Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-06-05
IOWA CITY ALDERMAN HAS PLAN
~ BELIEVES WOULD SAVE
LIVES.
DANGEROUS PAsTiME
OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS
ALDERMAN Santa viii Introduce Mess.
urs in City Council Prehibitins
caresins Within City Linits-cen-
adsnt Legal Ordinances Can s'
prawn-Arsuss in Favor Of Plan.


II Iowa City on the Iowa river Will De
affected II an ordinance which Is to be
presented by Alderman George .
Hanta passes tho city council at the
regular monthly meeting tonight.
Mr.. Banta believes that one or
more drownings may be averted each
year II the canoes are taken from the
liver. In q statement the Fourth ward
alderman says:
a, II propose to introduce and nope
to sec passed an ordinance prohibiting
the use of the canoe in Its present
dangerous form upon the Iowa river
and within the corporate limits. be-
cause am convinced that such &C
ton IL imperatively necessary. rms
community is subjected every spring
and summer from one to three
drownings. and In the great majority
of instances the canoe is to blame
II is so easily overturned that rs
one man has expressed 1t, you have
to part your hair straight in the MID
die to keep the thing right side up.
And when 1t spills its occupants into
he water It is worthless In anordins
them any assistance In saving them
selves or floating until aid comes.
Such q craft Is dangerous enough IN
the hands Of one who knows how to
handle it and who is able to swim II
dumped out, but when it Is put with
in the reach of hundreds of young
people who have been reared on the
minnow creeks and duck ponds OF the
prairie states it becomes as danger
Gus as deadly firearms or high explo-
sives.
Il am aware that the big question
in the minds of many is Can such an
ordinance be made to stick?' think
that It can and will. do not mean
to take away from anyone the pleas
ures of the river, but would like to
see those who go upon our beautiful
ana yet treacherously dangerous
Iowa use a craft of q type of known
safety. want to see this, not only
for the protection of those VINO use
the river, but to avert the drowninss
which are such q shock to the COM
fort and the order of our people
Right at this time there are In Iowa
City approximately $500 student
bows and girls, all Of an age that
make. the appeals Of the river par
.icularly strong. and yet they are JUS,
"a truly lacking. In that maturity Of
experience and. observation which
would make them Avoid known dan
: gers. The fathers and mothers OF
Iowa City have some advantage. Thev
nave their boys and girls where they
can exercise some control over them
as to when and how they shall go
upon the river But want to say
that we have no standards of meas
uripg the awful suspense and horror
in the minds and hearts Of the par
ents of this state who send their sons
and daughters to Iowa City. not to
have their lives snuffed out in the
river but that they may better pre-
pare for life itself. To them the
news Of q drowning here carries a
fear that is like the keen cutting OF
q knife.
1--WE can prevent, by the passage
and enforcement Of an ordinance
which will prohibit the use Of these
DANGEROUS canoes, one or more drown
ings a year. The records Of the past
establish this fact. Now, want to
ask. where Is there q person. who, tho
he may own canoe of his own and
feel that he enjoys its use just little
more than he would any other type OF
craft, will not, for the sake Of life,
1oin heartily In the movement to keep
them on the Iowa river?
Let's do 1t now; let's adopt the
rule and motto Of Safety First for
the protection Of the innocent and the
trusting girls and the reckless and
uninstructed boys Of Iowa City and
the university"