Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-12-15
Looker-On In Iona

OHo
Grundy Center. Dec. 15.-Outside OF
party politics nothing of late years has
stirred up more interest and discussion
than the proposition to bring to Iowa
10000 Impoverished and destitute Bel
gian families. The initial suggestion
and work of, some newspapers and
charitable organizations for Americans
OF adopt hundreds of Belgian orphans
was well received and considered
praise worthy, but when whole Bel
gian family was the suggestion then
we began to hear from several classes
of our citizens. What follows has been
told the writer, not verbatative but In
substance.
A real estate man of Clarion Is of the
opinion that a large number OF Bel
gian families brought to Clarion. ana
placed on small tracts OF land near
town would be one excellent thing for
Clarionites and Belgians AS truck
gardeners they would reduce the cost
of living of many mechanics and rail-
road men wage earners Will have little
or no time to produce garden stun,
vegetables or fruit. Not only that but
such land when in productive condi-
ton would be worth $500 an acre in
stead of $3.50 to 5000, the present
value.
A merchant OF Reinbeck says bring
them to Iowa and open our beet sugar
factory. With the cheap labor OF chill
dren and women these Belgions would
think themselves in paradise to get the
wages paid the previous few years for
abor in cultivating sugar beets When
once Iowa is established as big sugar
beet producing state and scores of DIG
factories are run each year In iowa,
sugar beet land will be worth 5000 an
acre.
A mother in Marshalltown says 1T
would be an outrage to bring here
a lot OF ignorant, poverty stricken
women and children. Their children
would go to the same schools and
our children would be thrown in con-
tact with Belgian children and all
manner of wiokedHess." By. her s2s-
band remarked: That's nonsense. Our
children. not ours personally. my dear,
but the school children OF Iowa, VIII
nor learn any new cusGedness from
little 'Belgies,' on the contrary our
children will be able to give them
pointers in the way of detriment, Not
our children, my dear. that Is our
Willie and Jennie. but do you think
any Belgian puny ones, would teach
that Smith crowd of young children
anything in the way of lying, stealing,
swearing and uncomfortable things.
And if our Willie and Jennie have not
been completely ruined by the smiths,
or .kilduf,' do YOU think few BEL
gian young heathens would do It. BE-
sides we have got to have some cheap
labor from somewhere. As It Ia me-
chanics, that is good ones, have got
b, yond doing certain kinds OF manual
labor. There was time when We
could get what labor we needed at
prices a salaried man like myself could
afford to pay. Now I do lots OF SUCH
work myself on Sunday instead OF so-
ing to church. Do you want mG 10
become worse han a., Belgian?
A travelling man says it would be
big thing to bring a lot OF Belgians TO
Iowa, Just to milk cows. The average
farm hand now puts in his contract Tor
s35 a month board. washing. board Tor
his horse, to have Sundays on etc,
promise he shall not be expected 10
milk the cows. The. rich farm owner
don't have to milk bis wife won't, ana
the children don't know how. so the
farmer lets the calves do the milking,
the farmer sells the calves, 100 cream :
cries are standing idle today In Iowa
for the very reason, and In country
towns it's almost impossible to get
milk, cream or butter without the
storekeeper ships it in.
carpenter says We do not want any
laboring men shipped into Iowa The
city OF Des Moines has had enough o.
that experience. To boost Des Moines.
/ prices OF labor were advertised Will
the result of a small army of unem-
! ployed men congregated there. Ths
trouble is these Belgians at first might
do the kind of manual labor we need,
but soon they would work into the
trades and cut down the price Of the
wages OF the American mechanics. TO
the question: "If these Belgians went
into truck gardening wouldn't 1t reduce
| the cost of your living?" he replied: \
| can afford to pay our present truck
gardeners a living price on what they
have to sell, and when / can not IN
/ have garden of my own We've go,
more laboring men in Iowa now than
| can find steady work. and what's the
use of shipping in more to reduce the
price of labor"
And an observing citizen says look
at Mason City and see how 1t works 7:
| ship in shat kind of citizens. Tit
Greeks and other nationalities workfni
I in the tile and brick factories have beer
a constant menace to good order aDt
temperance 1t would be the same will
these Belgians. Statistics show tn
Belgians are heavy drinkers both o
malt and distilled liquors. Just as w
are about ready to make Iowa pro
/ hioition state, we add to Iowa's popula
ton thousands OF laboring men VIII
will keep up their habits of drinkin'
and all that goes with IT. That's al
poppy cock" remarked another citizen
Iowa is settled today by thousands Q
foreigners, men who brought their ha b
Its with them. To day such men hav
been educated by environment an
other ways, and 30 per cent Of thei
children are among our best citizens !
every way. shape and fashion" 9TH
subject is still open to debate"
a. HA1-SA/