Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-01-18
LOCAL COMMENT

IN ten weeks we VIII ne pioWHnB an"
digging for this syringe garden crop
and II is higa time now that heads
OF families were securing their gar
den lots. The war Is over but food
shortage and war prices are here for
al least one more season. There IL
Just as much private ard personal need
for the war garden by the gardener as
there was before but W. cant appeal
10 n mans patriotism ty telling him
that he Ia nslping TO win the war,
lie IL helping TO prolong his own life
by healthful out-of doors occupation
He Is helping tc sustain his family
by providing them more and 'etter
things 10 eat than he could AFFORD at
the store and Ge is helping to relieve
the worlds shortage of food by pro-
'ucing some Of II himself. To the cx-
tent that he stays out OF the market
for food by raising his own he makes
room for other hungry mouths whose
need Is greater than his. Keep up the
war garden; at least for one more sea-
son and perhaps the habit will stick.
o
IL gives us some enthusiasm and op-
timism for the old town after the war
to find the old packing house starting
up, a bran nav brass foundry under
operation, a company getting ready u
do a seed business in the old pottery
factory and the Marshall Canning Com
pany going after national sales in or
der to expand its business. IL somebody
would now come along with an indus
$aI 70 nj
would have 10 build IL anybody else
wanted to start q factory In Marshall
town.
There IL going to be much talk at
Des lMoines this winter about good
roads and perhaps some legislation blu:
there is no need OF waiting upon the
legislature for good roads II the people
at home really want them. Our county
roads. which are the main roads. must
be graded and Graveled first and that
can be done now without any more
law. A board Of supervisors can order
the work done. Next fall when the
contractor claims his pay the board
will issue county warrants. The war
rants will be paid out OF county road
II there Is an overdraft the law pro-
vides that the supervisors must settle
their overdraft with a county note in
negotiable form known as a county
bend. The bonds will he bought at a
net interest cost OF ~. per cent. This
extra cost Of a hard road can then be
paid out OF the future road taxes by
people who enjoy the useNof the roau.
A board which would undertake to CIV Q
to its people a real road could even
obtain large money bonuses from es-
pecially benefited property owners
Fellows in turn, who want some roads
can get them II they convince their
county boards.
That leads to the observation that
public improvement is the only held
open to a commercial club. Starting
factories is private enterprise. A COM
mercial club can do little toward start
ing q worth while private business.
None of the lew Industries now m
sight sought or received aid from tne
commercial club. Public improvements.
however, ought to be studied, planned
and projected by Marshalito"h
Club. 1t is capable Of more represent
alive expression of public sentiment
than any public board elected TO oHlce
and burdened with detail.
Q
To the town nan, confined to ONCE
or store, the prospect Of country ciuo
for next season is Of vital interest as
the confinement Of winter wears drear-
ily on. Will the floods come again
next year? Will the MOSQUITOES raise
a bumper crop? Will our club have
money enough to keep UP the grounds
or will we go broke in the first Sixty
dayi? These are the problems ina
interest the man who wants to get
out Of doors and can't go to California
or Florida or to the northern lakes Tor
MANY months at q time. Il wish we
had a mountain, or lake or natu-
raj tinsbered park up on a range OF
hills, or something besides Just mud,
and corn and hogs" says the TIRE"
business man and professional man.
We have several Just such beautltu'
spots accessible to the automobile CLASS
and we have the city park for the rest
Of us which could be protected from
food by the expenditure OF reason
able sum. Let's spend some money 1ot
out OF doors recreation privately ana
publicly. It Is always a gooo invest