Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-10-29
LETTING IN THE LIGHT
The All important Subject Soon
to Agitate the Common
Council.
LOW ONES AND TOWERS ALSO.

The Committees Proposition and Past
Observation-Disclosures Lessons Ought
Not to Be Entirely Discarded in Plannin e
for the Future Illumination of the
City.
The Rock Island council will soon
be engaged in the laudable undertake
ing of searching for the light. In so
doing the aldermen will have an OPP
portunity to let their own light shine
before men. The discussion of plans
and proposals on the illumination of
the city for some time to come will
soon be absorbing the attention of the
municipal assembly. As is known.
the committee on fire and light has
made quite extended tours of the more
important cities within radius of
800 miles, and upon the strength of
its investigations has brought in a
verdict favorable to a combination of
towers and low lights. On the
strength of the committees recon-
mendation the council has advertised
for bids for pu bile lighting for period
OF two, three or five years. These
are to be opened at the first regular
meeting in the month of November.
4 DlHerences or OplnlOn
| While the letting of the contract in
accordance with the advertisement
published does not necessarily COM
NIT it to a combination system such
as the committee has been led to ia
vor, it may he taken for granted that
an arrangement of this kind is prefer
rable, and at the present stage of the
proceedings is likely. 1t is to be con-
ceded that committee having gone
thoroughly over the ground and ia
miliarized itself with the plans opera
ting successfully in other cities
should be prepared to recommend the
best, and to support its ground with
convincing arguments, yet in the face
of all this, past experience may weigh
as forciblv as the conclusions derived
from observation. Without seeking
to become prematurely preiudicial to
the ideas formed and plans formu-
lated by the committee, THE ARGUS
always feels that experience affords a
capital lesson in the government of
all things. Rock Island tested tower |
lights at one time in con junction with |
low lights. The towers cost some
thing like $3.50 each, representing |
Rock Island enterprise and capital.
They were disposed of at a dollar for
the bunch, and the company went g {
of business. The towers of tt Il
days were higher than the prop I'd
ones, and there were less lights'o.
tower than is now contemplated.
But the towers could have been re-
duced in height and provided with
more lights more readily than to re-
duce them. The removal, however,
was accepted as the only practical So
luton of. the situation. Other cities
were disposing of towers as
a failure, and so did Rock
Island. Since then the history
of the country has been %
towers taken down where one has gone
up.
Should Plan For the Future.
The comparatively low, well
lighted tower may answer all pur-
poses in the sparseIy settled commu-
mites. The idea here is so 20 locate
them, one to ward. But Rock Island
is building for the future. The city
is growing more thickly settled in all
rather than less so. The
present lights would doubtless prove
if elevated, and if there
were more of them operated, without
reference to the almanac. Rock Isl
and wants more light on all subjects
that of light. The light
subject is worthy of the council'sI
most careful consideration.
"A dose in time save liyes.'' DIR.