Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-07-01
LEVEE PRIVILEGES.
City Council Aiming to Be
Just to All Parties in
the Premises.
% SPECIAL RIGHTS THERE

An Boats Must Have Equal Facilities
Under the CIty's Control Whether ir
Wharfboat or Observation-Disclosures
and Impractical PIans-Matters Unde,
Consideration.
That the Union should have
become awakened to discuss the
lleyee question is due to the fact
| that the aldermen, in their aim tC
meet present requirements, have
been considering plans, and if the
morning paper will trust the
undertaking to the aldermen, a
happy solution of the matter will
be very ap. to be Forthcoming.
But neither the prompted jabs of the
steam boat organ on the Davenport side
nor the philosophical deductions" OF
the morning paper here will assist or
deter the progress of the plans which
the council has in mind. Labored,
as is the morning papers attempt to
misconstrue the councils proper atti-
tude, the suggestions it makes have all
been fully and thoroughly considered
bv the cosncil, and the one to which it
gives its sanction of n warehouse or
warehouses on the installment plan,
covering block of river front
built in accordance with the principle
of supplying the sections rs they are
needed would be but another way of
giving private warehouse rights
which the city is determined not to
do. The council. which is united
on the warehouse theory. has
shown the proper spirit with ref
erence to the mooted question. It's
aim is simply to insure the greatest
good to the greatest number. to pro-
vide the wharfboat if it is practicable.
and if not to do the next best thing.
The majority of the people of Rock
Island undoubtedly favor the wharf
boat idea, and the council is right in
Investigating fully rs to it first.
Should this arrangement not prove
feasible. from the standpoint of cost or
on other accounts, the council will feel
warranted in adopting some other
course, but not the dis ointed plan
which the Union offers, by beginning
at two ends and building toward a
never-to-b e-completed center, let us
hope. In the event of n warehouse
being quilt, let us build or not build
one But let us have no special priv
ileges or private rights on the new
river front as far as the boats are con-
cerned. The city must regulate the
levee which the people have provided
| for the encouragement of all
classes of river trade. But the Rock
Island council will not, it is safe to
presume, indulge in impracticable
things. If. when the figures are in,
d l., L..
house is out of the question, one OF
the two schemes which THE ARGUS
commented on months ago, when the
council first took them into account,
but which the Union seems to have Just
been advised of, will doubtless be con-
sidered-the warehouse corporation
suggested by Capt. Lamont at the time,
or the public warehouse. which was
the idea of Capt. Streckfus, will be in
order. As far as The ARGUS is con-
cerned, it has had no fears but
that the question would proper
ly shape itself, and is satisfied that
the hasty and altogether premature
action of the Diamond 10 line in levy
ing boycott on the town has not had
the effect of Fastening the matter.
City's Disposition Well Shown.
Rock Island has shown more than
any other city on the river between St.
Louis and St. Paul n disposition to
aid and encourage river traffic, and
the levee stands as n refutation of any
suggestion from any source of any
contrarary statement. And the city
may be relied upon to provide accom-
modations such as the steamboats, will
be pleased with just as they must be
with the levee itself. Plans are now
in preparation, and may be in the
hands of the committee by tonight's
council meeting for informal inspec-
ton, providing for a suitable shore
structure with all modern advantages
which steamboats, could suggest, NOV
able platforms extending to the wa
ter's edge. etc. and other conveniences
which have been under consic Grafton
by the committee since having the
| matter referred to it. These plans are
to be considered should the wharfboat
prove out of the question from the
standpoint of expense.