The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-06-05

In addition TO the above, the following
bills were also allowed: Rock Island
ARGUS, S25 rs; Port Byron Lime associa.
ton, IS cents; Union Printing Co, Ss7:
Gas Co., S11.40; Henry Darts Sons, So;
c. C. Knen, $11; Coal Valley Mining Co.,
$3.50; Henry Darts Sons, $2,75' Circuit
Clerk, (costs Whitney suit) 1903. 10;
Stewart & Els. So F Helfnger, $50;
W. B Petit, S. Cramer 6 Yerbury,
$17S5; Thomas Bolman, $67S; James
Hardin, $3.50; William Atkinson, S4S.S5
The Electric Light company VS.. Hill
and that of d. DAILY. were referred to the
finance committee with power to act
Several other bills were referred The
bill of J. T. Kenworthy for $11035 was
not allowed Ayes-Stengel. Ladders,
Henry, Whitman, Hull Sinnet-6. Nays
Warnock, Bennett, Gray, Collins, Larkin,
Cary, Reimers-S. On motion the bill
was referred to finance committee
Alderman Reimers moved a rule, and it
was adopted, that all bills not placed in
the hands of the city clerk by noon of
Saturday before the first Monday of the
month, shall stand over for one month
Alderman Hall, from water works
committee, presented the following re
port
The water works committee would like
to have the instructions of the council
as TO their powers and duties We are
not entirely clear as to whether. we are
acting under the ordinance of 1876, or
whether it is supposed that that ordi-
nance has been repealed by the adoption
of the general Incorporation law some
years later We were appointed at
meeting held on the 22d Of last month,
and few minutes afterward the mayor
appointed a superintendent of water
works. This was without consultation
with the committee, as must be apparent,
but the nomination was duly confirmed
The ordinance of 1876 vests the appoint
ment of a superintendent in the commit
tee. with other officers. agents and EN-
ployees of the department aud gives the
committee certain governing powers.
This ordinance has since been wholly ig-
nored The members have not even
been called together for meeting by the
chairman, although important changes in
| the department Were made. The com
mittee on the 30th ascertained that the
assistant engineer proposed to quit on
70 Of hn Mt M
mayor was found TO be out of town, and
acting as we supposed for the best interest
of the city, and within our delegated
powers, we notified Superintendent
Cramer that we should hold him respon-
| sible for the good management of the
water works until the committee by
proper action. relieved him of his trust
Mr. CrameT has not been relieved by any
| committee action, but he has nevertheless
works to Mr.. J. H. Kerr, the superinten-
dent appointed by the mayor. And the
new superintendent. without consultation
with this committee has appointed as
| sistant engineers, and has really taken
control of department which is by or
dinance placed in control of this COM
mittee. We therefore ask that the ordi-
nance of 1876 may be read by the clerk
and that the council either take such
acton as will protect the committee in
the discharge of its duties. or repeal the
ordinance entirely. so that there may be
no clash of authority.
The clerk read ordinance of March 81
/ 1876.
Alderman Sinnet made motion that
the committee be instructed as to its
duties. The duties of the committt e
under the ordinance was discussed The
report of the committee was referred to
the ordinance committee to report at
next meeting, by vote of s to Z, the
mayor voting, as follows Ayes-War-