Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-03-06
LOCAL COMMENT

| Charitable individuals and organi-
cations have expended very consider
| able sums this winter in aid to those
| in want. Some Of those thus assisted
We're victims of hard luck and circum-
| stances over which they had no con.
/; troll and some were of those who In.
cline to depend upon the ravens of the
4 air and trust that food and raiment
will come anyhow some way. The
| lob had to be done. The hungry must
| be fed and children clothed and kept
from freezing. 1t is a thing that must
be done when circumstances force it.
But il is only to be done over again in
many instances winter after winter.
| This town needs help organization
more than those we know by the name
of charity societies. And help is not
| limited in its meaning to supplying
( food and coal when there Is neither in
theh ouse. Half the poverty might be
ameliorated by suggestion and little
/ urgency. To Illustrate. many bushels
of potatoes have been bought and paid
| for by charity this winter which might
have been raised to the last potato on
vacant lots il the head Of the family
! had been inclined to do little labor on
odd days ard Of evenings. The fact is
/ that about seven out of ten who re-
| quire help lack the initiative and the
management to help themselves. They
need suggestion. There is nothing to
hinder any person from raising his
| winter supply of potatoes and cab
! bages on vacant lots. The rental of
! such lot is not high. 1t is simple
! "dolessness' in some cases. bad habits
I in others. laziness IN some. and mis-
| fortune in others. There is almost as
! much need of an industrial visiting
/ nurse as of the visiting nurse of sick
/ ness and accident.
| We shall do II over again next win
| ter. II is a duty and par. of human
| responsibility. We are our brothers
! keepers. But there ought 10 he some
| body TO act as a brother adviser. to
1 require effort in summer as pre-
/ cursor Of aid in winter. We should
j have point of contact between self
| help and charity such as an employ
ment agency affords. And there should
i be an organized effort to improve the
home life Of some families in this city
or to remove the children from infiu
1 ences fatal 10 their prospects to make
decent and useful citizens. Charity
such as the people Of this city have
had for the poor and unfortunate this
! and previous winters is never a fail
/ ure. but it lacks an essential when Il
! does not lift its recipients.
/ Attention Of those charged with re-
sponsibilitv should be directed 10
crowded assemblages of all kinds and
! especially TO places where hundreds Of
( persons. weak and strong crowd and
Z push their way into places of amuse
1lent lacking sufficient exit facilities.
The law providing for free aisles
should be stringently enforced, and il
+ would be merely in the line of public
safety to inspect all buildings and in
sist on compliance with the law as to
exits. fire escapes and like precautions.
{ This is true especially Of moving pic
ture shows where film explosions are
possible and where such an accident
would mean almost certain disaster.
! The reglectful tendency 20 let things
alone and trust 20 luck is responsible
for most calamities. Safety first" is
as applica bic TO amusement buildings
as 10 railroad management.
The jitney bus is making its ap-
pearance in the smaller towns and with
prospects that the venture if not
highly profitable, will pay wages. 1t is
+ new thing n Iowa. and unprovidec
for as regards regulation by ordinances
or laws except as the general stat
rtes apply to the jitney. However the
jitney is a public service. by way of
public utility in a minor fashion. and
should be controlled by ordinance as
/ Is other street transportation. The city
CT Los Angeles Cal. adopted its j!t-
ney bus ordinance this week
A discussion timely this week in
| Marshaitown is between the Times
Republican. the Boone News Republic
| can and the Kimball, S. D., Graphic.
The T.-R. having suggested editorially
! that leaving snow on sidewalks more
than twenty-four hours should be
Unable offense. the Boone paper dis
agrees and says the whole system OF
making property owners shovel side
walks sprinkle streets or police their
places of business is all wrong, and
! that it is the duty of the city, pure and
simple. 1t argues that while the prop
erty owners pay for the walks and
pavement. they have no Jurisdiction
over them, that they belong to the pub
lie and the public should pay for keep
News-Republtan. =" as long as the city
fdepends on the system of each prop
erty owner shoveling his own sidewalk
there will always be injustice, for some
| property owners always shovel their
sidewalks and other property owners
never do. The whole thing should be
done by the city and charged up equal
" TO all property" The kimhall paper.
quoting the Marshalltown and Boone
contentious, produces in evidence the
system in South Dakota town where
"Mobridge, In this state, has solved the
question of keeping sidewalks clear OF
snow by making contract with firm
who will clear all sidewalks in town,
and Mobridge proposes to tax the ex-
pense I'D to the abutting property
holders The cost for the winter will
be about 50 cents lot. The expense
of spreading the special assessment
will also be charged up to the proper
I ~ and and the whole certified down to
the county treasurer for collection.
Licensed to Wed.