Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-03-16
INSTANCES OF SEVERAL FAR
MERs MOVING TO coNsoLI.
DATED DISTRICTS.
LAND VALUES INCREASE
FASTER THAN TAXES
One Man Who Moved to Get Away
From Consolidation Found Agitation
Followed Him-Reason For OPPOSE
ton Always Personal-C. e. Wilson's
Rural Observations.
,ecial to Times Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Alexander, March l6.-Some time
ago a business man of this town sold
out and moved away to another town
because it is said, he was not Saushed
with local school conditions-an I'M
tenn At least two farmers living near
town awaited themselves of graded and
high school privileges by sending their
children to Belmond at an expense that
may be readily figured, leaving entirely
alone the other object. enable features
that any father or mother can easily
imagine. Two or three more farmers
in the locality retired and moved to
town, but not to Alexander, for there
were 80 much better school advantages
somewhere else" Then the neighbor-
ing Rowan community consolidated ana
while taxes rose, so 1t is reported, ala
property values, and If these reports
are to be credited, values went up
good deal higher than taxes. Ihen
somebody came into the Alexander
country and gave a public talk on con-
solidation and from that time on the
war in Europe has occupied secondary
position in the attention OF local IN
habitants. At an election held last
month about 81 per cent of the country
vote and 95 per cent Of the town vote
favored consolidation. Last week
spirited contest decided the personnel
of the proposed school board, four OF
the five directors and the treasurer
being farmers, the fifth A banker At
first it was proposed to make the
limits of the district not more than
three miles from town in any one
direction, but a big German Amerl-
| cam farmer insisted on being taken IN
| and this extended the district two miles
| in one direction and increased IT'S size
! to a little more than thirty-nlne sec
| tons. The third step. the vote on the
| bond issue. has not yet been taken ana
it is thought will show some change of
sentiment in favor of the opposition.
! Everyone is familiar with the claims
of consolidation advocates and also
with the objections to the plan ana II
ia not to be wondered at that some very
intelligent and progressive people OPP
pose the plan For instance, man with
a large family of children lives nearly
seven miles from the proposed school
1
rural school house. He argues that his
children, big and little, must be break
tasted and made ready to start to
school in rnidwinter by or before day
light pretty strenuous job for father
mother and all concerned Again,
Young man has invested his financial
all in a farm on which there is yet a
mortgage big enough to demand con-
slant attention. This farm is placed
in a drainage district and the costs
assessed. Then consolidation with its
CONSEQUENT increase in taxes. Is it to
be wondered at that this home fur
nishes an opponent who says, Good
thing but I'm in no condition to go into
it lust vet" Once more retired
farmer of the highest type who says
81 know the schools ought to be I'M
proved and I didn't vote against nor
for consolidation. Against because
did not want to oppose the improve
ment, nor for because / know what VIII
happen in the matter of transportation
At first men will be found to take routes
; at $40 to $50 per month. They cant
live on any such pay. In year or two
it will be SIS and then sl00-the rura
mail carrier experience over again
This will make the cost of maintenance
too much. With hardsurfaced roads
and auto trucks transportation trouble!
, will disappear, but the day Of these
5 things in this section is away in the
future"
t One man who owns a large farm neal
2 town, nationality same as the man wht
: wanted the district extended to include
him, has been an active advocate o
, consolidation. Says that he knows i
Y will greatly increase the value of hi!
. farm, altho it is his home and is no
: for sale nor likely to be in the neal
1 future time.
: Some rather humorous features hav
f attended this consolidation campaign
Z One farmer about ready to retire ha
}. formerly bought property in neigh
i boring town expecting to go there t.
I live. Later he sold this having decide'
to go to Alexander instead. Then cam
8 the present agitation which induce
d him TO seek a home n the neighborin
t town and now that town itself is talk
n ing consolidation. 4 difficult thing in
ded to escape.
y Soon after the election on consoli
Il dation a committee of five opponent
are said to have visited an attorne
n with the object of breaking the who'll
n thing up. 1t happened that they Sc
lected the same lawyer that the advo
n Gates of the plan had consulted in tn
|. beginning, unwittingly, of course
n When the spokesman had finished hi
n case the lawyer is said to have in
formed them of the situation, asserte
n that everything had been done in reg
q ular order, collected Zoe OF IS pc
: member of the committee and say
them to the door of his office.
"Pete and Nell'' may be said to b
.old inhabitants" Of Alexander. The
e are just horses. the property OF TIE
II Bonte, the local drayman. For abol
T. fourteen years they have been furnish