Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-04-20
ALL ON THE QUIET.
Council Has Another Star
Chamber Session.
ooHFABwIrH NEW FERRY COMPANY

Line and After . Couplo Of Hours Talk
the Dads Adjourn wlsAeat Result.
II was AL on the quiet Saturday
evening. too.
And several of the municipal pas.
including the mayor. were warm be-
meath the vest that the proceedings
Of the previous nights deliberations
should have been given publicity.
And how "that internal evening
newspaper" got onto their little con-
versation with the captain and be-
tween themselves none of tho aid.
ermen could understand. So when
they got together to hear from the
Twin-City Ferry company Saturday
night his honor bent over his desk
aud ha 1 . word in Aid. Schroeder's
ear. And the Third ward represent
alive answered him in pretty strong
words that he would have no visi-
tors, especially newspaper men, in
the meeting. So his honor babe all
not interested to move out.
Ald. Fender objected to the coun.
Gil having meetings behind closed
doors. Il don't see that we should
b, ash AIMED of our actions as AID
ermeu," insisted Aid. Fender. This
is an affair which many people arc
interested in and think they have q
right to hear what we have to say
about the matter. We have no right
to hold secret meetings, anyhow"
maybe that's what you think"
put in the mayor.
And Aid. Schneider also objected
to star chamber meetings. But the
kicks didn't go. The visitors
New Company's Side.
the blinds closed and the keyholes
packed with paper wads, the aldermen
turned their ears northward and
awaited some one to make move.
The Twin-City Ferry company was
asked if it had anything to say.
Williams Jackson addressed the
council in behalf of the company.
Mr.. jackson said he was sorry
tho council had proposed secret
meetings on the ferry question. He
would like to have been p. esent
when the old ferry company had q
hearing, for he would have main
tanned then, as now. that any propo-
sition outside of the obligation of the
license would not be binding; that
any proposition made by Capt. Rob-
insOn or the new ferry company, out
side of the law under which the
license was issued, would be q vol
untary promise which could be per-
formed according to the sense of
honor that tho party promising
would possess, and that while both
sides had been making such prom
Uses they must be considered as vol
untary only. The new ferry COM
pany had applied in legal way for
a license. It was for the council to
say whether it should be issued; il
the council thought the license was
worth more than the old ferry COM
Pany was paying. the aldermen
could pass an ordinance increasing
the license fee; then IL the license
was issued to the new ferry COM
pany the company would take it sub.
ject to the increased rate. The new
ferry company had proposed to the
council to pay $500 license fec per
year. If the company was willing to
pay that. the council must assn m e
that it considered it worth that, for
1t did not want to run q ferry boat
simply in opposition to Capt. Robin
son, but rather because it thought it
would be sufficiently profitable to 20
into the enterprise. Five hundred
dollors year would be $4,000 for
five years to the city. When the
old ferry company's license expired
then it would have to pay the in
creased rate or leave the field, which
it was not likely to do. and thus the
city. which only gets 500 per year
now, would receive 10 times more
Very Much Auction.
Mr.. jackson further said that in
the present remarkable crippled
financial condition OF the city he did
not see how any alderman could
answer to his constituents why the
license should not be granted. II
the new ferry was granted the Ii
cense it would have to give bond to
maintain n ferry five years; that
would insure the city the license fee
for five years. If the applications of
the people shall be denied because
one man bids more than another,
then 1t is only question of amount,
and thus the council would be prac-
tically Influenced by money consider
atoms. when dealing with public
questions. Mr.. Jackson said he
failed to see il the application for the
license should be refused, why the
public should not presume that the
influence that defeated it was not
founded upon consideration of pub
lie duty. Aldermen many times
talked eloquently about the rights of
the common people against the rich;
such talk, however, was oftentimes
simple pretense, for it is too appar-
ent that the wealthy applicant is too
often allowed to override the claims
Of the moderate class. and thus alder
men claiming to be the defenders OF
the common people are often too
ready to take . course thak makes
. ho rob v;chor end tho ,,oo. v>coro.,