Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-05-20
SIDE TALK.
Matters of Moment Before the
Council Last Night.
The Gas Plant Ordinance Adopted
The Rock Island 4 Peoria Switch---
The City's Revenues ana Suggested
ApprOpria lions.

the city's advancement. This was shown
at its first regular session last night, to
an extent that was unanimitY itself.
The ordinance of Davis Il Co. for the
privilege of laying new gas mains and
connections in the city as described fully
in last nights ARGUS. was unanimously
passed. The ordinance was presented by
Aid. Lsrkin, of the ordinance committee,
who warmly urged its passage. Aid.
Schroeder a so spoke in favor OF the pas
sage of the ordinance without delay.
Mr.. W. a. Judge. superintendent of
the Rock Island Gas company. asked
permission to addrt So the council, and
stated that rs a matter of justice to the
old company and to the public, the ord-
nances sought for should be at least re-
ferred to committee for action at fu.
ture meeting. The present company was
paying taxes here of 800 per month. On
coming here thirteen years ago the COM
psny found gas rated at "a. so per thous-
and feet. which was Immediately reduced
to So. and after that sliding scale of So
to Sc was adopted, and more subsequent
ly rate of 81 so had been fixed. Mr..
Judge held that the ordinance now pro
posed was the result of still hunt, and
that there was something more behind
it than appeared on the face of it.
Aid. Schroeder made a few more re>
marks in endorsement of the Davis & Co.
ordinance.
Mr.. VIM Jackson said few words in
brief of the proposed ordinance which
was chiefly for fuel purposes. though heat
and light were also contemplated as a
matter of course. 1t was necessary be-
cause of certain options to have the ordin
snce passed tonight if at all. He then
replied to some personal accusations Mr..
Judge had made with reference to the
present plant in Moline.
Mr. Judge was again heard and he de-
clared the D wis & Co. ordinance a bull
doing scheme, behind which there was
something more than the council had an
idea of. Davis & Co. had made over
lures for the purchase of the Rock Island
gas company, but not succeeding they
had come in with this ordinance as a
bulldoZer.
Aid. Corken could see no reason why
the ordinance should not pass at once.
Aid. Geiger and Larkin also spoke in the
interests of the ordinances passage. and
on its being put before the council it
passed unanimously.
Aid Lsrkin presented an ordinance
allowing the r. l. Il P. railroad to ex~
tend switch on Thirteenth avenue to
the river front and along the river to the
abattoir and fertilizing works and thence
into South Rock Island.
Messrs. Oliver Olsen, A. c. Dart and
others spoke In the interests of the ordi-
nance as essential to the success of a
movement on the part of the Citizens
manufactures to locate here.
Aid. Buncher was the only alderman to
raise objection to the immediate passage
of the ordinance, and he desired that it
be laid over one meeting for investigs.
ton. but his motion to that effect was
lost, and the ordinance was then passed
by unanimous vote.
The council also approved the Moline
avenue paving ordinance with certain
amendments, and received and had
referred an ordinance for the paw
ing of Market square. The council
heard with much interest a talk from Mr..
Rockwell, of the Somerville fire
alarm and police patrol electric system,
who demonstrated by facts and figures
the absolute necessity of such an advan-
tage to any growing city. Towns IN
Illinois of $500 and 3.000 inhabitants
were adopting this system, and city OF
over 5000, without systematic fire and
police alarm, was an exception in the
west. Efficiency in fire department
was essential to success in securing new
and valued industries, and Rock Island
must so improve if it would successfully
compete for outside enterprises with
other cities.
The city clerk presented a statement of
the revenues and limit of appropriations
for the fiscal year just entered upon, to-
gether with an estimate of the appropri-
atoms, but the council did not act upon
the question last night. The exhibit
however. will tie read with interest and is
appended:
| REVENUES AS ESTIMATED FOR THE YEAR 1890