The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1875-07-16
THE SLY PRESIDENT OF THE
MOLINE WATER POWER CO.!
A MILLION AND A HALF OF THE
PEOPLES MONEY CONVERT.
ED TO PRIVATE USE!
An Effort to Avoid Paying Taxesl

Mr.. Charles Atkinson. president of the
Moline Water Power Co., is known as
remarkably sly and cunning business man,
looking out for No. l every time. He is
the head of an INSCRIPTIONS political ring
which used Mr., Hawley land paid him) in
getting Uncle Sam to build for them mill
dam which cost m,illion and half of
dollars, and which is worthless for any
purpose but Moline mills,-and not worth
a cent for that purpose during any entire
year. The whole water power scheme
was gigantic fraud upon the people of
the whole United States. 1t was conceiv-
ed in the interest of political ring, and
the price of that rings support of Mr..
HAwley, Gen. Henderson, or the Republi-
can party, was subservency to its demands
for appropriations of the peoples money
to build their mill dam. They got the ap-
priations, and Hawley and the party got
the rings support, and Hawley received
money from one of the ring.
The water power is probably worthless
for the government shops and will prob
ably never be used, permanently. The
interest on the cost Of it would furnish
boilers, engines, fuel and attendance, to
run all the machinery forever!-and have
surplus left!
But this is not what we started to say a
few words about. We started to say some
thing of the cunning Water Power Co, land
its cunning president, in evading taxation.
There is now a suit in the U. S. court in.
volving the validity of the assessment Of
the property Of the Moline Water Power
Co. for 1874, and it is the cunning trick to
evade any assessment whatever, this year,
that we wish to place before the public.
MI. G. G. Waters is the assessor for
Moline, and Mr.. Atkinson.persuaded him to
make no assessment on their property,
but. instead, on page 95 Of his book, CON
tract was written out, setting forth that q
suit, as stated, was pending, and that il
the court decided the taxes of 1874 to be
legal then the property was to be assessed
$22116 90 for 1875, but if illegal then NJ
assessment was to be made. Of cours.
the assessor had no power to make an.
such contract. But the trick consists il
having procured the book to be returned
to be accepted by the board of supervisors
without any assessment being made, ant
having been thus accepted no assessment
, could be made or taxes collected for thi
year, whatever might be the result of tn
suit named. The book was returned by tn
county clerk to Mr.. Waters with direc
, tons to assess the property. which he did
) and then with an eraser he scratched on
the contract. Any man who is curious i
this matter can go to the county clerk
, Office and look at page IS of the Moline as
: SCISSORS book.
Atkinson & Co. claim that they sold tn
water power property to the United States
reserving the right to use specified quar-
tity of water, the United States to kee
: the dams in repair forever. Not Statistic
with using their party to convert millio
|, and half of the peoples money to the
private use, they now seek to avoid payin
taxes on their property,-for the right
i specified quantity of water has a valu
and should be assessed.
j. Childrep's and Bows Linen White ar