Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-03-24
AS To THE RESERVOIR
A Weak Attempt to BelittIe {
Great Undertake
ing.
OF BENEFIT TO ALL PEOPLE.

Mayor MedIn and the Earnestness and
Conscientiousness With Which He Has
Put the Project ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS At
tempt to Prejudice Labor In Consequence
of an Unavoidable Contingency.
A high sense of contentment it
would produce in the heart of the
Union if could defy public sentiment
to the extent of disparagement of the
reservoir project. Its characteristic
attitude toward all public improve
ments in Rock Island has been so
clearly and distinctly defined that to
find it now on the wrong side of the
enterprise just about completed would
occasion no wonderment. But it goes
as far as it dares in sighting and
misleading reference to the undertake
ing, Notwithstanding that the people
are already beginning to see some of
the benefits that are to become COM
mon and even more notable when the
system is in perfect working order
and the pipes throughout the city are
thoroughly flushed out.
For a-quarter of a century the ne
cessity of some permanent, systematic
method of purifying the city water
supply has been a commonly admitted
fact, and each succeeding administra-
tion has taken its turn ut considering
the matter. 1t remained for Mayor
Medill to evince the courage to Crap
pie with the problem. He had name
it n study during his first administra-
ton, and when he was nominated two
years ago he promised, if elected, to
provide the improvement. After his
Inauguration he began the study of
the question. He gave year to it,
with the result that last summer he
reached practical solution of the
matter, and the work was commenced.
1t is now almost completed. and so
well pleased are The people with what
has been accomplished and with what
is promised of it that the popular dis
position is to permit the man who has
found the way to do the work at all
to put it through to completion.
The Union now makes desperate
attempt to awaken prejudice as a re-
suit of an unavoidable disagreement
with the Transfers union.
circumstances Were Unavoidable.
Relative to the action of the Team
sters' union at the reservoir, it should
be remem bered that the bids for the
work were filed before an organization
of the teamsters had been perfected.
The SennOtt company was awarded
the contract for the excavation The
city pays teams So per day for eight
hours work, but Mr.. Sennott
evidently based his bid on the
ruling rate of wages paid on contract
work, an item which he personally in
vestigated by inquiries throughout
the city. The bid of the Sennott
company for the excavation and re-
mOval of earth was III cents per
cubic yard; Crescent Stone company,
ID, cents; Edwards d Walsh. 20 cents;
&. j. Larkin, so cents. The differ
ence between the propositions of Mr..
Sennolt and Mr.. Larkin was some
thing like 50, 900. Mr.. Sennott being |
the lowest bidder, of course received |
the contract. The specifications pro-
vided for the receiving of bids on |
part or the whole of the work, in or
der that the municipality might take
of any opportunity to save |
money that might arise in connection |
with the contracts. Mr.. Sennott first /
refused to enter into contract with |
the city, setting forth the claim that |
his bid on the excavation had been
made Intentionally low in order to re-
luce the amount of his proposition
for doing the whole work. He was
informed by the council that he
must accept the contract or forfeit his
certified check, which was in possess
sion of the city. When the company
was about to commence the eXcava-
ion, Mayor Medill was taking a
much needed vacation trip. He had
'eceived an intimation that William
Nevin was employed by Mr.. Sennott
Is superintendent. Mayor Medill no.
lied Mr.. Sennott, protesting against
he employment of Nevin. The latter
vas engaged for awhile in securing
ools and apparatus for the work, but
Ilr. Sennott claimed he never in
ended having Nevin for superintend-
mt, and the latter did not enter upon
UGH a duty, as the Union fully
.nows.
The mayor also found that there
vas misunderstanding or conflict
'etween the contractor and the Team
tiers union: that a council meeting
ad been called during his absence
nd the matter referred to a commit
ee for investigation and to report to
he council upon the mayors return.
uly IL. the committee, composed of !
Iayor Medill, and Aids. Maucker,
ohnson and Surman, made report, {
which was adopted by the council, {
hat the specifications of the contract {
equiring the employment of Rock I
sland labor and that eight hours l
onstitute days work be adhered to- I
nut the city net to assume to dictate
he wages to be paid
The teamsters, under the leader =
hip of Stephen O'ConnOr, refused I
Iatly to work under these conditions,
nd declared they would not allow ,
nyone else to do so, and that the i'm !
'rovement must stop. The mayor