MANLEY, Bernard E.

MANLEY, BARBER, MCCORMICK, HERSEY

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 11/11/2014 at 03:23:27

The Globe Gazette
Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
Saturday, December 21, 1940, Page 5

THEY STARTED HERE
No. 39 in a Mason City Series of Success Stories

B. E. Manley, Liquor Commissioner

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If there were some way of choosing the public servant who has done the most valuable service to the state of Iowa over the last decade, undoubtedly the name of Mason City's Bernard E. Manley would be near the top of the list.

For in the last six years, B. E. Manley has been a pwoerful factor in the shaping and administrating Iowa's system of state liquor control, a setup that has been widely studied and admired as one of the best answers to the liquor problem that hasbeen devised in the United States.

During that time he has earned the respect and admiration of both republicans and democrats for the conscientious manner in which he has handled his work as a member and chairman of the liquor control commission.

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Most Mason Cityans are apt to think if Mr. Manley as a merchant, for he was active in the business field here for almost 20 years as president and an active floor manager of the Manley Brothers company, operators of Manley's department store.

But Iowa citizens at large recognize the name Bernard E. Manley as that of the man who, by intelligent appraisal of the liquor problem and able administration of the duties of his position, has helped to make the problem one of much less garvity than it is in other states.

Mr. Manley was born Jan. 22, 1884, at Sloan in Woodbury county. The Manley family operated a farm and then general store at Sloan and as a boy he worked in both enterprises. Young Bernard Manley attended country school near Sloan and was graduated from the small high school there, after having proven himself a good student and a diligent worker.

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Following the completion of his high school work, Mr. Manley entered the University of Iowa, where he studied with a degree from that school.

But after having learned the pharmacist's profession, the young college graduate decided to return to his home town and help run the general store. This he did, remaining at Sloan until the Manley brothers decided to enter the merchantile field in Mason City.

Manley's department store was founded here in 1915 and for the next 20 years Bernard E. Manley was a well known figure among the local merchants. He was especially active in the affairs of the Retail Merchants association and was a close friend of the late Charles H. Barber, its secretary.

In 1919 [1918 in his obituary] Mr. Manley and Miss Gertrude McCormick of Mason City were married. They now [1940] live in Des Moines and spend their summers in Clear Lake.

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With the close of the World war I the United States entered into a noble experiement, prohibition upon a national scale. It was the first time that such a large area had gone completely dry, although many states, including Iowa, had adopted state prohibition or local option laws.

The story of prohibition is not pretty, for while its motives were high its actual operation brought highly undesirable conditions and in time such an upheaval of popular opinion that the country turned again to legal liquor.

All thinking responsible citizens have watched the liquor problems closely in the days during and since prohibition, among them Bernard E. Manley. In 1934, when Iowa was preparing to return to legal liquor for the first time in almost 20 years, a committee substantial conscientious and intelligent citizens was named by Gov. Clyde L. Herring to formulate and suggest a plan of liquor control.

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One of its nine members was Mason City's Bernard E. Manley. Studying the problem from all angles, with emphasis on its social aspects, the committee finally got together to compare notes. It was found that Mr. Manley and the other eight members were largely in agreement on what was needed. Their report, released slightly ahead of one issued by the Rockerfeller foundation, was very familiar to that of the famed organization.

The suggested setup was more a combination of systems used in two Canadian provinces than anything else. Its success to date is very largely indicative of the satisfaction the Iowa citizenry has found in it.

So when the legal machinery was set up, Mr. Manley was one of the three men appointed by Governor Herring to the Iowa liquor control commission. His appointment expired at the end of a year and he was re-appointed for six years more.

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The Mason City man realized the tremendous social importance of liquor and based his attitude toward his duties on this realization. He set out to operate as a non-political servant and has done just that. He has refused political pressure from the members of his own party as well as republicans and has striven to make his appointments on the basis of ability rather than pull or political affiliations.

In 1935 the other two members of the commission named the Mason City man as chairman of the group and he held that post for four years until a change in political fortunes made him a minority member of the commission and a republican became chairman.

"Liquor is dynamite," the Mason City man is fond of saying and he means just that. State liquor stores are operated with the idea that sales are not to be pushed but are rather to be held down if possible. "Interesting returns means increasing consumption and increased consumption means some sales that should never be made."

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So liquor prices are high and no attempt to keep them as low as possible for a heavy turnover is made. There is a certain wariness about letting them get high enough to make it profitable for bootleggers to operate, however.

Some indication of the local man's influence and standing among the men who handle liquor control problems and administration in other states is the fact that he was in 1939 named president of the National Alcoholic Beverage Control association. He did not even attend the national convention and was not a candidate for the position. In 1937 he was named to the executive committee of the same organization.

Mr. Manley's appointment will expire next July 1. Under the terms of the liquor control act there must be representatives of both major parties on the commission, which means that another democratic appointment will be in order at that time.

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It is a tribute to Mr. Manley's work that outstanding republicans as well as democrats are backing him for reappointment to the commission. This is because at they know his work in a job of heavy responsibility has been exceptionally able and has helped to make the Iowa sysem of control one of the best in the country.

But even if the Mason Cityan should not be returnred to his post, he will have contributed a great deal to the pioneering of the present setup and the people of Iowa recognize the valuable work he has done. They will continue to value it and respect Bernard E. Manley either as a public official or a private citizen.

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The Globe Gazette
Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
Wednesday, March 28, 1951, Page 24

Bernard Manley Weds Lu Hersey
Announcement is made of the marriage of Mrs. Lu R. Hersey to Bernard E. Manley, performed Wednesday [March 28] in Mason City. An out of town guest at the ceremony was Mrs. Pearl Fisher of chicago. Mr. and Mrs. Manley will be at home after May 1 at 721 First S.W.

NOTE: Bernard died October 05, 1951. Gertrude E. (McCormick) Manley was born in 1884 and died in 1941. They were interred at Elmwood-St. Joseph Cemetery.

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The Globe Gazette
Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
Wednesday, March 28, 1951, Page 24

Bernard Manley Weds Lu Hersey

Announcement is made of the marriage of Mrs. Lu R. Hersey to Bernard E. Manley, performed Wednesday [March 28] in Mason City. An out of town guest at the ceremony was Mrs. Pearl Fisher of chicago. Mr. and Mrs. Manley will be at home after May 1 at 721 First S.W.

NOTE: Bernard died October 05, 1951. Gertrude E. (McCormick) Manley was born in 1884 and died in 1941. They were interred at Elmwood-St. Joseph Cemetery.

Photograph courtesy of Globe-Gazette

Transcriptions and note by Sharon R. Becker, November of 2014

Cerro Gordo Biographies maintained by Lynn Diemer-Mathews.
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