Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-09-11
Local Comment

When robbers can crack a bank
safe in this county and tho next
week steal thousands of dollars worth
Of merchandise out of q store, 1t is
quite evident that we have bad
gang around. Let's employ some ex-
perienced plain clothes men and have
@ cleaning.
The county fair will be on next
week at the enlarged grounds and
the weather Is settling for n grand
attendance. If the road drags will
only be used today and Monday we
ought to have n big time Of It. AS
to exhibits, they always surpass all
previous years, and 1t is worth at
least one day at the fair to see just
how big they are.
1t appeared in the report as to de-
ficits on the government operated
railroads in England that one of the
principal causes was the competition
of motor trucks in hauling freight.
England has hard roads everywhere,
and motor trucks are getting the
short haul freight business. The
same drift is NOTICEABLE in our east
ern states and in California, where
roads have been paved. When we
have a paved road to Grunfy Center
we will have motor-truck freight
business to that point and motor bus
passenger business besides track
for every private automobile within
five miles of the main highway. This
city alone once voted 100000 In
taxes to aid an interu-ban to Grundy
Center because of the benefits to be
derived. A paved road now, when
every family has a private car. would
be worth as much as q railroad
4
Some men have been known to
touch liquor occasionally and then
let 1t alone, but after several CEN
turtles OF trial the most enlightened
peoples OF the earth have decided
that in practice there are so many
who can't let 1t alone that the great
est good for the greatest number de-
mands the complete abolition OF liq-
uor. So 1t Is with the boxing match.
Some few can manage an athletic
contest that is not as degenerative
as prize fight, but the temptation
Is SO strong that as soon as boxing
matches are put on for the money
there is In 1t at the door they take
on all of the brutality of the prize
fight, and the county attorney is Jus
titled in enforcing the law to the
letter. Before the war we had ceased
to think that such contests were
even respectable. When men were
mobilized to kill our enemies and the
need arose to put the punch into
them. boxing matches were useful TO
stir within them the natural fighting
instincts of their race. Now that the
war Is over and peace IL to be
courted everywhere the less OF the
prize fight the better.
4
It was not many years ago that
imes-Republican reporter worked
up" what he thought was an inter-
esting feature in circulating among
the automobiles parked In the fair
grounds and publishing a list OF the
towns from whence the cars came.
The principal object was to show the
number OF towns represented and the
distances which they had travelled
tn coming to the fair, whereas a few
years before all traffic OF any dis
tance was by rail. Now 1t is Inn
practicable to attempt a. feature Of
this sort, for there are too many
cars. It would be full days Job,
even II 1t could be done In a day. A
few years ago the work could be
done in an hour.
The automobiles that will be
parked In the grounds during fair
week will knumber well into the
thousands. Owners OF cars are
charged for the privilege Of taking
them into the grounds. During the
recent carnivals, when autos were
left on the grounds while their own
ers We're witnessing the carnival acts,
numerous tfiefts from the cars re-
suited. Tho fair association, charging
for cars to enter the grounds, should
employ men with police authority to
pesShoA VIC 6iouLNS duu SEQ LI1aL cars
are protected from thievery. If. car
owner pays for the privilege of leav-
ing his car in the fair grounds, he is
entitled to reasonable protection. A
checking system could be employed,
whereby an officer seeing any one
about a car, could demand that he
show check for the car and con-
sequently right to be handling its
contents.t
The enrolment upon the opening
OF the public schools shows 1t to be
the largest in the history of the city
over 5000. Within the next month
it will be larger, for the enrolment
never is so large on the opening days
as month late-. With $50 pupils In
the high school the temporary quar-
tiers are filled to the extent that all