Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-07-15
UNDER CITY CONTROL
Principal of Municipal Ownership
to Be Applied to the
levee.
AND ANYTHING THAT GOES ON 1T.

Common Warehouse With Equal Privi-
All Under the Protection and Direction
of the People of Rock Island - The
Right idea.
The probable disposition by the city
of the levee warehouse question gives
every promise of meeting with popu-
lar satisfaction. At the outset it was
the hope of many that a floating
wharf might be provided as means
of meeting all the requirements of the
situation. The investigation by
committee of the cost of such an ar
rangement was therefore both timely
and proper. and the result was to
demonstrate that the floating project
was not only too expensive in the first
place-costing, according to estimate.
twice what 4 warehouse will-but that
the incidental annual repairs would be
considerable more. This much learned,
the subject of n levee warehouse
naturally presented itself. The feel
ing at the start, while as said, was
largely that there should be no build
ing on the levee. if such could be
avoided. was more in opposition to
special steamboat privileges, result
ing inevitably in several buildings as
the volume of business increased. in
the event of rival interests not being
congenial and occupying common
warehouse. The sentiment all along
prevailed that the city should
own and control any building that
the exigencies of the situation might
require to be erected there. This
hnS oh
sons. 1t would give to the city the
venting the unnecessary disfgure-
ment of levee that the taxpayers
have generously provided for the ac-
commOdation of river traffic. 1t
would give the city the benefit of
classes of competition in river traffic
without being obliged to submit to
unsightly structures, but having at
all times n common warehouse to offer
to all river and canal business In n
word. it would afford that for which
so many cities and so many people
have argued-municipal ownership
of valuable privileges. The point
therefore became simply as to whether
4 warehouse was essential to the adj
vancement, protection and develop
ment of river traffic.
City Not to be Dictated To.
Rock Island was right in refusing
to be dictated to, or inundated by
the Diamond 10 line. and happily that
company's boycott of the city because
the city declined to surrender to
it special rights on the levee
has not seriously affected local COM
mercial interests. But business men
have complained that the absence of
sheltered accommodations for freight
and passengers on the river
front for the patrons of the
local packets both up and down
the river has been felt The
daily lines each way controlled by
Capts. Streckfus and Blair have not
acted in n headstrong. unreasonable
manner toward Rock Island, but have
continue, to come here although pro-
testing that both boats and the city
were suffering because of the lack of
warehouse facilities. 1t is this view
of the case that has led the city
to move in the direction of providing
the accommodations that will prove
advantageous to both the city. her
business men and the steamboats,.
The warehouse under municipal
control will not only serve the
best interests of the steamboats,, but
of the business men and of the citi-
zens generally, for it will safeguard
the levee for all time against build
ings that might be no ornament there.
Rock Island has the handsomest levee
on the river. Let us keep it so, by
permitting no structure to be erected
upon it that the city does not control.
Let us maintain municipal ownership
of all there is or may be there of a
permanent character.