Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-03-13
COUNTY BOARD PROPOSES JOINT
HALL AND CONVENTION
BUILDING.
WOULD BOND COUNTY
TO ERECT STRUCTURE
Senator Arney Has Bill to Provide for
Erection Of Imposing Building to Be
Dedicated to Veterans OF American
Wars--Permanent Enoampmsnt Of
Grand Army Sought.

| ne movement Sldlitu ny
triotic societies of the city for the
erection Of memorial hall took more
definite form Wednesday night, when
at meeting held at the Marshalltown
Club 1t was decided to await the out
come of the Iowa Legislature Of the
Arney bill, which would authorize the
issuance Of bonds by boards of super
visors to erect memorials to soldiers Of
American wars.
| The allied societies originally asked
for the erection of a memorial hall, to
| be built from the proceeds of a l mill
] tax which the county board may i'm
pose for such a purpose. The county
! board, however, favored different
| plan, one which would insure the cree
| ton of n much larger building and
provide the city with a convention
hail.
The 1 mill tax which now may be
imposed would provide but $4,000 a
year and that sum would not be much
more than enough to purchase a site
for the memorial hall. To carry out the
plan of the county board to erect
memorial hall and coliseum. Senator
W. H. Arney prepared a bill to author
ize the issuance of bonds for such i'm
provement in lieu of the 1 mill tax now
provided by statute
Some Opposition to Coliseum.
There was considerable opposition to
the plan for joint memorial hall and
| coliseum on the. ground that hall
especially designed for the soldiers
| organizations and kindred societies
might be used for purposes which
would rob the building of it's patriotic
nature and make it public gathering
| place.
Supporters of the convention hall
| plan urged that q desirable building
could not be secured thru the i'm
position of 1 mill tax, and that the
county board in reality was prepared
to offer the societies much more than
they had asked, provided the Arney
bill was passed in the general assem-
bly,.
Future Generations to Pay.
The county board takes the position
that under the bonding plan the young
men of today, who really are to de-
rive the most benefit from a coliseum
or auditorium, eventually will pay for
the building and the cost, thru taxa
ton. need not be imposed on the
older members of the societies who
have waited longest for deserved
memorial and who have the shortest
time to enjoy it's benefits.
The allied societies have petitioneC
the county board for a special election
to determine whether or not g
memorial hall shall be built. 1t was
the sense Of the meeting Wednesday
night that the plan Of the county
board he approved provided the coli
scum and memorial hall be dedicated
to the veterans of American wars
There was no objection to the coliseum
such as labor, lodge and patriotic con-
ventions, concerts, political meetings.
etc.
Sharp Debate on Floor.
There was sharp debate over the
effort to make the edifice Joint
memorial hall and coliseum, but there
was unanimity of opinion when it
was explained that the larger struc-
ture was merely to be substituted for
the proposed smaller one.
It was proposed that a committee Of
five be named to determine the nature
Of the Arney bill and if found to en-
| body plans which would meet with the
approval of the societies to work for
its passage. Lieut.. F. J. Thomas, presi-
| dent Of the memorial hall association,
named a committee Of three which
| later was expanded to include repre-
| sentative from each of the societies
| that are a. member of the memorial
association.
The committee named follows:
Joseph A. Whitacre John E. Wildman,
Camp No. 70, Sons Of Veterans, chair
man; J. 2. Benson, General Sheridan
Post No. 452, G. A. r.; S. E. Peek,
Frank M. Thomas Post No. "a, G. A. r.
Mrs. ,Abbie Hanley, General Sheridan
w. r. C. No. 256; Mrs. Rose Carney,
Winchester Circle No. 60. Ladies' of the
G. A. r.: L. A. Larson, General Har-
brouck Camp United Spanish War
Veterans; O. H. Allbee, World War
Veterans; Mrs. w. T. Somers. World
War Mothers, and Mrs. David Lennox
Marshalltown Chapter, D. A. r.
At meeting of the committee OH.
Allbee was named a Judiciary COM
mntee ce enc to visit the state capitol
and aett1i mine the nature or the Arney
bill and the work necessary to secure
it's passage.
After Permanent Encampment.
j. Il. Benson, one of the most active
workers for the memorial hall project,
notified the committee that efforts
were being made to make Marshall
town the permanent encampment city
for the Iowa department of the Grand
Army of the Republic. Owing to its
central location and the fact that the
soldiers home is located here the plan
has found much favor and it was be-
lieved that with suitable meeting
place, such as might be secured If the
Arney bill is passed the g. a. r.. at
its meeting at Cedar Rapids in June,
might make Marshalltown 1.-THE per-
manent encampment city.
To insure such action by the state
department; however, it would seem
that passage Of the Arney bill was
necessary and that o vote on the bond
issne would be necessary prior to the
Cedar Rapids encampment. The COM
mittee has determined on campaign
Of action, hoping to secure a decision