Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-08-04
SEARS is SULKING.
Casts Aside the Railway Com.
pany's Proposition.
REFUSES TO CONSIDER THE MATTER.

Trustees Outline Their Position In the Tn
fortunate Controversy 1t . Meeting Of
the Board LAST Night. But Evlnce NO
Deposition Looking to . settlement.
Now Sears ia sulking over the un-
fortunate difficulty which threatens
to be a barrier to immediate inn
provements contemplated by the
Tri-City Railway company on the
beautiful resort which lies within its
corporate limits; and it does seem as
though matters would not be ad-
iusted until the town board awakes
to a sense Of consistency and duty.
There was a meeting Of the Sears
town board last evening at which a
proposition was received from Assist
ant to the Pre- .ident J. F. Lardner. of
the Tri-City Railway company. bear
ing on the controversy, in which he
lays down the terms on which the COR
poration which he represents will
settle. Sears recently adopted an
ordinance which affects such privi-
legcs as were heretofore allowed on
the Tower property. The town
wants q rempneration for these priv
ileges now. But the street car COM
panv feels that its burdens are great
enough. In his proposition Mr..
Lardner asks that. Sears exclude the
Tower property from within its bor-
ders for term of 10 years and
thereby exempt the company from
the payment of privileges. the de-
mand for which is considered an in
Justice. MIR. Lardner also cites to
the board in the proposition that the
street railway company is by far the
largest taxpayer in the township and
that Sears should not be backward
about acting in spirit Of fairness
fare as well as that of others was at
stake.
Mr.Dibbsrn's Position.
c. H. Dibbern, who has been
championing the opposition to any
| favors to the street car company,
was the first to answer the PROPOSE
ton. 1t was his opinion that too
much had already been said about
the controversy, and as he felt that
Mr.. Lardner was inspiring the news
papers in their ''abuse" of the board
members, he was opposed to the
granting of any concessions.
Trustee Jacob Miller believed in
acting wisely and well and doing
what was best for all concerned.
Trustee whitehall said that he had
been informed that If the Sears board
would settle the question in a salts
factory manner Immediately tn,
street railway people would begir
operations on an SIS, 900 inn within
ten days. If not, he did not know
what would be done. He said tn,
company did not object SO much t.
the amount Of money involved as the
fact of being placed under bar
where it would have to submit t,
village dictation.
| Trustee Dibbern said if such n con
cession was made in one instance i
would have to be done in others; h
believed in treating all alike. The'
he moved that MIR. Lardner's propo
sition be laid on the table; and there
it was laid.
Mr.. Dibbern's explanation of hi
opposition to the street car compan,
as being due to the newspapers hav
ing discussed the matter too exten
sively is as inconsistent with com
mon sense, as is his unrelenting hos
tility to the street railway company
and if he imagines that any specta
Gle he may make of himself in biting
his nose off to spite his face, or play
ing the bull in the china closet. vii
make the newspapers cease condemn
ing such q spirit as has been show
there, he is greatly mistaken. AS re
CARDS Mr.. Lardner being instrumen
tai in influencing the newspapers
course. The ARGUS has spoken TO
itself heretofOre