The Rock Island daily Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1872-1873, 1873-03-15
TET NEW cyTY aovEaNllENT.
SOME QUESTIONS wHIUE WILL COME
FIRST BEFORE THE COUNCIL.


APPOINTMENTS.
In relation to appointments nothing yet
is known as to what Mr.. Davenport will
do. He patiently hears all his constitu
ents have to say, and carefully refrains
from committing himself to any one The
responsibility rests upon him, and he will
assume it when the time arrives to do so.
The power given to the Aldermen to reject
his appointments is wise one, but its
only legitimate use is in preventing incom
petent or improper men from getting
into Office The Aldermen will not be JUS
tilted in rejecting any man on merely per
sonal grounds. 1t is not believed that Mr..
Davenport will make many changes at
present, but will from time to time, make
such only as the interests OF the public
may seem to require.
SALOON LICENSES.
The license question will, of course, be
the first question up--it always Is.
/ Whether any change will be made in the
rate, we have no idea In Moline the rate
/ is $500 year in the county it is $500,
and in this city SI0l We don't suppose
II makes any difference with the drinkers
what the license is--the price of drinks
will not be changed on that account
though the quality may deteriorate lif
ra,sible if the license rate shall he in
creased. 1t is not well to fix the rate so
, low as to encourage an increase of saloons,
nor 50 high as 10 make the business mo
lnopoly. A rate that would bring a fair
revenue. keep the saloons down to = mum
her that coald live by keeping good artl-
cles. and shut up the vile places where
criminally bad and dangerous people most
do coneregate, If any such exist in town.
would be about the thing The heavy
bonds required. under the new hw, and
the heavy penalties attaching both to own
ers of buildings and keepers al saloons
for damages done by drunken people, will
probably reduce the number Of saloons
somewhat; but viii have little if any
effect in reducing the amount Of
liquor used The question has usually
been settled by a resolution. but the better
way would be u adopt permanent oFdi-
nance regulating saloons, and fixing the
rate # license at some fair and reasonable
rate $50 that hereafter there will BE no
more nece sitv fer tie annual yrangls ever
saloon licenses than over any other
Hceu>cs. We have no doubt thar the Al
dcrm,u viii consider this matter upon the
high ground of their duty to the whole
people. and iE the Fate at figure which
they think will be generally approved by
the majority of their constituents
STREET SUPERVISORS.
Another question. on which some dis
cu>siou has been had and which Is always
among the first to come M, is as t. street
supervisors, whether there shall he only
one for the whole city, or one for each
ward. There seems "a he a desire On the
part Of few of cur citizens ~ abandon
the ward system and try one supervisor for
the whole city To do this would require
a firSt-class man. Certainly no eight or
ten hundred dollar man would be able to
give satisfaction The trial was made
once, about u or years ago, and with
very unsatisfactory results. II was So IN
popular and worked $, badly that it was
abandoned by almost uuiyeral consent.
Not as much road money was collected in
the whole city, then, as Andy Hoffman col
lerted in the Second ward last year What
work was done was performed by about
the same set of men, all through the year,
d and poor men. in the wards, who wanted,
now and then, a days work. could not get
it, Il made no difference in what ward the
Supervisor was at work with his men-al
the other wards were growing that they
did not get their share of work
The Street Supervisor must Il
all over town every day during
the entire year. winter as well as
summer in order to know the condition Of
the streets-and no man who is competent
can give his whole time, for the entire year
for any salary which the Council would bt
willing to allow Then. it is next to i'm
possible for him to collect more than about
one half or two-thirls Of the road money
especially from temporary residents, Of
To take charge, in various parts Of thu
:, city, of those who elect to work out thei
poll tax Some have suggested that thu
q Township Collector collect the road tax
but this is impracticable. His collectin!
comes in the winter, and the tax or tn
n work is wanted in the spring and summer
A large portion of it would be lost if lef
to the Township Collector or to one Su
= pervisor, and much confusion would exis
as to those who wish to pay in labor.
Experience has shown that, with goo,
men, the ward system is much the best
> and the most satisfactory to the peopl
d generally Especially will it be 50 thi
; year for the reason that the people ar
e opposed to expcnding any money Oh tn
i streets, except the road money. This j
u a year to contrive how not to spend money
IS Taxes cannot be reduced unless the COun
! ell stops spending money. There shout,
II be no street openings or extensions, n
Il grading, no matchmaking only the OF
'e binary work of cleaning streets and alley
II and keeping them in usual repair-nothin
n more. Taxes cannot be reduced if $50.
IS 600 shall be expended, or pretended to b
n expended, on street work, as has been don
+ during the year just closed But grea
" care should be exercised in selecting war
Ell supervisors The best men that can b
4. secured, for the pay allowed, should b
n appointed. A good rule would be to az
point no man who would not be employe
by any member of the Council for privat
work of similar magnitude and responsi
lie bility.
EIGHT HOURS
70 As to pay, the plan of paying by tn
4 hour is best in all employments, public O
"a private, where the price cannot be fixed b
: the piece--but on all work for the city, a