Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-05-06
CITY OFFICERS. ANNUAL REPORTS.
Recommendation Made by Heads OF Sew
eraI City DEPARTMENTS.

| The report of City CLERK Schafer
was too voluminous to be read before
the council. 1t contains general re-
view of the financial condition of the
city for the year. The total revenue
anticipated in the appropriations for
the wear was SI73, 339. SS-of which but
S163, 49O.23 was realized on account of
delinqucneies at the time the town
ship collectors books were turned i'm
and not yet paid into the city treas
ury. The amount in the waterworks
fund equals the expenditures for the
year and there are small balances in
the special and interest funds to APP
ply on such deficiencies as exist. The
total liabilities of the city are placed
at $316.23S.95 and the total assets at
1894 .2s6.4O, leaving the excess of the
property over all forms of liability
S27S, O47.45.
Enlarged Sewage system.
DIR. DeSilva. gives a review of the
health department for the past year.
After enlarging upon the Importance
of the health department in promot-
ing the welfare of the city in general
he takes up the details of the work
of the department. The sewage sys-
tenn he characterizes as inadequate
and recommends that ii be enlarged
as rapidly as possible. The facilities
for garbage collection are also shown
To be poor and the council is asked
to make additions to the number of
wagons at once. The recommends
ton previously made that the depart
ment be given suitable quarters i'm
which to make systematic tests of
the milk that is being sold in the city
is renewed and improvements at the
city pest house are urged. The fault
for existing impurities in the water
supply is attributed to the lack of
capacity of the filter plant and the
ACCESSIBILITY of constructing an addi-
tional filter bed is pointed out. 1t is
shown that figuring the value of hui
man life at $1,000 each the addition of
another filter bed and the covering of
the storage basin would be Il paying
investment.
waterwOrks Changes Recommended.
The report of Waterworks Super
intendent Plumb Bancroft is an eX-
haustive one, covering the opera
tions of the department for the year
ending April l, and containing "a num-
Der of important recommendations
After reviewing the repairs that have
been made about the main pumping
station the repairing of the intake
pipe is discussed and the recommen-
dation, based on the showing of an
alyses and the condition of public
health, is made that there be no fur
Their attempts to patch such minor
leaks as may still exist. at the pres
cnt time. While the water is adj
mitted TO be less pure than it should
be, the fault is attributed to the lack
of capacity in the filter plant ami the
enormous waste of water that is per-
mitted under the present system.
The amount of water pumped during
the year is given at ,297 $40 $50 gal
Ions. an average of 1854, 465 gallons
per day for the entire city or rate
of 1916 gallons per capita. The
pump ran 6.91O hours. the amount of
coal used was 3,545 tons, and the cost
of the fuel was $4.S44.76. The state
ment is made that fully one-half of
the water pumped to the consumers
of the city is wasted and the council
is pointed to the fact that this must
stop or another pump be purchased
to provide against emergencies. The
setting of as many meters as posi-
bic each year till every tap in the cit 3,
is supplied with one is advised as the
most economical and reliable method
of meeting the difficulty. In this
connection also. the report states
that the rates are lower in this city
than in any other city known where
water is filtered. and lower than i'm
many cities where no filter is used.
In order to meet the incurred indebt-
edness with the interest. to make
further improvements and pay the
increased cost of operating, a raise
i'm the rates is favored. IL Is also
urged that the meter system be at
once extended to the city schools and
that hey be required TO pay rates as
that they he required to pay rates as
the reservoir is reported in good con-
dition. 1t has been tested in actual
use up to 1870 pounds pressure and has
worked satisfactorily. The extent of
the bluff service has been doubled
during the year. The amount of
water pumped during the year was
s5,323,siO gallons. The recommends
tion is made that the fourth filter
bed be constructed in accordance
with the original plans, thus giving
a capacity equal to the present rate
of consumption. At the present time,
it is stated, the suspended matter is
taken out of the water, but il is not
rendered free from bacteria as it
would be if proper time were allowed
i'm its passage through the sand.
The sand in the filter beds has been
reduced to half it's original depth
through the cleaning process and
the advisability of replacing it and
also of installing washing machine