Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-08-14
!. LOCAL COMMENT

The suggestion made by Judge
Cummings that we give military train
,, ing in our public schools has struck g
. responsive chord in at least one prom
inent mother of this city who has ex-
planned to the T-R that this training
should begin in the seventh grades
She has in mind the discipline and
outdoor exercise such training would
give to every growing boy rather than
equipping him to be fed to the cannons
mouth in time of war. To learn to
walk erect. to have respectful and
self respecting bearing, to take health
full exercise and to learn team work
in the ranks as we'll as to learn to
shoot straight is all well worth while
to the boy. To train fifty natural born
athletes so that they can entertain the
other 400 boys on the side lines at
some interschelastic game fails to de-
velop the many. Military training and
exercise for all would increase the
chest measure of the American man.
The city council can not get to work
i any too soon on the dam which is to
protect the water main from the pump
Ing station to the wells. This city is
in danger of a complete break in its
water supply almost any moment so
long as food waters are permitted to
flow over the exposed main.
A new pump, too, is a wise precau-
ton Marshalltown is growing and We
! can not afford to overload our old ma
! chimes until they break. If there is
any place on earth where a reserve is
needed it is in a public pumping sta
ton.
| If the well water at the city park is
| bad pipe the city water down there
We can't afford to endanger the
health of the public on the public's
own grounds. In a very short time
residences will begin to go up on the
lots which are for sale between the
park and the present water mains so
the extension of mains will soon begin
10 provide revenue. Pipe pure water
to the park and close up the wells.
Nothing will be lost by letting up on
hill cutting in the county if the super
visors will now do some permanent
crawling. County roads leading into
Waterloo have been quite generally
graveled. Many miles have been sur
faced with gravel in the vicinity OF
Mason City Even the little county
seat town Of No-thwood has graveled
roads in four directions. The Lincoln
Highway has been graveled across
Story, Boone and Greene counties and
q mile Of model graveled road has
Just been completed at county expense
under state supervision near Fort
Dodge. Let our supervisors take up
a plan 10 complete the main road
work begun by the city. On North
Third avenue gravel should be placed
from the city limits TO the hill. On
the Albion road the dixie should be
graveled from the city limits to the
Clifford farm If the supervisors
tackle the east main street road at
the river let them open a gravel pit
there and with the city's help gravel
this road to the city paving at the Linn
creek bridge.
The model road at Fort Dodge cost
$4,000 per mile. but ii was perfect
Job. Greene county has let contracts
for graveling at 5000 per mile. The
! ideal plan would be to call for volun
! teers from the neighhorhood benefit
! ted. If farmers who are to use the
road would haul gravel at % cents per
load when SO cents would be fair
price the county's road money would
do $500 worth of work for sl.00, and
# the supervisors would cooperate
with the road committee of the Mar
shallow Club &c the city council hes
done the hat could be passed around
in town for funds to help promote the
enterprise. The three roads above
mentioned involve only two and a half
miles of hard surfaced construction,
which on cooperative plan. could be
done for $4,000 of county money. To
go on with a graveled road all Of the
way to Albion would require only sl0,-
900 more if the farmers would help be-
cause there is gravel TO be had at the
Albion end and also at the river end,
making the maximum haul four miles
or an average haul of two miles. Let's
have at least a mile or two Of hard
surfaced road in this county for the
s 80. 600 county road money which is
paid by the tax PAYERS every year.
How many dealers in foodstuffs in
Marshalltown are obeying the laws
governing pure foods? 1t might be a
good idea for each merchant who Is
handling vegetables. fruits. and meats
to ask himself the question, and il
he does not know the law to consult
his attorney. Violations are taking
place here. and an active campaign
is being waged By the pure food de-
partment of the state. Is there
grocer here who is selling by measure
where he should sell by weight. Is
there a fruit dealer who Is exposing
for sale fruits without a proper COW
ering? Is there a meat dealer who
leaves on his counter meats exposed
to flies? Is there a dealer who ex-
poses for sale on the sidewalks fruits
feet above the surface of the walk?
Is there a baker who does rot have
his goods screened to exclude flies and
dirt. If so he had better profit by the
experience of twenty fruit dealers.
grocers meat men. and bakers in Du-
buque who were arrested few days
ago for the above violations.
Farmers who use the East Main
street road into Marshalltown report
the annual danger that arises from the
growth Of weeds along this highway
at the point at which it turns north
The wet season has caused an unus-
! ,:a!!y rank growth of weeds, and they
now stand six feet high, obscuring
the view Of the road from either di-
rection. 1t might pay the county or
Mr.. Lynch, who has charge of the pub
lie highways, to employ a few weed
cutters before some accident occurs