Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-09-10
TO RENEW BRIDGES
Right Move Made by Council
With Reference to Rock
River Structures.
MONEY Is TO BE BORROWED
Aid. Kennedy Severely Criticise d
: Attempt to Chase Railway Com
pany Out of Town.

bridges was taken at the adjourned
session of the city council held last
evening, City Attorney Scott receiv
ing instructions to prepare an ordi-
nance declaring an emergency to eX-
ist as to bridges four and six, in order
to permit of the borrowing of suffi
cient funds by the municipality to
pay for the Improvement
The aldermen spent nearly two
hours in Il discussion of the bridge
question, and the consensus of opin-
ion was, as has been contended right
along by The Argus, that it was up to
the city to take the initiative; that
the time was not far distant when in
terurban lines would be knocking for
admission to the city from the south,
in fact promoters have already had
the territory in the section surveyed,
and Rock Island should be in position
when that time arrives to extend the
hand of welcome and encouragement
in the form of substantial and ade-
quate bridges spanning Rock river.
DIscourages Joint Ownership.
Mayor McConochie discouraged the
proposition of entering into partner
ship with the Tri-City Railway com
pany and the county in the recon
struction of the bridges and the
eventual REIMBURSEMENT of owner
ship to the county and maintenance
thereof as free bridges. He wanted
to see the city go ahead with the inn
prCvement on its own account, charg-
ing the Tri-City Railway company and
such interurban lines as might wish
to use it in future an annual rental
until the cost of the undertaking
planned is betrayed.
THE city has neglected these
bridges for years." continued the
mayor. ''If we had held as a bridge
fund the cash that has been taken in
as tolls at Milan the past 20 years we
would now have enough on hand to
rebuild the bridges. We have spent
the money for making improvements
in the city, and it is not right now at
a time when the bridges need our at
tentiOn to balk. True, we have not
the money, but there is Il way we can
get it. Davenport and Moline are con
nccted with outlying territory by in
terurban line-thcy are building on
all sides of us-and as the Milan
bridges are our only inlet we should
not be slow to appreciate the .situa-
ton, and have the avenue in shape in
the event of any interurbans coming
our way, which undoubtedly they viii
in the not distant future"
Emergency Ordnance Ordered.
Aid. Blochlinger, chairman of the
bridge committee, who has labored
for months in behalf of the improve
ment ordered last night by the coun-
ell favored having the county and
Tri-City Railway company share the
cost, but he said he would he agree
able to any means that would bring
about the end sought. therefore re-
calling the report of his committee
when Aid. Anderson offered Il resolu-
ton that an emergency exists with
reference to bridges four and six, the
same being considered unsafe for
traffic; that the city attorney be in
structed to prepare an emergency or
dinance, and that the mayor. city en-
gineer and bridge committee procure
plans, specifications and bids for the
construction of new, modern bridges
ample in size and bearing capacity of
electric cars. This resolution was
adopted by unanimous vote The plan
is to reconstruct the bridges mention
ed Immediately, replacing the others
as soon thereafter as practicable.
When City Clerk Schaffer had fin
ished reading the communication
from Attorney S. II. Kenworthy or
dering the chief of police to tear up
the tracks, poles, etc, of the Tri-City
Railway company in the city, alleg
ing that the franchise of the com
pany here was not legal, Aid. Kenne
.dy moved that the document be
thrown in the waste basket, adding:
Termed SandbagRIng.
Il consider that an insult to the in
feligence of the people of Rock Isl
and and to the city council. and am
against giving official recognition to
any such attempt to sandbag a cor
poration. 1t is simply ridiculous, and
we should not consider it in a serious
light
Aid. Robbins did not belive in TAX
ing the matter seriously, either, but
believed the easier way to dispose of
it would be to refer it to the council
as committee of the whole, to be con
sidered at a future meeting. The
Robbins motion prevailed finally.
Mr.. Kenworthy, in specifying the
thoroughfares on which he wanted the
street car tracks removed. forgot toin-
clude Fifth. Seventh and Fourteenth
avenues. Aid Kennedy wanted to
know what was going to become of
these strips of track, and the mayor
answered that he supposed they were
to be allowed to remain.
More Paving improvements.
Ordinances were passed providing
for the Improvement with asphalt of
Twenty-first- street from Tenth to
Twelfth avenues, and of Twenty-ninth
street from Seventh to Ninth avenues
with brick Aid. Benson also intro
duced resolution, which was adopt
ed, ordering the Improvement with as
phalt of Fifth avenue from Eigh-
teenth to Twenty third streets. 1t is