Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-07-24
Local. Comment


company for en- increase in gas rates,
should investigate very thoroughly
pe1ofe acting. Rates in other cities
should be secured for comparison.
Inc city can not deny the company
reasonable return on its investment,
Tor the company can not operate at
a less year In and year out, and the
courts Will establish a fair rate if
called upon to act. An average of
nearly 81 per cent over the present
price paid for gas, is q big increase,
ana one that, before being granted,
should be looked into by the best tai
ent that the city can employ.
There is no doubt but that gas can
not be manufactured today at the
prics 1t could before the war. But
rates In some other cities. even tho
increased over pre-war prices. are
not as high as are to be asked here.
The council will want to know the
reason why gas can not be manu-
featured as cheaply here as In other
places. and satisfy itself as to what
is equitable. both for the company
and the consumers.
&
Tho railroad commissioners have
investigated the complaints and have
promised some sort OF a remedy.
Marshalltown is too important a
transfer point to DO neglected when
it comes to affording the travelling
public conveniences. People should
not be compelled to stand out in bad
weather without protection, awaiting
a chance to get from trains to tho
station platform and under cover. The
requests made by those interested 10
cally were not unreasonable. and "
they had not been made the present
conditions would continue to exist
indefinitely.
Ms.rshalltown will have two carni-
walls next week. The owners Of both
have advertised clean attractions. It
Is ur' to them to make good and not
reflect on the local organizations who
are participating In the profits. When
one reads Of wholesale gambling and
arrests in one carnival at Council
Bluffs, It IL to be expected that
people are inclined to frown upon
carntvals generally. even tho the sins
Of one need not condemn all. Then,
too. Marshallto'wn has had some CO.
nivah that we're rotten to the core,
and the memories of them are prone
to linger. For the sake Of the legion
aires and the traternal organization
backing those TO be here next week,
it is to be hoped that the promises
for cleanliness will be fulfilled.
The summer IL nearly over. and
Marshalltown has let it pass without
any steps being taken toward the es-
Establishment Of tourist camp for
autoniobilists. Grinnell is to have one.
and MASON City is to provide camp
sites Tor tourists In q park on which
the city 10 Spending $4,000 for I'M
provenents. After all Iowa cities are
equipped with camps perhaps Mar
shalltown will awaken to the bene-
fits that would derive from such an
enterprise
u
witt, all the outcry. Justified and
unjustiffed, against prices. 1t remains
true that all OF lis, from rich to poor.
are living better than we have ever
lived before in the memory OF men,
having more, enjoying more. The ave-
rage family sets as good or better
table, wears quite as good clothes,
goes to more entertainment that
costs money, and generally enjoys
itself better than In past years.
Families who had to deny themselves
a horse and q surrey, ride In automo-
biles. One difficulty with all of us is
human nature. We can't forget the
days when we bought porterhouse
steaks for 10 cents pound when
we were working for $3.50 a week.
That Is we remember the 10 cents
clearly, but forget the $3.50. and In
cline to wish we might still slip the
butcher a thin dime while retaining
the remainder Of our pay checks
which have swollen so pleasantly
since them happy days.. Maybe we,
are being too sorry for ourselves and
not sufficiently considerable Of the
butcher the baker and our old friend
the candlestick maker.
&
It's a. good deal like one Of those
signs which reads ono things as you
come TIP the street another when
looked on sQuarely and still another
when We como down the street from
the opposite way. It's a lot in the
point o. view and tho individual de-
sire and necessity and those things
we have grown to consider necessies
ties the true nam,s Of which is luxury.
The worker with labor to sell wants
to sell IL on the highest market and
buy on the lowest and those who sell
to him want the high price for theirs
and to pay tho low price to him. And
there Wa all are. $50 we call each 9TH
err proflteers. Almost all of US believe
it about the other fellow while in
dignantly denying the charge against
ourselves.
Just the same, Big and little, good,
bad and Indifferent, the standard of
living, physically considered. is high
more. have more and consequently
want more. And we'll keep on doing
It because God Almighty made us
that way. It will all come out right
in the end. It has always. The differ
ent directions in which we are all
pulling equalize the strain. Out here,
close to the farm and SO farthest
from starvation, such cities as Mar
shalltown have advantage. We can
drivo OtlI in fha country and Law in