Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-04-21
PRACTICALLY SETTLED.
Rock Island to Have a Paid Fire
,.. Department.
To be Established This sprin z with
out Doubt-side Talk of Lasr
Nights Council Meeting.

The retiring city council is determined
to leave good record The outgoing
aldermen are DESTROYS of starting their
successors on the right track.at any rate,
ard then if they don't dosall that they
should, no reflections can be cast on their
immediate predecessors At last nights
meeting the council practically
settled the question of paid fire depart
ment for Rock Island by an unanimous
vote. When under the head Of commit.
tee reports the fire and light committee
was called, Aid. Corken, chairman, said
he believed Aid. Knox and Evans had
| some interesting information to impart to
the council. Mr.. Knox thereupon stated
that he and Alderman Evans had recently
visited Chicago and had been requested
| by Aid. Corken before starting to make
| inquiry and investigation concerning a
fire alarm system and other appliances
for paid department. Mr.. Knox stated
that he and Aid. Evans had called upon
Superintendent Channon of the Gsmewell
alarm system. which is conceded to be
the best and he had stated that he would
| place number of boxes in Rock Island
free of charge, for q number of days,
for a test in order that the council
might form an idea of It's workings,
Mr.. Knox also recommended adver-
Using in the Firemans Journal for
the sale of the hose carts of the volunteer
department in order that they may be dis
posed of to the best possible advantage,
srd a cart for horses and paid depart
rnent secured IN their place. The coun-
Gil adopted the suggestion By an unani.
nous vote and the clerk was instructed
to so advertise.
Aid. Lsrkin left what will be an en-
during monument to himself, in paved
Market square. He presented the ordi-
nance last night and the council adopted
the same after some effort was made to
ttsve it off until the new council comes
in. The ordinance is an excellent one
and should be supplemented at once by
one providing for the paving of East and
West Seventeenth street north of Second
avenue to First and of Seventeent tn street
south.
A petition for the abatement of license
70 peddle fish signed by j. NJ. BesrdsleY N.
NJ. Sturgeon and others was read and after
| some comment Aid. Lsrkin made few
remarks in favor of granting the prayer.
This brought Aid. Kennedy to his feet with
| queer about this fish business, to which
Aid. Larkin promptly retorted that there
was nothing queer about it, and he did
not care for any insinuations from Mr.
Kennedy. He had stated that he be-
lieved it would be the proper thing to
permit fish 10 be peddled free and that
was all there was about it. He was con-
scientious in his position and he did not
propose to have his motives questioned
by Mr.. Kennedy. The latter could not
see why there should be any discrimina>
ton in favor of fish, that was all.
As the official record shows the council
took number of important steps, such
as asserting its rights with reference to
that portion of Moline avenue encroached
upon by the Rock Island road, ordering
also the double street car tracks on Mo-
line avenue to be placed in the middle of
the street before paving is done, and rails
ing the salaries of the mayor and city at
attorney 5000 each per annum.
The salary increase which the mayor
had the audacity to ask 80 soon after hav
ing assurances of being installed for
another two years is regarded by tax
payers generally as rather cheeky act.
With Mayor McConichie Rock Island
for the first time gave its executive SAL
airy of more than $500, raising it to ST.
600, and still he is not satisfied, but as
soon as he sees that he is elected for
another two years he demands $1,000
and gets it. The increase in the com.
pensation of the city attorney is no,
unreasonable. especially since the paving
extensions require so much more time
and labor.