Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-03-16
Continued From Page ~

tive plans or the cOmmlttee Wer'
spread out on a table and score o
more members examined them crit
cally and made some suggestions
which members Of the committee salt
would prove Of value to them.
secretary's Report.
Following is the complete annua
report of the secretary:
To the officers and members Of the
Commercial association of OttumWa
Your secretary herewith submits fol
your information and consideration
d brief enumeration of the more I'm
portant activities Of the association
for the past year
II is impossible to recount all thai
has been attempted or accomplished
by the association during the past
twelve months, but perhaps sum
mary at this time may be informing
not only to the many members VINO
do not keep in close touch with the
work, but the general public as well
In passing upon the work of the as
ISOLATION. 1t must be realized that a
few words in this report may be the
result of many weeks of work on the
part OF many men.
The association conducted a public
meeting at Unionville, Appanoose
county, February 20, at which was
raised $4,000 and used for cutting
down three largs hills on the c. K. c.
q G. highway between Unionvllle
and Blakesburg.
On two occasions, made cores
nOndence campaign with the members
Of the legislature and sent committee
to Des Moines in the interest Of better
roads Legislation.
Sent delegates, at their own ex-
nense. to the river terminal congress
held at st. Louis February IS and 10,
1915.
On two occasions, at the request or
the census director, committee ad-
dressed the census takers, urging
them to secure an accurate count.
Information and data secured re-
garding auditorium and white way.
Both of these matters were postponed
on account of the hotel proposition,
being taken up at about that time
The information is on file ready for
the committee to act. ...
The cleanup and Improvement
campaign was fully up to the expecta-
lions. Public meetings were held, or
ranization effected, ward committees
appointed and general cleanup and
Improvement campaign conducteo'
Results speak for themselves. 1t IS
intended to continue this work on
larger scale this year.
A great deal Of information regard
ing the oiling of country roads and
$500 In subscriptions for this purpose
was secured, but, on account or the
extremely unfavorable weather, II was
not considered advisable to attempt
the work. This matter will have early
consideration by the incoming board:
A number of conferences were held
with the city commissioners regard
ing the repairing Of pavement, rouno.
inr OF sidewalk corners, paving Court
and other streets, principally those
leading to the city limits, street car.
lniyals circus licenses, putting IN OF
service pipes before new pavement IS
laid, congestion at and repairing OF
Market street railroad crossing, new
city map. defective brick in new pave
ment. better sidewalks, and endorse
ment OF commissioners In their ef
forts to give us better and more uni
form sidewalks in the business dis
strict. high crossings, better city
streets especially the main thorough
fares leading to the country, trahc
police garbage dumping and garbage
disposal, wide tire ordinance, pullo'
Ing ordinance, jitney ordinance, trat
fic ordinance and other matters.
Conferences were held with the Of
ficials of the Iowa Telephone COM
gpany, with view Of securing remov-
al Of poles on Church, Court and 9th
ier streets, and the placing of wires
underground.
Conferences held with the officials
OF the public utilities companies IN the
city and pointed out to them the bad
conditions Of paving where 1t had
been taken up for various reasons. A
list OF more than 100 defective places,
with the street number, was furnished
them and they assured us that they
would repair in each instance where
they were at fault.
The request Of the Fifty-fourth regi-
mental band that we raise funds for
band concerts to be given during the
summer months was complied with
and our committees raised about
400 for that purpose.
The reception to the delegation of
st. Louis business men who visited
sOttumwa in their special train on May
10. was one Of those little things
which always carries with it a good
Impression of our city and people and
was highly appreciated by the visi-
tors. Carnations and statistical book
lets were given to each visitor.
The organization of the Wapello
County Auto club did not receive the
hearty response anticipated by the
promoters. Many of the auto owners
were of the opinion that another or
ganization would be superfuous and
that the work proposed to be done by
the new organization could be taken
care of by the Commercial associa-
ton as 1t had been in the past.
Labor day celebration, with Ring
ling Brothers circus. no doubt brought
more people to Ottumwa than on any
other occasion in the history Of the
city. Through the invitation of the
Trades and Labor assembly. the Com
mercial association and Merchants as.
ISOLATION were given an opportunity