report? But I'M
cor,nittee declined to be dragged init
anv controversy and the hints OF tn
! Great need Of investigation OF an al
legged leak fell upon deaf ears
One thing is certain, that when tn
committee makes its report to IN
LEGISLATURE it will be report that WI
command attention. 1t Will be consul
cred not alone next year but Tor man.
yaars The members Of the commute
are unanimous in asserting tha1 IN
matter dug up by the efficiency eneih