Rock Island Argus., 1900-02-13
TR|-CITY IS REJECTED
Council Throws Out Petition of
Mutual Telephone Com.
pany.
ALDERMANIC VOTE Is 10 TC 8.

eryoir-Other Matters Taken Up.
Municipal telephone action was de-
voted at last nights meeting of the
city council to the Tri-City Mutual
Telephone company. whose petition
for franchise to install an independ-
ent exchange was rejected by vote
of 10 to 8. At the last meeting of
the council when the aldermen re-
fused franchise to the Union Elec-
trio Telephone and Telegraph COM
pany, the Tri-City Mutual petition
was read and referred to the ordi-
nance committee. The committee
having no report TO offer on the sub
| ject last evening, Aid. Aster, the
chairman, stating he had been unable
to see any of the Representatives of
the company, Aid. Wheelan moved
consideration of the petition by the
council. Aid. Aster said if he had
had his way the Mutual's petition
would have been thrown out before
now. 1t was his belief it was pre-
sented for no other purpose than to
confuse the aldermen IN their deli ber-
alton on The telephone question. AID
Wheelan's motioa to consider was
then put, and carried by the follow
ing vote: Ayes-Beck. Coz cannon,
Johnson. Heidemann, Freed, Fender,
| Wheelan, Lawhead-S. Nays-El-
well, Willis, Aster, Gall. Soderstrom
>. (Winter was not presently.
Thereupon Aid. Wheelan moved that
| the petition of the Tri-City Mutual be
rejected. The vote: Ayes-Beck,
COncannon. johnson. Heidemann,
Freed, Fender, Wheelan, Gall. Law
head, Soderstrom-1O. Nays-Aster,
Willis. Elwell-3.
The Tri-City Mutual has no defense
whatever. The company has mani
tested no interest of late in its petit
ton before the council. There has
not been any disposition on the part
of the cOmPany's agents to have the
petition advanced. They were silent
when the time for municipal ac-
tion on the independent cause
arrived week ago, and when
the Bills & Workman ordinance
was.put TO a vote. For the past three
weeks The TIi-City Mutual's repre-
sentatives have been scarce. They
have only been seen here at short in
| tervals. They have practically aband
oned the city. The councils action
company is concerned.
Invitation to Dewey.
Aids. j. w. Lawhead, Charles Will
lis and q. w. Aster were appointed a
committee to draft an invitation to
Admiral Dewey to visit the city should
he conclude to make a tour at any fu-
ture date. The resolution authoriz-
ing the appointment of the committee
was introduced by Aid. Lawhead. 1t
was unanimously adopted. Similar in
Vitations will be forwarded the disting-
uished naval hero by Davenport and
Moline, in the hope that he may be-
come the guest of the three cities for
at least a day in the event of his travel
ing through this section, as it is un
derstood he contemplates doing dur
ing the present year, having signitied
his intention of visiting Chicago and
a number of other cities in Illinois as
well as other states.
Aid. Aster, at the last meeting of |
the council, at the solicitation of the |
Retail Merchants association, offered |
a resolution asking repeal of an ordi-
nance vesting in the mayor the right |
TO issue licenses, free of charge, to |
poor or INDECENT persons who are
forced to earn livelihood by follow
ing the vendors vocation. The mat
ter was referred to the ordinance COM
mittee. Two reports were offered last |
night. The minority was signed by |
Aid. Wheelan, who opposed repeating
the ordinance, as it would deprive the
mayor of issuing permits free of
cost to those who were really descrv-
ing. The majority report was signed !
by Aids. Aster and Elwell. Aid. As
ter said it was only Just to the mer-
chants that something be done to keep
that class of peddlers out of the city
who come from neighboring towns
and are permitted to sell in cOmpeti-
tion with local retailers without being
required to pay license tee. Aid. As
ter said the ordinance as it read was
all right. He believed it proper to
allow unfortunates or poor persons to
peddle without paying license, but ii
was difficult where TO draw the line.
l, gave too much leverage. The
report was adopted by a vote
of IL to 2-Aster aud Elwell.
Peoria Roads Proposition.
The Rock Island S Peoria Railway
petitioned the council for
PERMISSION 10 lay coal dump track
on the levee bet tween Nineteenth and
Twentieth street and to lease that
property for a period of 35 years for
the exclusive use of the railroad COM
pany. The railroad agrees to i'm
prove all that part of the levee be-
tween Nineteenth and Twentieth
streets and north of the railway
tracks. by putting in a toe wall of
stone and filling in and macadamiz-
ing the levee, the work to be done at
ihe expense of the company and un-
der the direction of the mayor and
street and alley committee. Upon
the completion of the proposed i'm
prOvement the ordinance provides for
the granting to the company permis-