The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1877-09-09
THE WHARFAGE ORDINANCE.

A Ccrre 81 ondent Who Thinks 1t Should
Be ADOPTED, and Sites the Statute to
Prove That the Council Has the Power
to Eliorcsit.
70 tie Editor Of the BrlLfuS'
1t does not generally seem 10 be UNI
derstool whether the city council has
the power to regulate the rates OF wharf
age or not; and tor the benefit OF any
who may be II doubt, please allow me to
place before your many readers a portion
OF section one, article i've, chapter
twenty four, Ofthe Revised Statues OF
the State OF Illinois, which reads as fol-
lows, viz:
The city council in cities, and presi-
dent and the board OF trustees in villages,
shall have the following powers;
Tnirty-third-T regulate and control
the use of public ana private landing
places, wharves, docks and lcyecs.
Ihirty-fourth-lo control and regu-
late the anchorage, moorage and land
Ing OF all water crafts and their cargoes
within the jurisdiction OF the corpora
ton.
"Thirty.iiIith--To license, regulate and
prohibit wharlboats, tugs and other
boats used about the harbOr, or within
such jurisdiction"
"Thrty.siyth-To fix the rate Of wharf
age and dockage.'
That our city fathers will not oyer
reach their powers should they pass the
ordinance introduced by Alderman
Paiier, Will, think, be clearly perceived
by all who will take the trouble to
carefully read the above quotation from
the revised statutes OF this state; lut ii
Is often the case that public sentiment
must be aroused to sustain the law
before it can be carried into effect. And
have We not as citizens Of this city beer
silent too long on this question of vita
! interest 10 all OF our bushes;
men. That eXorbitant amounts have
been charged; and collected from vessels
landing here; that the water front where
vessels are daily landing has not been
kept in good repair; that it is almost i'm,
passable tor teams with heavy loads,
that vessels nave been charged large
SIMS for simply landing or lying at the
bank where no grading has been done
or repairs Of any kind beer made, are
facts that can be attested by at least two
thirds of our business men.
ii one man now has the power TO tax
steamers from ten to fifty dollars ior
landing here, what may hinder him al
some future time from taxing them two
or three hundred dollars, and thus, for q
time at least, stop all shipments by river
Is it safe for this city to allow one per.
son to control the amount OF wharfage
fees to be paid by steamers landing here
when the income from the same goe:
into his own pocket:
flour aldermen have not the mind OF
courage to vote yes in regard to the pro-
posed ordinance, let those who elected
these men to the places of trust and
honorj which they now occupy see to IL
that they are informed that the people OF
this city do not want river business
driven from them, and our water front
kept in an almost impossible condition
for the simple purpose OF allowing one
man to increase in riches.
Should we not foster and carefully
guard all the interests OF The steamboat
men of our two great rivers. Should
they not leel that our city is their friend
For, is it not a fact that if this city eyer
becomes of any great Importance il
must be on account OF its river facilities,
SELDEN.