Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-03-22

people Will KNOW HHeES 70 rest tue
blame.
1t is understood that movement
is now on foot among certain of the
council. for whom the excuse is offered
that they have been influenced by the
fear of the bugaboo above alluded to,
to meet the requirements of the situ-
alton by permitting an interested cor
poration to put up the ware house, con-
ditional that all steam boat interests
be permitted to use the building, and
that the city act as arbiter in all
leges. This could not prove practical
BILE according to the last declaration
made by the superintendent of the
company referred to, to The ARGUS,
when it was stated emphatically that
the company would not provide a
warehouse for others to use unless
fully agreeable to the interests of that
company. The proposition, it was
then positively announced, of erect
ing a building and then yielding
control of it could not be considered.
Is it not reasonable, further. to sup
pose that. were such rights permitted,
anv citizen with motives having the
slightest pretense to righteousness,
who would attempt to enloin the city
from erecting 8 warehouse there,
would adopt a like course to prevent
special privileges being accorded?
All last season the through packet
company refused to land its boats at
Rock Island. and through this unjust
discrimination, which also involved
boycott against Rock Island and
many of the business men here. the
city was subjected to ridicule in many
other cities along the river. The
company alluded to adopted this atti-
tude because the city, in considera
ton of the taxpayers interest, refused
to give away any part of the newly
made levee to private control. In
taking the stand that it did, the coun-
Gil was sustained by the press of the
city and the public generally. The
city adopted the right principle in
standing out for the protection of the
peoples domain on the river front at
the outset of this controversy, and it
will follow the right principle in MAIN
tanning that position. The ARGUS be-
lieves in giving all steamboats, equal
rights, nor would it discriminate
against a corporation because OF it's
unfriendlv course toward the city, but
it will always oppose giving to
one corporation advantages over
any other line of boats.
The Duties of the Hour.
The first duty that seems to con-
front the city is to determine on the
point whether any warehouse is to be
erected on the river front. If to
meet the exigencies of the case, ware.
house is deemed advisable, let the
city by all means control it abso-
lutely. If any corporation has dea
sire to put up warehouse there
which it is not willing to concede that
the city will control in every respect.
that corporation sees an advantage in
the ownership that may some time
operate against the commercial in
one that should be settled properly,
not only for the present, but for the
future.
From the financial standpoint, the
erection of the warehouse would mean
the expenditure of 81. 900 more by the
city to protect and save to the city for
all time that in which it has invested
$4,000. 1t would, indeed, be penny
wise policy, if, in order TO provide a
warehouse now, the city were to per-
nit the invasion by a private corpora.
ton of the property on which so much
has been expended, and thus open the
way for that property being overrun
by private interests. If the bars are
removed to let one in. others will fol-
low, and it will not be long until the
levee is disfigured-and gone.