Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-04-13
ALDERMANIC ACTS.
Monthly Session Of the City
Council.



DISCUSSION Oh LOT FILLING.
Oas Alderman Argues Against Inproving
Other Psopls's Property Cath the Mu-
niespal,ty First Has Assaranes That At
eendans Expense Oan b Recovered.
It was $50 when Mayor Kuox
raped for order st the adjourned
session of the city council last night
Several Of the aldermen removed
their coats and took the ballot boxes
from the clerks Office to the council
cham Der, where the municipal vote
of the recent election was canvassed
by o committee named by the mayor
and composed of Aids. Kennedy,
Foss and johnson.
The count verified the results here
tofore announced in THE ARGUS. and
insures the success Of the refunding
bond proposition and the defeat Of
the school change. The vote appears
in the official report.
Despite the fact that the school
law change proposition was defeated
in law as well as the majority Of
votes cast against it. as The ARGUS
had previously stated, the evidence
was present of the purpose of the
element which had it submitted to
the people to make trouble had there
been q majority of the votes on the
proposition for it. An expression had
source giving a construction of the
law favorable to the position OF those
anxious to overthrow the present
system of school government, and it
had been showed under the nose Of
City Attorney Haas with . view to
influencing his ideas Of the law.
And had the people failed to record
themselves NOT only through default
but positively against tho change.
they would have found mess on
their hands today that would have
again involved the schools in unfor-
tunate turmoil. The incident car
ries its own argument to the friends
of the schools on being on the alert
to meet whenever it appears the
policy of rule or destroy a system of
schools which has again become
among the best in the state-and is
again safe through the people.
A Nuisance.
An ordinance declaring the west
one-half of lot six in block nine Of
Thompson & Wells addition a nui.
sance was submitted by Aid. White,
and adopted. The property is owned
by Mr.. Bergstrom. of Chicago, who
has steadfastly refused requests OF
the city authorities to place the lot
to grade. The ordinance provides
that in case Mr.. Bergstrom insists
in ignoring the city, that the prop.
erty be filed and proceedings inst.
tuted agaisnt him to recover the
amount. Aid. johnson took excep-
ton to this mode of procedure, his
contention being that he did not be.
lieve in the city improving othe,
peoples property without first hav.
ing some assurance that the ones
benefited would foot the bill. He
said there were numerous places in
his ward which needed filing, and
that ii the city was going to interes,
itself in this case that ali the other,
be treated likewise. He said tina,
the city filled lot on Third avenue,
but had not yet recovered any dam,
Iages-no effort had even been made
in that direction. City Clerk Huesins
Explained that Attorney Haas had
asked him for q statement of the ex.
lpense of the improvement, aud ne
doubt intended taking immediate
steps to compel the owner OF the
property to pay the bill. So here
the discussion was dropped and the
council voted to consider the ordi.
nance, which was then passed.
| Talk About Sewers.
The council voted to permit the
property holders in the alley between
Second and Third avenues. and be.
tween Eighteenth and Nineteenth
streets. to connect q sewer there
which is in bad shape, with the
Fifth avenue sewer at their own ex.
pense. Aid. Foss asterward
called the attention of the council to
the fact that the sewer in question
did not belong to the properly hold.
ers, but to the city; at least it va.
not recorded as private sewer. He
therefore moved to reconsider the
action with reference thereto. Aid
Tindall instituted q kick. He
said he had put In . sewer and tina,
he with his neighbors had to stand
the expense. and they had to stand
the expense of repairing. too: and he
considered It no more than fright and
justice" that others do likewise. He
did not have any supporters among
the aldermen; 90 the matter stood pat'
The mayor said that he was very
sorry to state that the city could not
have the rock being taken from
the river harbor. as previously
promised it could. the government
having since determined to use it.
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