Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-11-17
RIVER FRONT RIGHTS.
Question That Involves Competi-
tive Advantages as Well as
Natural Highway.
PEoRIAs EXPERIENCE Is CITED.

Railways Realize the DesirabiIIty of Con-
trolling Privileges Adjacent to Water
ways, Which Are Admitted Regulators
OF Rates OF TransportatIon-There Has
the Rock Island Council Acted Wisely.
The Union of this morning has the
following: "A water front for rail-
way purposes is just as useful, just
as valuable in Peoria as in Rock Isl
and. il not more so. That our rail-
way friends appreciate this fact and
act accordingly will be seen by the
following telegram from that city:
The Chicago, Rock Island II Pacific
and the Peoria Il Pekin Traction rail-
way Tuesday evening obtained from
the Peoria council an ordinance grant
ing them the use of strip of land
along the river l 400 feet long and
100 feet wide. This leaves but 12O
feet from the tracks to the dock
which can be used for boat traffic.
The companies have long tried 10 Sc
cure the entire levee or part of it,
and tonight were successful, the
council vote being 10 to +. The ordi-
nance is for period not exceeding so
years and requires the companies
TO build passenger depot between
Main and Hamilton streets or the
property costing not less than $50
900. The concession secured is a part
of the traction cOmpany's plan of con-
struction of an electric line to Pekin
and practically means the establish
ment of u new terminal system for
Peoria. 1t is believed to be the in
tention of the Rock Island to enter
Pekin over the traction company's
electric tracks. Heretofore this was
made impossible on account of the
Peoria x Pekin Union railway having
exclusive control of the terminals.
By using the Rock Island terminals
or the Belt line the Rock Island can
now connect with the traction COM
pany's tracks, a portion of which are
already constructed.
Making Room For More.
In some respects the situation in
Peoria is similar to that in Rock Isl
and. In other respects it is entirely
different. The Peoria river font is
not to that city what the river front
is to Rock Island, for the important
reason that there is not there what
there is here. Peoria. to be sure.
does considerable business with St.
Louis via the Illinois river. but the
distillery city does not begin to have,
or to enjoy. the advantages that Rock
Island does by reason of waterway
communication. Nevertheless, that
city has felt for years the utmost i'm
portauce of holding fast to and pre-
serving the advantages she is pos
sessed of. OF late the central Illinois
city has had a struggle with a terminal
octopus threatening to throw its strong
arms about the city, and practically
to own her by controlling the arteries
through which flow the commerce
the very life blood of city. But the
CITY rose in arms against the holding
of the levee by any one terminal COM
pany-a bitter fight easued and even
tually way was made for another rail-
way with rights and opportunities to-
provide shipping facilities equal to
those previously enjoyed exclusively.
And still there are those in
Peoria who feel that the city
has failed even now to throw
sufficient safeguards about the city's
commercial interests with q view to
encouraging independent enterprises
which may come after. The Herald
protests that the ordinance is not sat
isfactory and should have contained
greater restrictions with an object to
encourage not only the inducements
of the river, but as to leaving the way
open to future lines of railway.
Rock Island, too, has reached a
critical point in her relations with
her means of commercial communica-
ton. Whether it be fight for the
preservation of the levee, of prevent
ing any one corporation from selling
too much, or of keeping the way open
TO other railways, which may seek en-
trance hereafter, the present council
has taken a position which the people
rightly applaud in calling halt on
grasping dispositions. Rock Island
has not risen to the situation too late
in the day. The stand was taken just
in time.