Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-07-17
MONEY FOR THE CITY.
Council Makes Distribution of
Revenues of Ensuing
Fiscal Year.
ONLY TWO THOUSAND FOR POLICE.

Cuts in This and other Departments
Where Illegal AppoIntees or "volun-
teers" Are SeryIng-Levee Warehouse
Reservoir and New Parks Provided for
Republicans Attempt to Block Ordinance.
Funds with which to operate the
municipal machinery of Rock Island
the ensuing year were provided by the
city council at a special meeting held
Saturday night, at the call of Aids III.
l.. Wheelan, NJ. V. Concannon and G.
A. johnson. The estimates prepared
by City Clerk Schaffer were considered
in committee of the whole with Aid.
Wheelan in the chair. In passing
over the allowances for the various
departments, it was made point to
subtract the salaries of the mayors
appointees, who are not legally con-
stituted officers, because they have
not been confirmed by the council.
and therefore have no reason to eX-
pect compensation for their services.
As Aid. Elwell said, in moving that
81, 600 instead of $4,000 be appropri-
ated for the police: 1.-The city is es-
pecially fortunate this year in having
volunteers in this department, and
therefore there is no necessity for
providing the amount set aside in
former years" The appropriation or
dinance for the $50, 237. % to be raised
by taxation includes: Waterworks
extensions, S4.761.16; library. S.
SPOIL; interest, S13, $50; fire depart
meut, S11. 500; street lights. $14, 600;
police, $4,000: salaries, 5000. The
resolution apportioning the clerks
estimated revenues includes: Bridges,
$500; elections, $1,000; Garnsev
square. 5000; Spencer square, $500;
Office expenses, $1,000; maturing mu-
nicipal bonds. s., 900; health, IS, 600;
printing, $500; sewers, $1,000; streets,
alleys and grounds, $1,000; sidewalk
filling. $1,000 to each ward, 81, 900;
waterworks expenses, S., OBS. 80; wa
terworks construction, $4,000; levee
improvement payments, $1,000; res
ervoir, $50. 600; Fortyfourth street,
81, 500; widening Tenth avenue, $500;
watercourse on Tenth avenue, First
and Second wards, 5000; Tenth ave-
nue. storm drain, $4,000; levee ware
house, $4,000; Longview and Reser-
voir parks, $1,000; Twenty-second
street, 81, 500, and contingent fund.
1927, 152. 80.
Provision for Important Projects
In the appropriations among the
more important projects provided for
are the levee warehouse, the reser-
voir and the improvement of Long
view and Reservoir parks, a little tc
be done on the last named public
grounds until they are placed in con-
dition to compare with the beauty
spots closer to the heart of the city,
Spencer and Garnsey squares.
The council ordered that $500 be
set aside for the widening of Tenth
avenue from Twentieth to Twenty
third streets, as it is conceded that it
will be eventually necessary to lay
out thoroughfare there, not only for
the accommodation of travel, but in
order TO assist in combining the storm
water to it's natural course, property
in that eighborhood having suffered
during rains the past
few seasons. There was also appro-
priated 81. 900 for building drain on
Tenth avenue from Seventeenth to
Twenty-third and 5000 for the same
purpose on Tenth avenue in the First
and Second wards.
Twenty thousand of the amount
to the reservoir improvement
will come out of current funds, while
the remaining $50, 900 will be raised
by an issue of 3 per cent water
bonds. From the reservoir APP
is to be paid the
s.. 600 annual land payment. The
81 900 set aside for the levee is for
the purpose of paving, on account,
he L a,.lc a Lob
struction company and 81. 600 to the
Flick & johnson Construction COM
pany, both contracting firms having
agreed to wait another year for the
balances due them, the amounts draw
ing per cent interest from the city.
Large Contingent Fund.
The contingent fund was made par
large. When the appro-
priation ordinance was proposed
for immediate consideration-for
if it had not been adopted Satlr-
day night, it would have been illegal, |
the first quarter of the municipal
year expiring with that day-the five
repu blican members voted negative |
ly. Aids Johnson, Concannon and |
Gall held that it required a two-thirds |
vote of the council to consider an or
dinance- The mayor answered that |
he did not know of the existence of |
anv such rule. Neither did the demo- /
ratio aldermen. who, like the mayor, |
we're anxious for the passage of the
ordinance, as they realized the gravi-
tv of the situation and the EN- bar
rassment that would confroI the |
should the ore nance
'ail Of passage at that meeting. The
mayor ruled the motion to consider
carried. and on motion to adopt the
ordinance it carried unanimously, as
lid the distribution resolution
Aids G.. w. Aster and A F. Soder-
,trom were absent. The former is
ishing in Wisconsin and the latter is