Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-04-14
A JITNBY SERVICE.
Davenport Democrat


II the jitney bus is TO become an in
stitution in the Tri- Cities, 1t should
give a service.
This is the idea, it is believed, which
the Davenport city council will have
in mind as it considers the ordinance
which was given first reading at its
meeting last Wednesday evening.
Dayenport's electric railways are
giving a service. 1t has been a SER
vice that compared very favorably with
that given by electric cars in any other
city of the size of Davenport This
has been fact well known to Daven-
porters, and it has been the verdict Of
visitors to the city.
II we have need of the jitney, and
1t can render public service. it will
remain with US under such conditions
as the council should impose in the
interest of the public.
Jitney service Is not synonymous
with joy riding. To indulge ones de-
sire to run up big mileage with a
new car, or to pick up little -easy
with diiapidated second
hand. old one. by running bus thru
a few blocks Of consestsi territory
skimming the business that the cleo
trio lines have built up, IL not the
of public service. 1t is
simply form of temporarily, or per-
haps only seemingly, profitable joy
riding.
This has been realized in other cities
where the jitney appeared earlier, and
its operation has been regulated and
controlled into some semblance of pub
lie service. That is the task that is
before the Davenport city council
Some provisions necessary TO the
protection Of the public nay be such
that every driver of a jitney can not
meet them. That is, however. rather
an evidence of the lack Of real inn
mediate need of extensive jitney SER
vice. than a reason for making the
ordinance fit the titney's mans idea of
what he wants to do.
II he wants to give the city SER
vice, ii should be service that is
worth something, and it should be at
the disposition of all the people.
EXPERT TESTIMONY ON BANANAS
lSioux City Tribune.]
A very liberal stretch of Imagination
is involved to assume that an Iowa
house mover Is also an expert on the
growth and marketing of bananas,
coffee and cocoa, or on navigation
problems along a stream in South
America. For this reason passing no.
tice Is due to full page advertisement
of a South American development COM
pany in an Iowa daily. The advertise
ment is principally devoted to ''test-
monial'' letter from an Iowa citizen,
whose letterhead shows that he is a
contractor and house mover. A por-
ton of the testimonial follows:
Il wish 10 state that during the
month of February I made a trip to
........ Nicaragua, to investigate
first hand, the properties of ..........
Land and Development Company's
plantation. found that every acre OF
this property was good for the cultiva-
ton of bananas. and for all kinds OF
cultivated plants, such as coffee, cocoa
sugar cane and other cereals. The i'm
portance of the river which puts this
property in direct communication. by
sea-going vessels, with the ports OF
the world is Unreasonable.
have examined soils in Iowa, Minneso-
ia, Wisconsin, Oregon and Washing
ton, but nowhere have I ever found
any SOIL lUdl Will c4udA III ACS sA1IS <AAAe
productiyeness the soil OF this planta-
ton"
The house mover who signed thil
statement did not even intimate tina
he ever had any experience in the pro-
duction of coffee or bananas. or thai
he had any expert qualifications II
examining or testing soils. as basis
for the com parsons cited.
The natural inference. is that tn
author of the testimonial does no
know what he is talking about Takint
it for granted that he did make a triI
of investigation to the South Ameri'
can properties as stated, he merely &C
cepted the representations OF interested
persons and then signed a glowing let
ter Of approval which had been pre-
| pared for him. He merely nao
talented pilot and amanuensis.
| These South American promotions
| now popping up" in various localities
| have the familiar ring Of the Mexican
rubber plantation projects. on which
many Iowans nibbled a few years age
realizing nothing but experience 10
their Investments.
| IT Is not the newspapers role to pos
as a guardian against all questionable
enterprises, but great strain ts I'm
posed against silence when an low
fL 49, - n ne