Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-12-22
CITY FACES A DUTY
Question of Steamboat Ware
house Privileges May Come
Up Again.
THE DIAMOND JOS POSITION
Situation Brought About BY One
Municipal Blunder Precipi-
tating Another.

1t would not be surprising; indeed
it would not be unreasonable If, before
the opening of another steam boat sea-
son, the Diamond 10 Packet company
would make application to the Rock
Island city council fer warehouse
privileges at the foot of Seventeenth
street, as it has done several seasons
past. 1t is needless here and now to
rehearse the circum stances that have
stood in the way of allowing the COM
pany the right sought heretofore on
the improved leyee. The sen e of
public opposition to the granting of
exclusive franchises to private COR
porations OF whatsoever nature, even
to the steam boat lines, but instead
favored municipal ownership and con-
troll of wharfage and warehouse rights,
failed to weigh when the present
council tackled the subject last
spring. Instead of adopting such a
course as would enable ali packet in
terests to share a common warehouse
in Rock Island, the council, with the
idea and supposed understanding that
the two other lines stopping here
would use the same building. granted
to Capt. John Streckfus, of the Acme
Packet company. the right TO erect a
warehouse on the new levee. The
council made mistake in granting
the special right to any Steamboat
company, but having adopted an un-
wise policy, it wGs not unnatural that
it should favor, to an extent, the
home steamboat owner, vino had
stood by the city.
One BIunder Made Another
The council, however, having Elun-
dered in deviating from the idea of
municipal control of river front rights.
blundered again in the location of the
private warehouse of the Acme Packet
company. Instead OF solving the
long discussed and much veXed prob
lem, it merely complicated it the
more. 1t did not better the relations
between the Diamond Joe company
aud the city or harmonic the inter
ests alongshore. Capt. Blair, of the
Carnival City Packet company, was
able to use the new warehouse, but
Supt. Killecn, of the Diamond 10
line. gave very gocd reasons
why the big steamers in his line
could not land at the foot of Nine
teenth street, where the water is
more shallow than in the harbor
that the government has made
at the foot of Seventeenth street
The proceeding as far as the
city was concerned, therefore,
had the appearance of seeking
to widen rather than to close the
breach that existed. Supt. Killeen
stated that he had no objection to
using the Acme company warehouse
if located so that he could get to it,
but it was unreasonable to expect
him to get his boats into the pocket
above Eighteenth street at all stages
of the water during the navigation
season.
There is no reason why the city
council, having determined to abandon
the city's right in the improved river
front. should not favor the home
steam boat man, especially as he had
not neglected the town, but there was
no excuse for disregarding the big
line to the extent of discriminating
against it III the matter of location,
Notwithstanding that it had acted in
what was regarded as very hasty
and unreasonable spirit toward the
city.
But of the Future.
But it is the future that is to be
considered, not the past. The city
has placed itself in a position where
it must be fair TO all steamb boat inter
ests if it would encourage river traffic.
In a word, it is just where The ARGUS
felt it would be if it waived absolute
control of any portion of the water
frontage. 1t must get back its
steam boat trade of every class
1t is not in a position to offer
warehouse accommodations Of equal !
to all lines. 1t has granted |
special privileges to one steamboat |
it cannot turn a deaf |
ear to others. if it is shown that those |
are such as cannot be mu-
tual or of common advantage. If the |
Diamond 10 line asks for reasonable |
rights in reasonable location on the |
levee, the city will be obliged now. in !
the spirit of fairness, to consider the |
matter in a friendly manner.
The city took the right step in |
the advance of the railroads |
on 10 the new levee, but it wavered |
from the wise course when il came to I
the steamboats,. The CITY must now
take the consequences. 1t must do
its duty.