Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-05-21
CITY COUNCIL CHAT
The Municipal Pas Discuss Va
rious Matters Last Evening.
THE WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM.

Move to Have Extsssie.s Laid BY spe.
clal Assessment Dsfeatsa-A New Ordl-
nance for the Inprovensat Of Twelfth
Street Passed.
An amendatory clause to the gen.
eral ordinances providing for the ex-
tension Of water mains by special as
sessment was the signal for many
expressions Of satisfaction at last
evenings semi-monthly session of
the city council, and as q conse-
quence the matter was tabled. Aid.
Tindall. of the waterworks commit
tee. presented the ordinance, believ-
ing 1t one way of protecting the
municipality against pretentious
water consumers, who are constac tly
flooding the council with petitions
for water extensions, and when their
desires are responded to half of those
attaching their signatures failed to
comply with their promises. In
many instances people not property
owners. but temporary residents. ap-
piled their names to petitions, their
houses being occupied BY others who
refused to abide by their predeces-
sors' agreements when the mains
were laid, and hence the unprofita-
BILE outlay occasioned by the city.
In support OF the ordinance, City At
torney Haas said something of the
sort should be done in order to for
tify the city. People petitioned for
water, but the city had no recourse
in compelling them to comply. The
city attorney suggested that the spe-
cial assessment imposed could be de-
ferred by the city in water rental,
thus mourning nothing more than
guarantee of good faith on the part
of the petitioners. Aid. Foss stren-
uously protested against the ordi-
nance, believing it an injustice to
those who had contributed to the
general waterworks' fund by taxa
ton. to now, in case they wanted
water, be compelled to pay special
assessment. after assisting others in
deferring the expense of improve
ments in no way beneficial to them.
Aid. Maucker also objected to it. and
after long discussion the matter
was tabled.
For Twelfth Street.
An entirely new ordinance for the
improvement of Twelfth street, OPP
erations on which were deferred by
the former proceedings being
knocked out of court on q legal
technicality. was read and adopted.
City Attorney Haas stated that he
had evaded every detail in its draft
ing which might furnish food for
the contestants in arguing for its
defeat, and he was very hopeful of
its prosecution. 1t will be re-
membered the former proceedings
were annulled because of the failure
on the part of the city to stipulate
the exact amount of the first special
assessment installment of the num-
Der embodied in the ordinance.
The new ordinance, which repeats
all former ones, provides for pay
! ment on a cash basis.
Other Doinss.
The increase of the fire and light
committee to seven members was a
severe and apparently unexpected
blow to Aid. f. H. Schroeder. who
has been all swelled up over his
engineering of the committee,
to be thus crowded in upon
by four additional members,
who will have something to say.
Schneider, whose committee was
expanded at the last meeting,
voted with Schroeder to defeat the
motion, they being the only dissent
ers. Kennedy has been u promoter
of the idea of increasing these
two committees and reducing the
importance of the craftsmanship and
made this inference after the meet
ing, being exultant over the action:
We'll make some of those fellows
feel like very small potatoes
before we get through with
them"
The council decided to attend the
head camp meeting of the Modern
Mood m on Of Madison VIE lima A