Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-12-10
OUR PUBLIC BUILDING,
Rock Islands Bill Passes tie House
With Others.
me sss'eoo Appropriat,en low o.,y
cens'nxeas Upon tho P.essae.,,s
signature.

contingent Upon tho P,es,ae,,,.
Signature.
Inc house of representatives yesterday
passed large batch of public building
oiils. including an appropriate Of s75.-
uoo for one at RICK Island. Ii, view NJ
the fact that Rock Islands bill has al
ready passed the senate this .ity occu.
pies much more advsntageous position
tnan many Of the other cities f,yored nv
Yesterdays action of the house and the
success OF the measure as 1t .pplies TO
Rock Island is now only contit gent upon
the friendly disposition OF the
president. It's really the s.na,e bin
which has already passed the oper house
that has been successful in Rock Islands
case. and while there is no dis position or
purpose on the part of the Anaus TO 10.
more Whatever Congressman q est has &C.
complished for Rock Island and he ia
entitled to alarge measure of c edit in hay.
ing looked after this bill in the bouse-it
10 nevertheless fact that with any bin
ct ell introduced looking to tile establish
ment OF federal building at Rock Island.
the government could not hs ge acted the
part OF consistency and failed to recog-
nize Its Importance in prov ding for so
many cities where the needs are less Inn
perative as it did yesterday. Indeed the
passage OF the Rock Island appropriation
mas been for sometime matt or II peces>
sity conceded in Washington. This is
not only true because the CITY is desery.
ing OF 1t. but because 1t is an economic
business move on the part OF the govern.
ment where it has so many interests az
are stationed in Rock Island, including in
addition to first class post Office, the
Office of Maj. Mackenzie in charge of
upper Mississippi improve ment whose
forces require great deal If room, and
more than can be provided in rented
quarters at exorbitant yearly rental,
and also the custom O tfices which
while not as yet importsnte will REQUIRE
quarters and will with atte ntion in the
future it is to be hoped become of
some advantage to the CITY. 1t is no
more than fair to presume therefor that
the governme nt recognizing. as it could
not fail to do, the great need and the
advantage of q building at Rock Island,
the bill would have passed early In the
next congress anyway and the present
congress saw the fitness and propriety of
action without delay.
The bill as it passed both houses of
congress is as follows:
Be II enacted BY the Senate and House of Repre-
senthtiyes of the United State of America In
Congress assembled:
That the Secretary of the Treasury be,
and he is hereby authorized AID directed
to purchase a site for and cause TO be
erected thereon a suitable building, with
hseproof vaults therein. for the accom-.
mediation of the internal revenue Office.
postoffice. United States engineer Office,
and other government Offices at the city
OF Rock Island. Illinois. The plans spe.
cif1cations. and full estimates for said
building shall be previously made and ap-
proved according TO law. and shall not
exceed. for the site and building complete.
the sum OF seventy i've Thousand
dollars: Provided that the site shall
leave the building unexpo3ed to danger
from IRE in adjacent build ings by an open
space OF not less than forty feet, includ-
ing streets and alleys; and that no money
apportioned for this purpose shall be
available until valid title to the site for
said building shall be vested In the Uni
ted States. nor until the state of Illinois
shall have ceded to the U 1ited States ex-
elusive jurisdiction over the same during
the time the United States shall be or re,
main the owner thereof, for all purposes
except the administration of the criminal
laws OF said state and the service of civil
process therein. For the purposes of this
act the sum of seventy we thousand dol
lars Is hereby appropriated, out of any
money in the treasury not otherwise APP
propriated. the same to lie expended I'M
der the direction of the secretary of the
treasury.
The outlay for q site IA limited to $1O,.
600, and Rock Island offers plenty of
splendid locations in the business por-
ton of the city one of which can no
doubt be purchased reasonably unless
property owners permit selfish interests
to warp their considera, ion of public well
fare, and attempt to make ''grab" In or
der to line their own pockets with what
should be devoted to the building and
the public. There is site within two
blocks OF the present pc stofflce which ia
very favorably spoken of and and would
make an excellent location.
keck Island is not alone in its rejoicing
at this time as Davenport gets 500. 600 In
the house appropriations though the sen.
ate has not yet acted ON its bill. Sioux
City gets $3.50. 1000, Bloomington $780,.
600. while other cities about us get lar
ger or smaller amounts