Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-05-29
Local Comment

The police powers have made a
good promise by announcing strict
enforce nent Of the DINNER law. Now
II they match promise with perform
ance they will have gone far to Sc
cure public safety and relieve those
who conform to the law and the
decencias of the road. One person
started out tho other evening to
make q test. When he met ono OF
those cars with powerful lights that
fill the entire street for blocks he
dimmed his own. IL there was no
response he swung little 30 that
his own lights again as an invita-
ton ard a reminder. Out of twelve
such cars met in such way four
responded with their DINNERS. The
others paid no~attention and hogged
the street, most of them holding
the middle of the way and letting the
other driver hunt the curb by faith,
blinded by the glare Of the powerful
lamps. If the department Of safety
goes sincerely about keeping its
promise to the public 1t can soon
elimins tie that sort Of road hog and
inciden tally assist very comfortably
the city bank account. And all the
rest of the people will say amen.
While no law-abiding driver Of q
motor vehicle wants to see the city
admin stration show any laxity for
violations OF the motor laws. there is
feature of the parking ordinance
that should be handled leniently as
far az out of-town motorists are
concerned. With parking permitted
three different ways on the four
streets surrounding the court house
sumo that visitors to the city may
become confused. If In doubt as to
how to park. careful tourist will
inquire. but when he sees cars park
ed in the middle Of and parallel with
the clrbs on Center and First ave-
nue., parallel with the curbs on Main
street, and then at an angle with the
curbs on Church street, the system
is likely to become confusing.
Another thing the city might see 70
to the, benefit and comfort of the pub
lie Is high rail crossing on the rail-
road tracks and in places on the
street car lines. There is no good
reason why those crossings can not
be cared for and kept ft to drive
over without shaking automobiles to
pieces and at the expense to the
public of great and unneces-
trnr ;-s, l.
not a great matter. either as to time
and expense, and the public has
right to have the crossings made as
safe and smooth as attention can
make them.
Referring again to bad spots and
places in the streets while the
mending gang has been doing some
good work filing holes and generally
In maintenance of pavement there
are Gtill many bad and some very
dangerous places. There is q hump
at street corner on West State,
at Fourth, that might easily cause a
serious and perhaps fatal accident,
the more so that it is at corner
and pretty busy corner. Then
there are humps and hollows here
and there where pipes have been
laid and a poor job Of filling has been
made. The hump might come down
and the depression filed without
mucl. trouble and labor. There are
one Of two of those on Main be-
tween Center and First avenue that
a little laborious attention would
correct. OF course those are COM
paratively small things, but most OF
the ,onveniences and comforts of
life are in that class. Why not fix
them?
1t Is interesting toy look back over
twer ty-five years and compare with
today the number of graduates in
the classes of the local high school.
Twenty-Five years ago twenty-four
young people were graduated, and it
was about an average sized class.
From 1890 to 1895, inclusive, 169
young people were graduated at the
hfgf! school. Next week eighty-nine
young people will finish their course
in the Marshalltown high school,
and from 1915-1920 474 will have
been graduated. The average size Of
the class Of generation ago was
twenty eight; the average size Of the
pas: six years seventy nine. OF
course the classes should be larger
now than they were twenty-five
years or more ago, for the city is
larger, but there Is another, and
equally significant reason, and that
is that high school life now is far
more attractive than it was gener-
aticn ago. There was not the am
bition then, either no the part Of the
parents or pupils that the latter re-
main In school at least during
high school course. II the improve
ment of the local school mapped out
for the next few years can be carried
out Marshalltown, in another ten
years, will be graduating upwards Of
hundred young people every year.