Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-02-16
BOARD OF CONTROL WILL NOT
CONSIDER POLK COUNTY FOR
EP,LEPT,c COLONY.
ONE CHANCE LOST THRU
ATTITUDE OF CAR COMPANY
Unfair criticism Being Made Against
Board Because Of Action - Mason
City Makes Unjust THREAT Against
Governor, Who Has Nothing to Do
With Selecting Site.
Special to Times-Republicdn.

Special to Times Republican.
! Des Moines, Feb 16.-Altho two or
three alternative propositions have
been made the state board Of control
for farms suitable for the state epilep-
tic colony. not far from Des Moines,
none of these will be accepted. One OF
them is of farm adjacent to the
Hyperion Club and golf links.
( If for no other reason, all offers near
Des Moines should be rejected because
of the insolent and insulting attitude
( Of the booster organizations toward
the state officials. One Of them. the
secretary of the commercial club. is
quoted as saying that the board never
intended to locate the farm on the
Flynn tract and later as saying that
its location there was a mere political
move in the first place.
4; Now as a matter OF fact this organi-
cation had not a thing to do with To-
cation of the farm. and 50 far as known
was not aware of the consideration of
the Flynn farm until after matters had
come to head. The Flynn farm was
selected by the board because it was
deemed by a majority to be the best
proposition, provided the assurances
made by the Flynn brothers could be
| made good.
| If political considerations had ever
entered the case in the least every one
at all familiar with the situation in
Iowa today would have realized that
from political standpoint some loca-
ton far removed from Des Moines
would have been best. But that had
nothing to do with the case.
Unfair Criticism.
The proposition to have the inter-
urban line extended to the farm came
from the Hymns in the first place, and
not from the board. They asserted
that surveys had already been made
for this extension. They stated there
! would be no trouble securing the put
ting up of bond to make certain the
| extension. The board did not make
any terms but merely embodied in a
resolution the terms suggested by those
| who wanted to sell the farm.
AS matter Of fact the price for the
| Flynn farm was reasonable. The
| lost anything by the failure to sell land
| an acre.
1t is also true that opinion was d.
vided in Des Moines and great many
persons whose opinions have weight
| believed that it was unwise to locate
! the epileptic farm near this city, or
near any large city. for that matter,
contrary to the custom in many states.
The unfairness Of the criticism Of
the state board is shown by the fact
that one place which was disappointed
over the location at Des Moines, 1t
| was asserted and published, and possi-
bly, believed, that the board INTENDED
i from the first to locate the epileptic
colony near Des Moines." Then the as
sertion is made here that 1t never in
tended at any time to locate the colony
here. Both statements are, Of course
without foundation.
Undoubtedly two places that will be
strongly urging the location Of the COL
ony are Mason City and Rockwell City.
Both made good offers.
Mason City Aserieved.
Mason City boosters have asserted,
SO it is said, that they were promised
| the location of the colony, and felt that
it was a cinch. Before the matter was
decided before they sent men to Cover
nor Clarke to bring political pressure
to bear on the board and virtually noti-
fed the governor that unless he COM
PEELED location of the farm in Cerro
Gordo county he wouldn't get vote in
the county. OF course they knew that
the governor has no more to do with
it than he has with the Panama canal
tolls.
Rockwell City people also asserted
they had a cinch on the colony and
declared that because they were in
vited to get options and secure con-
tracts for transportation they had rea-
son to believe that it was settled in adj
vance they should get the colony loca-
ton. But they had no assurance diff
ferent from that given to every local
ity seeking the colony.
Nearly ninety different farms were
offered the board. In great many
cases the promoters and boosters were
advised to secure options and make
tangible proposition on which the
board might act. But the colony was
never promised to any city or town.
and members of the board unite now
in saying. Just as they did before a
single vote was taken, that the stu
alton is wide open and that the board
members will use their best judgment
to secure the best possible location
with an eye to the interests Of the
state alone and not to any locality.
INSTITUTE At ROLAND.