Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-08-20
Aid. Robbins Takes Clerk to Task
for His Way of Doing
Business.
soHAFFBRwILL NOT GIvEDUE BILLS
Lively Scene Over Report on
ReserVoir.-New Fire Alarm
Estimate.


council cham Der last night as a re-
suit of a disagreement over the imam
cial affairs of the municipality, the
clerk having incurred the disfavor OF
several of the alderman by tabooing
the former practice of giving due
bills for improvements done after
funds had been exhausted.
The excitement was precipitated
by a report on the suggestion to sod
and terrace the reservoir embank-
ment. work championed by Aid.
! Robbins, who held that it would not
only serve in identifying the prop
erty, but would protect the basins
during the winter and prevent pos
sible bullying of the walls. There
were two reports, the one
from the majority, Aids. Ander-
son and Eckhart, opposing the i'm
provement at this time, explaining
| that there was not suflic ient money
| in the reservoir construction fund.
and the minority signed by Aid. An
| drews supporting the proposition to
do the WORK this season. Aid An
derson showed from estimates that
| the soddiDg and terracing would cost
81 $50. There was in the reservoir
| construction fund approximately 3d.
| 600. but the Seventh warder contend
ed this amount several times over
would probably be needed before
| spring to carry on work of far greater
| importance-the completion of the
reservoir drain and the renewal of the
sand at the plant. for instance.
Here Aid. Robbins excitedly arose
/ in his seat. and looking the clerk
sauarely in the face, declared it was an
easy matter to juggle accounts so
as to deplete certain fund.
Mayor Calls Alderman Down.
| Mr.. Schaffer was on his feet in an
instant and warned Aid. Robbins to
be more guarded in his allegations.
1t is not unlikely that the two would
have gotten closer to one another had
mot the mayor interviewed, taking
1.-The alderman to task for making such
damaging assertions. He said if the
alderman suspected any discrepancies
lin the clerks accounts he should ask
an investigation.
| AID. Robbins was Profuse in his eN-
plantations that he did not mean to
say that the clerk had been dishonest.
IW hat he wanted to show was that he
had found the clerk had been squar-
ling up accounts with reservoir funds
THAT should be on hand to carry for
ward improvements now sought. He
wanted to see the city 60 ahead. even
if it was necessary to keep on borrow
ling. Aid. Robbins, who was backed
by Aids. Andrews and Gall, then
called upon the clerk for an itemized
accounting of expenditures from the
4
clerk hauled out his ledger and put
in nearly an hour patiently dealing
out information to the three alder
men.
A motion to adopt the minority re-
port was lost by the mayor voting
nav, whereupon Aid. Robbins offered
a resolution setting forth that as the
waterworks committee was losth to
carry out the wishes of the council
the clerk be instructed to advertise
for bids for the sodding and terrac-
ling of the reservoir embankment.
Aid. Kennedy moved that the resolu-
/ ton be referred to the waterworks
committee.
Aid. Andrews, as an amendment,
moved Immediate consideration of
Aid. Robbins resolution. This car
ried, s to 6. Aid. Snyder. who had
stuck with the clerks following until
now, going over to Robbins. Then
the Robbins resolution was adopted
by the same vote.
New Terms to be Asked.
1t is possible a way will be found,
in spite of the opposition of the ad-
ministration, to secure a new modern
| fire alarm system, so much needed by
the city, especially in the business
district. On motion of Aid. Moeller
Aids. Robbins, Willis, Snyder. Will
kins and Hause were appointed a
committee to ascertain what terms
the Gamewell company will accept TO
install its independent system here. a
former proposition from the con- pany
having been passed up because of
the scarcity of finances
Frank Ram, submarine diver and
contractor, of Chicago, has the con-
tract for testing the Rock Island
waterworks 80 inch intake pipe
to ascertain whether there is leak
in it. Ram was chosen by the coun-
ell on recommendation of the water
works committee, which had propo-
sitions from Ram and John T.
Guyer, of st Louis. The work is to
be done Immediately. He is first to
plug the mouth of the pipe. If there is
evidence of q leak he will set about to
locate it. examining each joint sepa-
rately.
In reference to the Twenty-first
sewer the sewer committee reported
that Mayor Knox has made arrange
ments with the contractor to finish
to the c.. b. & Q. property line. In
view OF the fact that the old sewer is
not of sufficient size to take care of /
all the additional surface water, |
which on the completion of the Ninth !
avenue collateral will empty into it,