Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 67, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 March 1911 — Dust Proposition Is Up Again; How Shall We Dispose of It! [ARTICLE]

Dust Proposition Is Up Again; How Shall We Dispose of It!

The dust has been causing a great deal of -annoyance and unpleasantness already this year and some step should be taken to settle both the question and the dust. For several years j>rior to toqt summer True Woodworth did the sprinkling and did it very satisfactorily. A number decided to try oiling and two blocks through the business district of Washington street and several cross streets as well as some of the resident streets were oiled. The oilt ing process proved only tolerably successful, and various complaints were made by business men against it. Some claim that it will prove far too expensive for the good it does, others object to the dirt caused during the time it is fresh, others dislike the idea of having the street in front of their business houses fenced off two or three times a year, which might cost more in loss of trade than the sprinkling would cost for a year. Others go so far as to pronounce the oiling a total failure and say that the dust from across the river is whipped up through Washington street and that oiling that accomplishes the desired result must start at College road and extend at least to the Harris property at the east end of Washington street. This would conquer the dust for a time but the oiling would probably have to be done two or three times a year and this would prove very expensive. Delos Thompson says that he will never oil again. He claims that the frequent oiling of the streets will prove very bad as the oil largely gets through the stone and into the ground and ruins the bed of the road permanently. J. J. Montgomery, who is chief of the fire department, would like to have the city take over the sprinkling business and use the city team for the work. He would also like to see a combined sweeping and sprinkling wagon used. The constant sweeping of macadam streets would probably injure them a great deal, but in the judgment of Mr. Montgomery this would not be the case. Since the city would have to do the sprinkling free of charge or on a voluntary pay basis it would prove quite a drain to the treasury to maintain this system un-

less a plan of compelling payment can be devised. True Woodworth and Lem Houston each started out to circulate sprinkling petitions this forenoon and each realizing that there was not sufficient business to maintain two systems, they decided to get together. Mr. Woodworth has a sprinkling wagon, but no team, and Lem has the team but no wagon, and one or the other will take the proposition over. It would be a good Idea for business men to get together and appoint a committee to equalize the sprinkling cost, thus allaying the fear that some people had that the sprinkling contractor was getting rich too fast. If the work is well done the sprinkler should be well paid and the committee should consult the man that gets the contract so that an amicable adjustment can be effected.

Easter shirts, hats, hose, meckwear, (op coats, underwear, and everything for the men and, boys. . C EARL DUVALL.