Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-06-02
MONEY FOR LEVEE.
City Makes Provision for the
Needed improvement.
BUT THE ORDINANCE Is DELAYED.

Passage of the Measure II Blocked Ow-
ing to the City Engineer's Failure to
Mske an Alteration With Reference to
tho Material Question a. Requested.
Now provision has been made for
the levee and First avenue improve
ment SO far as the city's financial
part is concerned. This was done at
last evenings meeting of the coun-
Gil and the measure providing for
the Improvement would very likely
have been passed but for tine city en-
gineer's failure to make an alteration
with reference to the material to be
employed on the avenue improve
ment, as he was requested to do by
the committee.
It was nigh on to time for ad journ-
ment when the city clerk was called
upon TO read the ordinance. Aid.
Maucker said that the committee
would recommend that the improve
ment as originally contemplated be
carried out save as to the block be-
tween Fifteenth and Sixteenth streets
and that on Fifteenth street between
Second and Third avenues, which
sections he considered it would be
well to exclude. 1t was found on
looking over the ordinance that con-
crete was mentioned where it should
specify macadam-a change that the
city engineer had been instructed to
make. City Attorney Haas said it
would not be well for the council to
adopt the measure until it was
properly prepared. So City Engi-
neer Darling was asked how long it
would take him to make the change.
lie did not know. A mia jority of the
aldermen were in favor of waiting
on him and taking action on the
matter forthwith. But that did not
jibe with what appears to have been
a disposition on the part of
the engineer and attorney to delay
action. The ordinance was taken
into the clerks office and after the
councils patience had become tried
waiting adjournment was taken, the
ordinance not having been returned.
1t is said it should not have taken
three minutes to make the alteration.
Tindan Still Kicking.
Aid. Tindall made another siren
uous objection to the appropriating
of monies for the improvement of
the levee and Seventh avenue be-
tween Thirtieth and Thirty-second
streets. 1t seems in making the ap-
preparations the usual amount for
waterworks extension was omitted.
To this Aid. Tindall objected, but
said he was willing to let it go pro-
viding the city did not ring in any
new improvements. So when the
levee and Seventh avenue matters
were embraced in the ordinance he
let go An installment of his charac-
teristic oratory. Aid. Tindall is sup.
posed to represent a progressive
ward-but he comes far from doing
what he is supposed to. "Ill tell
you, Mr.. Mayor" said Aid. Tin
dal, '.the idea of appropri-
ating money for these improve
ments is wrong in view of our finan-
cial condition. I'll tell you if you
are going to do this, want
my waterworks money. And / am
going to have it. The state law will
uphold me in this respect, and if
necessary l will push the matter.
The Fourth ward representative was
INDUCING in this talk after the ap-
preparation ordinance and accompa-
nying resolution had been adopted.
So he was declared out of order, and
finally dropped back into his seat.
The city by its action of last night
evinced its purpose to carry out its
part of the arrangement for the in
surfing Of the levee improvement, aud
unless some further occasion for de-
Law is discovered by the time the next
m, citing is held the ordinance may be
expected to succeed. Then, if there
Is any absence Of merit or good faith,
the public will know where to place
it. Let the city do its part at all
cvents-even if under difficulties.
Tho City Engineer.
A proposition from Frank L. Stone
to become city engineer upon the
creation OF such an Office was the
signal for quite n discussion. Mr..
Stone agreed to do all the work and
furnish necessary materials at an an
nual salary Of 5000. Aid. Kennedy
did not view the proposition favor
ably. He believed it looked very
much as though an attempt was being
made to beat City Engineer Darling
out of his position, aud that the ap-
plicant was seeking to accomplish
his purpose by deviating on the
prices which Mr.. Darling was now re-
ceiving for his work.
.'He is doing nothing of the kind
| replied Aid. Wheelan. ..Of course
you are all aware that there has been
considerable dissatisfaction with Mr..
Darling's work. There has been some
talk of creating the Office OF city en-
gineer and Mr.. Stone took advantage
of the opportunity to make known
his desire to become a candidate for
the position. a privilege which is
honorable and to which any compe-
| tent man is entitled" The petition
was finally referred to special COM
mittee to report at the next meeting.
Il