Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-06-01
PLAIN TALK.
manager Loudtrback speaks Plainly
OF AmpssitiOns on the str, ct Rail
way Syndicate.


The first trip of syndicate electric car
was made over the Third street line in
Davenport Saturday night and proved en-
tirely satisfactory, except that the car
]olted little over that part of the road
where the old tram rail is spiked dow D,
and which will have TO be reiaid. Super
intendent Henry Schnitger manipulated
the current and Manager Louderback,
superintendent of Motive Power Fred.
erlcks, Treasurer Hubert and Electrician
willard, of the Thomson Houston COM
pany. were on The car. During the trip
Manager Loude1ba talked plainly to a
Democrat reporter about what The com.
pany would do if Davenport continued 0
manifest its unfriendly disposition to-
ward the company:
GU can say in your paper in the
morning" said Mr.. Louderback to the
representative of the Democrat, that this
company will give the best service it can.
mere will be no waiting on switches and
there will be no delays or long waits be,
tween cars. We will run cars as often as
the patronage warrants doing. The fire.
quency of the trips will be greatly in
creased above what it has been. and if
there is warrant for further increase above
the first schedule that increase will be
made. TraileTs will be run whenever
there IS need for them. We have in the
three cities l35 cars. and we will run them
all If there is business for them, and if
they won't hold the people who want to
| ride we will get more.
You can say more for me-" continued
Mr.. Louderback, warming to his subject.
This company has just authorized the
expenditure of S117,000 over what it has
already spent here. ! lean have $500, 900
more, if can show the members of this
company that there is net return of six
per cent. for their investment. If l can
make that showing on $500, 600 more / can
have 1t, and can have it for 81, 0OO, 900.
This company has dealt literally with this
city, and has done-you al know
what-toward the increase of values
and the Improvement of the city. Now
we want 10 be met half way BY the
city. If the city will take off these
special taxes it Is burdening US with,
US as well as the Allen road; and show
disposition 10 treat US in a friendly
manner, and &c. aid US in our work of i'm
provement here, we will DO our part and
more. We will develop the transit sys.
tenn here TO the limit of its proftsbleness,
and we will do it right.
If the council, on the other hard, de-
termlnes to handicap US and sit down up,
on US as 1t has been doing, we shall pro-
tect our interests. l control this proper
" and it shall be handled as l say.
have the owners back of me and they will
do what l recommend. And you can say
TOR me. ard say II as strongly SIS YOU are
able 10 say II, that in case of uiggardly
narrow policy toward US, such as has
been shown IN the past and is being
shown now, We will not spend dollar
beyond what is needed 10 make our pres
ent system paying one.
We shah give 8 fair trisl 10 each lire
IN tie city. All lines that do not paw
shall be to-a Up and the material used il
laying track where il will pay # the
Northwest Davenport and Rockingham
roads make returns as they are
now dong, they will be taken up
and the steel on them Will ne used ia
double tracking the Third stree. a1d he
loop lines. There is a cnspce foy prof.
n those lines and we shall stay Nh-Ie We
can be assured or that profit. We do
not propose TO pay cent of tribute fer
the purpose OF staying in territory
where We have TO DO business st 3 loss.
We will 60 where we can get the recCgni
ton our enterprise merits, and where We
can be assured of such return as We
ought 70 have. We shall deal with the
city as IL deals with Us. II we are
treated as We should be treated We will
not spare expense 10 make our system
and service here perfec; and complete.
The Democrat commenting on this
matter SAYS:
The Democrat has no word to add 10
this. Mr.. LoUderback has said what he
evidently means arr has not spared plain
words in the saving of il. The matter
has been mentioned so often in ihes=
columns that comment is needless Il Is
to be hoped that no citizen or councilman
of this city will stand between it snd
public improvements Too much has
been done in this line already, 1t is time
to take business view of the matter.
Electric cars will be running on
Third street in Davenport regularly after
tomorrow.
When seen this morning Mr. Louder.
back stated, ITO tell the truth the directors
are getting desperate about the lines in
this locality and they positively cannot
Sand any further expressions. Hence
forth the lines are TO be cordulteQ on
strictly business principles and any branch
that does not pay will come up. We
have too much money invested here sl-
ready and cannot stand another cent Of
unnecessary expenditure. We would
rather give up what we have and sell it
for what we can get for it or equip some
of our systems elsewhere than TO expend
any more money"
Mr.. Louderback has been associated