Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-03-21
A GOOD NIGHTS WORK.
The Council Encourages the Rock
ford Construction Company.
Attempt TO RAISE a Technical Peint
&c Defeat the Twentieth street I'm.
p'ovement.--A silly Claim Properly
Disposed OF.

Reference to the official record of the
council proceedings appearing elsewhere
viii satisfy the reader that the council did
its duty well last night by awarding the
contract for the paving extensions on
Second avenue and on Twentieth street
to the Rockford Construction company,
with satisfactory guarantee that the
brick to be used shall be of acceptable
gu Atty and the work shall be done within
the specified time of the advertisement
au1 with the further assurance that a
$25 900 paving brick factory shall be es-
tablished in Rock Island by that compa.
ny.
This was wholly in accordance with
the recommen dation of the street and
alley committee and the mayor, to whom
the matter was referred to investigate and
report. But before its adoption by the
council, Aid. Schnell brought up point
a. to the specifications for paving Twen-
tieth street. The ordinance, said Mr.
Schnell. provides that between Fourth
and Ninth avenues thirty five feet are to
be paved, leaving an even space of
twelve and a half feet between the paw,
ing and sidewalk on each side. Now,
said Mr. Schnell, the entire street from
lot 10 lot is eighty feet wide. Take off
twenty EIGHT feet for sidewalk-fourteen
feet on each side-lesves ffty>two feet as
the width Of the street proper. Leave az
even space of twelve and half feet on
each side from the side walk, making
twenty-five feet, and then pave thirty five
feet, we have a width of sixty fee. to put
into street only fifty-two feet wide, and
the alderman thought this would invali-
cate the ordinance. The matter had been
brought to his attenti on by Twentieth
street property holder. who gave him to
understand that he would take advantage
of the point as technical one, under
which the city could be enj Joined, should
1 not reconsider the ordinance Mr..
Schnell said that he was in favor of
pushing the paving Improvements. but he
did not want to sustain anything that had
flaw in it, and he favored The reconsid.
GRAFTON of the ordinance applicable TO
Twentieth street
The city attorney was called upon to
explain the legal status of the ordinance
IS it stands, and he said there was moth
ing about it that would invalidate the
ordinance. That it was perfectly legal
and sound and that the aim of those who
had raised such point was simply to
kill it. The question raised by Mr..
Schnell had no influence whatever upon
the ordinance and would not invalidate
it. The contract for paving, Mr.. Haas
said, would simply provide for thirty-fiv
feet of pavement. II there is not enough
space outside of the sidewalk, the CITY
can simply take it. The matter is wholly
incidental and does not in the least par
ticular invalidste the ordinance.
Aid Schnell spoke further IN support
of his point and entered motion that
Twentieth street be stricken out of the
ord nsnces on which the contracts were
to be let. The silence that folio wed Aid
Schnell's motion ives painful. Not a
second vas audi
Aid. Edwards stated that the point
raised by Mr.. Schnell wss simply tech
nical one brought up as an attempt to
defeat the pavement. He was sorry o
see such a disposition manifested
Alderman Corken thought there was
no danger of litigation. He was for
standing by the street improvement. and
giving the contra ct TO company that
would bring new industry to Rock Is,
land, such as would give employment to
home labor.
Aid. Knox stated that he had lived on
Twentieth street all his life. He was born
and raised there, and he was ashamed to
know that on Twentieth street more had
been done to prevent the paving than on
any other street in the city. The guess
ton that had been brought up in the
council now was another part of q
scheme to give the paving a set back.
The majority Of the people on his street
had lived in mud long enough, and they
wanted the pavement. They were will
ing to take their chances at getting it
under the present ordinance. and wanted
no further delay.
The report of the committee was adop-
ted on Aid Towards motion, and the
same alderman then moved to award the
contracts to the Rockford Construction
company as per recommendations of the
committee.
Aid. Schnel moved 10 except Twen-
tieth street. but again there was no sec.
ond. and Aid. Edwards moved that in
stead, the council award the contract for
both Second avenue and Twentieth street
by rising vote of the council, but the
motion, commerdahle as it was, was out
of order.
After General Manager Mead, of the
Rockford Construction company. had as
sured the council that it would give am.
pie bonds to fulfill every undertaking it
had assumed, and have the brick plant in
within ninety days. and Aid. Lar
kin, Howard. Evans and Hampton
had made excellent speeches in favor of
awarding the contract to the Rockford
people, the council so. let the contract, all