Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-07-17

had any trouble in getting along with
local companies. but that it would re-
serve the right to say what companies
should and should not use its ware
house, and considering the possibility
of rival steamboat interests, and
likely disagreement with the local
packets, there could be no fault found
with the 10 line sticking out for its
own interests That was no more
than business, but the city felt that
there was a business side of the ques-
tion as far as she was concerned, and
that no move should be made or
grants or privileges allowed such as
would not take in the entire ware
house subject and its disposition in
manner that would include special
privileges to none, but uniform fair
ness to all steamboat interests, great
or small, and at the same time safe
guarding the city against occasion or
opportunity for more than one ware
house on the river front, now or in
the future.
Protecting an Improvements.
The feeling which all shared was
that where the city had expended so
much money for a permanent inn
provement. it was not just to the
city to leave the way open to the dis
figurment of it by structures of mis-
cellaneous design. And yet if the
Diamond 10 was permitted to erect
warehouse of its own, the question
came, how could the city ignore
other companies, which the 10 line
might refuse the use of its warehouse,
like privilege? And further than
of los
might be in position to prove no in
significant factor in the regulation of
river rates. and yet not be in a posi-
ton to erect as attractive warehouse
as the Weather 10 line. In
such an event the city would
be placed in the position of
either permitting the construction
of a building which would be the
opening wedge to delapidation on a
levee that had cost the people thous-
ands to improve, or give the Diamond
10 the exclusive swing on the levee
and deny the shipper the benefit of the
competition. These were the cOndi-
tions that confronted the city at the
opening of river traffic this spring.
The Diamond 10 line finally gave it as
its ultimatum that it would have
nothing to do with Rock Island unless
it could carry out it's own policy in
the way of Warehouse facilities.
Finding that the city was not being
moved by its position. just before the
boat season opened, it issued notice
to agents and shippers that it would
give Rock Island the go-by, thus
practically levying boycott on the |
city. The two local packet lines have |
to do business, although, as
both aver, under great disadvantage. |
Rock Island has attempted the wharf |
boat plan as solution of the ques- |
ton, but it has, as heretofore stated, |
been found impracticable from the |
of expense.
OF late complaints have come from |
business men that the absence of a
is being felt in the
matter of the local packet trade, and
while in no instance has TIE ARGUS
heard the slightest approach 10 n sug
gestion that the city should yield in
The stand she has taken against spe-
cial privileges-or the leasing of the
new levee as it might be construed
from the Unions ggestion-enough
has been learned to justify the belief
mat nine-tenths of the merchants of
Rock Island favor the city providing
steam boat accommodations on the
evee, and controlling the same.
So that while the development of a
justifying the erection of
my warehouse on the levee may oc-
;asion disappointment, we should still
keep within the bounds of reason
where business interests are concerned,
md should give the same considera-
ion in all but the abandonment Oft
he principle of municipal control of
municipal property.
The maintenance by the city of the
liver front facilities in their entirety
would not necessarily involve the en-
,loyment of single additional city
'ificial, or the slightest tendency to- 4:
ward making the city other than
rec port to every class of river traffic. ,