Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-08-05
SCHNEIDER'S SAY.
Alderman Georges Feeble At
tempt at Defense.
Ills FIGURES AID TIE TRUE FACTS.

Street Committee Chairman finds and
What the Records show-A Ridiculous
Statement
In yesterday mornings Union Aid.
George Schneider. chairman OF the
street and alley committee of the
city council. attempts an explanation
of the condition o; the street and al
ley fund which to the extent of 50,
900 and $500 besides is already eX-
pended. as published in The ARGUS
week ago. Schneider deals with
an array Of figures, those of which
bear on the situation being as perplex-
ing in their Inconsistency as is the
prcdicament in which the head OF the
street committee finds himself.
While, rs he says in conclusion. he
does not consider each item To which
The Argus has referred Of much i'm
portGEce, yet he consumes 4 column
Of space in an amusing endeavor to
show where he is at"
Schneidsrs Ridiculous Figuring.
The statements made by AID.
Schneider are not only Of a one-sided
ridiculous character, but 4 contra
dictiOn of the annual report of City
Clerk Huesing submitted and APP
proved 10y the city council with the
Fifth ward tinancier's affirmative
vote. II any stock is to be taken in
Schneider's argument it would be
well for IN investigation Of the city
clerks books to be made. According
TO Schncider's figuring the 1891
street expenditures were SS,101.11.
while the report OF City Clerk Hues-
ing shows an outlay Of So
G7o.90. There is surely n grave
mistake somewhere. and that
Schneider is decidedly mixed up. wo
will illustrate later on. In the first
place, Aid. Schneider states that
when the present administration
went into power the former admins
tration had already spent s2,0l5.19
out of our street and alley fund.
That left us $2.9si.21 10 spend out of
an appropriation OF 5000" Then
he cnumerates the various improve
mcnts crdered by the council, which
took ali the money, and then makes
this seif-boasting assertion: The
only difference between our manage
ment and the management: OF the
former administration is that we
have done mora work in three months
than they did in Il. but the expenses
exceeded ours. which can be seen
by the following statement: May !,
1893. street account overdrawn ST.
2l5.7G; July 10, 1883, appropriation.
80, 900; Oct. ,, 1898, additional ap-
preparation. 5000: April 10. 1891,
account credited by balance. si9I.-
%. True for Schneider, the 1898 ad-
ministration came out with balance,
Notwithstanding the unusual circum-
stances in caring for the poor it had
to contend with. But that he gives
no credit for. nor does he state the
si,S4s.sS indebtedness left by the
preceding administration, taking
his way OF figuring it. II
will be remembered that in 1898
$4,000 was appropriated for
street. alley and sidewalk purposes.
Confronted by multitude of the
Ia boring classes who, on account of
the panicky times, were almost
starving. on Oct. . the clerk and
mayor were ordered to borrow $500
to be expended on street improve
ments so that the poor might be pro-
vided FOR. At the end OF the year
there was left balance of $i94.C5.
II Aid. Schneider would not have
attempted to explain further he
might have made some people be-
licve he was posted on city affairs
However, he continues: "Strect and
alley expense account of second year
of democratic administration was as
follows: "June 80, 1894. appropria-
ton 5000: August Il finds them
short and they charge up the differ
ent ward sidewalk funds as follows
and credit street account: Third
ward. $500. Fourth ward. Si36.
Fifth ward. S195, Sixth ward. $50,
Seventh ward. s35. Nov. J.. 1891.
finds them overdrawn again Si57.71;
April Il. 1898. finds them overdrawn
again $2.670.92. This amount they
square up by charging the city hail
fund and crcditing street and alley
with the same.
Then from April IS. 1895, to Nav
D, they spent S2,Ol5.I9, making i
total OF SS.7u7.l7 spent in their Sec
ond year.
The above was devised by
Aid. Schneider TO make his argu-
ment appear strong, as it is ridiculous
and incorrect from beginning to end.
rs the books in the city clerks
Office will show. and as any
person acquainted with the city
affairs will readily understand
For one connected with the al
ministration which he seeks
to belittle it indeed shows nothing
more than ignorance. In 1894 $l0,-
600 was appropriated. 5000 for
streets and alleys and $1,000 to each
ward for sidewalk purposes. Aid.
Schneider claims n shortage in the
street account Aug. Il. aud that it
was necessary to charge different
amounts to the sidewalk fund. This
is not SO. The expense of certain
improvements made in the wards
l-a,N -, y 4 =