Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-05-04

may be found doing - good citizens
Of the town.
To my successor, I earnestly hope
that you may have . prosperous and
successful administration; tha& you
will carry ON all the improvements Of
the city IN Q careful and business-hke
manner, and that when you retire
from Office, you can reflect on your
achievements with pride and satisfac-
ton. 4,
At the close ofuhich he introduced his
successor, Mayor Medill, and the Clerk
called the roll of the new Council
showing the wards of the city repre-
scented and present as follows:
First Ward-C oncannon, Surman.
Second Ward-Johnsam, Lohse.
Third Ward-Winter, Maucker.
Fourth Ward-Dauber, Bleuer.
Fifth Ward-Wheelan, Fender.
Sixth Ward-Kennedy, Gall.
Seventh Ward-Nelson, Soderstrom.
Mayor Gsdili's Iss.G1ras.
Gentlemen, I now have the pleasure
of introducing to you, Hon. Thomas j.
Medill, Jr., Mayor of Rock Island, and
L turn over the keys and other prop
erty Of the city with the same good
spirit that his honor gave them to me
just two years ago.
Gentlemen of the City Council: Hav-
ing been called again TO assume the
duties of Mayor of this city, desire
to express my acknowledgement to
the citizens of Rock Island for their
renewal of confidence in elevating me
to this high position. While Ibid not
seek a denomination for Mayor I GER
tainly feel highly honored in thus hav-
ing been elevated for the second time
to the Office of chief executive and re-
gard the same as placing me under
special obligation to carry forward the
will of the people and to carefully
watch the interests of the city.
Z 1t shall be my endeavor to treat all
with absolute fairness and impartial
ity, and to execute the laws and ordi-
nances as I find them. I earnestly
hope to improve the standard of NOR
ality and to stamp out and eXtermin-
ate prostitution and other vices where
carried on in connection with public
places. realize that the moral con-
dition of city should receive our at
tention as well as the feature of i'm
provements, for we cannot hope to
prosper or to succeed in inducing the
location of strangers who may become
desirable citizens unless we can pre-
sent a desirable place to live in.
I congratulate you upon the success
full issue at the last election of the
proposition to refund the large bond.
ed debt which natures on Sept. 1, next
and am constrained to believe that al.
though the bonds to be issued will
carry an interest of but AZ per cent
they can readily be sold at premium
of at least one half of one per centum
per annum which would aggregate
some $15.25O. This premium, if in
vested at per cent would at the end
of ten years aggregate $24,763 and
would liquidate five-eighths of all the
bonds of this issue that would ma
ture in the next ten years.
I am unable at present to state the
amount of funds we may have to ex.
pend in the prosecution of public i'm
provements for the reason that 1 am
yet unacquainted with the condition OF
the city's finances. AS soon as We be.
come familiar with our surroundings
we hope to lay before your honorable
body such Recommendation for public
improvements as may be most needed
I am constrained to think that the
consensus of public opinion is with US
i'm the continuation of permanent i'm
provements, and feel that I do moi
overdraw the line in making the state
ment that by reason of the system in
augurated in the past, Rock Island
has been placed in the front ranks o.
the cities of illinois outside of Chica
go. It has been by fortune to have
visited nearly every city of our elias:
and assure you that Rock Island ha.
nothing to fear in a comparison.
In view of some of the improvement
that suggest themselves, might in ;
general way call your attention to tn
much needed improvement Of FRS
avenue and the river front. This plac
occupies the position of a gateway t.
the city from the west. It's condition
is quite deplorable and needs our par
ticular attention. We might increas'
the usefulness of some of our pavet
avenues by connecting up with pawn,
several side streets. In this connection
1 would say that we should confin,
ourselves to a reasonable amount, a
in most cases on the side streets W,
will be obliged to assess propertyhOld
ers on the long side of their lots. 1
is not my desire to impose a heav,
burden on an unwilling people.
1 desire to see continuation of tn,
construction of sidewalks of durabl,
material throughout the city, and be
lieve that this feature of improvement
not only lessons the liability of tn,
city in damages accidents but com
mends itself to all citizens.
In the interests of good sanitation i
has been apparent for sometime of tn,
absolute necessity of dividing our cit.
into sewer districts and the abandon
nent of laying sewers in a haphazzar'
i NVA chor,1l IL.