Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-12-23
c COMMENT

The mayor and the city council are
responsible for turning river water into
our city water mains and they should
now go 10 the limit Of the law as a board
of health in compelling every public
eating house to boil the water it serves.
1t has been thirteen years since the
terrible epidemic of typhoid in this
town which could have had no other
source other than polluted river water.
altho analyses of the water at that
time failed to disclose the typhoid
breeding germs. Since then we have
used water from the city's wells only
and our city has been almost free from
typhoid. Many people living here now
were moi here then and others have.for-
gotten the professions to the cemetery.
during that epidemic so that the ut
most should be done now TO urge peo-
Pile to boil all water which they drink.
1t is unfortunate to say the least that
our wells should have been so sadly
neglected as to bring this community
Il the extremity of using river water.
If typhoid freaks out il will be direct
ly the fault of those who should have
repaired the city's wells last summer
when it was known that they needed
it. Dur people have been compelled to
put up with dirty water altogether too
long. The excuse has been that we
were so short of adequate supply that
we could not flush the mains. We have
put in a big pump and next spring we
should put in a string of new wells.
Not one ycr two but many of them. We
should also build another storage res
ervoir. a big one. There is water
enough in the ground for a city of any
size M il is our own fault if we do
not pump il up where it can be used.
Our water mains should be flushed
regularly and often until we have clean
water at all times. We always have
had pure water since the wells We're
sunk and all we need 10Y is more
wells and another reservoir.
Hereafter procrastination should be
banished from the public service. Look
TO the private ownership of the electric
light COMPANY. After rebuilding the
entire plant another 5000 00 is going
into an engine for reserve or emer-
gency use. 1t will be paid for out of
borrowed money and the debt will be
discharged out of light rents covering
a period of years. Our water works
now earns US a surplus every year. 1t
is time we made all needed extensions
and improvements even if money must
be borrowed in anticipation of this
surplus for a few years. The sole pur-
pose in owning our water works has
49,. ats
hop TO it now and get the service.
Z
The expected has happened in the
effort of the carpenters to increase
wage scale for next year. 1t is
going TO cost a great deal more 10 build
next year than it has in the past and
norman can foretell when this cost will
the desire to build. When
ever that point is reached there will
not be enough building going on to
keep carpenters employed. This rise
in prices. wages, costs and everything
else is going to break sometime just
booms always break in town lots.
The break is inevitable but the doubt
is as to when it will be reached.
z
The desire of business men to be as
to committees which have to do
with our civic affairs is ~commendable.
Ii those same business men could sus-
tain that interest to the point of really
doing something we would be well
on the DAD to a millennium.
is next springs election for city
councilmen to be considered shortly.
Let's hope that this unusual interest in
civic affairs lea6S to wise selection OF
business managers for a 100000 pub
lie enterprise,
The schools are out and bids can
get some fresh air totrestore them to
health after the epidemic of colds
forced upon them by the ~overheated
school rooms which are so chronic in
severe weather. One experienced prin-
cipal asserts that most of the trouble
with our school rooms1s caused by the
negligence. or low physical vitality of
our teachers. She says that the teach
or could regulate the heat and ven
tilation Of her school rooms if she
would. but 1t young woman who would
naturally stand over a warm air regis
ter for her own comfort is unable to
regulate temperature for robust, active
Youngsters. Rules can be laid down
and aver the most modern equipment
provided, but the results are not OBJ
tanned unless the teachers are willing
to be watchful.
Council Bluffs is congratulating itself
upon a new lighting contract with it's
public utility company negotiated by
80