Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-01-09
MR.. COLLINS PLANS
The Court House Committee
Struggling With Them.
THE IDEA SUBMITTED YESTERDAY.

A Building 100 by SO Feet Facing East
Submitted-The Ground Floor, ETC.
The Plain Duty Of the Commmittes That
1t Might rs Wen Adjust Itself to.
The building committee of the
county board of supervisors on the
new court house gave itself over 20
its particular friend, Chairman S. j.
Collins, yesterday afternoon, who
submitted plans for the new court
house for adoption, the scheme being
that the building committee was
first to approve of them, then the
county board was to be asked to do
the same, after which there would be
nothing left to do but to have Collins
carry his plans into execution.
The plans submitted by Mr. Col
Inns. which were taken in part from
the Kane county court house at Ge-
neya. called for a building with d.
mansions of 100 by 60 feet, running
north and south through the square
and facing east on Fifteenth street
The interior arrangement included an
Office for the sheriff in the basement.
with offices for the circuit clerk,
couRty clerk, treasurer, county su-
perintendent and county Judge
on the first floor, with the SUPPOSE
ton that court rooms and supervi-
sOrs' rooms, etc. were to be pro-
vided for on the second floor. The
committee after due deliberation
thought Mr.. Collins plans would in
volve too great an expense, and
while being impressed, as some of
them were, with his notions, the
committee as q whole decided not to
adopt them, and he was invited to
draw other plans providing for a
building of Portage red sandstone. the
one contemplated in original draw
ings. being of such dimensions that
it would be necessary to keep the ex-
pense anywhere within the 1926, 200
to build it of brick with stone trim
mipgs.
Indeed, Mr.. Collins plans if car
ried into execution, would call for
100000, if the building should
be constructed of material other
than brick. while the fact of it's
facing on Fifteenth street. which it is
explained, is with the view of getting
better light, is one that will not meet
with common approval.
No Necessity for Mr. Collins.
Viewing yesterdays proceedings
and the committees action, it must
become more apparent to the think
ing person that Mr.. Collins is serv.
ing merely in a supernumerary capac.
ity, and the natural inquiry will be
as to why the committee is seeking
plans srom him anyway, if it pro.
poses to invite architectural compe.
tition.
The committees plain duty Ger
taiulv should not be difficult to un.
derstand. Having made a tour OF
various court houses it should have
satisfied itself as to what Rock Island
should have. This can be readily
stated in writing for the boards ap.
prevail, and architects will expert
cncc no difficulty in catching the
idea when invited to do so. But the
ruling element of the committee has
another motive in view. 1t is t.
give Chairman Collins the exclusive
advantage. Unless the committee
alters its purpose in this respect, il
may find that the board of supcrvi
sors will not approve of all of it:
acts.
But meanwhile has there been Sc
much evidence of Chairman Collins
remarkable service to the committed
nm In Hafpo