Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-12-03
DELEGATES TO GREATER IOWA
MEETING OPPOSED TO
REFUGEE SCHEME.
CONFERENCE At AMEs
REGULAR REVIVAL MEETING
New Life Put Into Movement and Fu-
ture Activities Piannsd-No One to
Be Barred From Observation-Disclosures
grafton Bureau Favored Instead Of
Scheme to Bring in 100000 Refugees.
special to rimes-Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines, Dec. 3.-The first con-
vention Of the Greater Iowa movement,
held yesterday in Ames. tho not pro-
ductive Of much business, was an en-
tire success. 1t was rather a revival
meeting intended to put new life into
the movement and as such was all
that could be desired.
The business transacted related to
plans for increasing the membership
and securing funds for, carrying on the
work, and to appointment of COM
mittee to work for Legislative aid in
the establishment of an Immigration
bureau for Iowa. The latter came as
result of aSsharp argument precipitated
by the springing of a movement to
have the association engage in bring
ing to Iowa a large number of Belgian
laborers. This was championed by Mr..
Coils. of Clinton, who stated that it
had been evolved at a meeting in that
city and he pointed out how essential
it was to secure for Iowa industries a
the work. Mr.. McNeal, Of Des Moines,
it was nothing; else than a plan of the
employers to flood the state with cheap
labor.
Immigration Bureau Favored.
B. S. Walker, of Des Moines. pre-
sented the plan for an immigration bu-
reau to work for high class immigrants
from all the old world countries when
the war is ended Mayor Hanna APP
proved this plan in general but also
warned against the plan of trying to
secure a large body Of refugees to come
to the state in a body. He presented
the thought that the work Of the asso-
citation should be to not make Iowa
more populous but to make it a better
place in which to live. The immigra-
ton bureau plan was approved.
There were about 125 representative
men of the state at the meeting. A re-
port from the secretary showed an ex-
deficit Of $3.50. He employs six persons
in the office in Clinton.
There were reports from various
towns and cities as to what is being
done and all were encouraging There
plshed at the meetings in Greater Iowa
week. A spirited address was made by
Governor Clarke to the meeting. Elk
Senator DeWolf presented to the asso-
citation for its approval the plan of the
committee of the legislature for reor-
ganization of the state government by
abolition Of the election of most of
the Offices.
An effort Is to be made to greatly
Increase membership in the associa-
ton. An important change was made
IN that all were invited to become
members and 1t was decided that all
members Of the association, whether
charter members or not, should have a
vote. Members Of the association were
d1ned at the college and shown all
thru the industrial departments.
Belgian Idea Up.
The fight over the Belgian PROPOSE
ton which had been prepared could
not be quelled. however. 1t was had
hand to combat the proposal and after
B. S. Walker of Des Moines, had rec
commended the appointment of a COM
mittee to consider the advisability of
naming an Iowa immigration COM
as linked with the Belgian proposal
the opposers had their say.
Mayor Hanna declared that the con-
ception, which heTcharacterized as lin
sane" that communities must be con-
tinually seeking more people to be
prosperous, was, economically wrong.
He also explained the reason for the
high cost Of living. which he said was
due to. doubling the number of con-
sumers in the United States without
increasing the number Of producers in
the coursesof a generation.
Mayor Hanna Makes Talk.
Iowa now comes nearest to having.
all the conditions of an ideal commun-
ity,"". said the mayor. I'VE have pros-s
perity, backed by a large proportion of
real wealth production We do not
need more people, except as they come
to the state in the ma turals course of
affairs. What we do need is a revision
of the generally. held idea that Iowa
is only place. to make and save. money
in. When the. people of Iowa genera lily !
conceive Iowa TO be q place to live
and die Iii, / then enc OF the greatest
problems Of the state will have been
solved. ~
iowa . kICAIcsI SIlOhc ia POOl OuSA-
ness, as see 1t; ia not trying to hold
on to the citizens we get. We develop
an Iowa citizen, train and equip him
mentally to the last degree, let him
make million dollars IN Iowa, and
then we let him go of to California to
spend his money. Then we go get a
Belgian, or what not. and repeat the
progress"
Coils Answers Hanna.
George Coils, manufacturer of Clin-s
ton, characterized the mayors speech
as having just truth enough to be
dangerous. Iowa can produce ten
times as much as she now does" said
Mr.. Coils. Bringing Be.gians to
Iowa is not matter of over-runnins
the state with people who will fill our
poorhouses: it is matter of getting
immigrants who will teach the people
OF our state how to live. The Belgian
oesifssi7s5E ,. 4 az; !