Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-02-17
Council Orders Lot on Seven.
teenth Street Sold to
Mrs. Corcoran.
THERE Is A BREAK IN OPPOSITION
Ordinance Introduced to Create
Board of Fire and Water
works Commissioners.

ton to sell the city's lot on Seven
teenth street to Mrs. Anna Corcoran
on her bid of $1,250 and the necessary
three-fourths to legalize the sale was
given.
AID Kennedy brought the matter
up the last thing before adiournment,
as he had been doing at nearly every
meeting since the bids were opened
He stated in doing so that he would
continue to moNe2the acc epfanee of
the highest bids every meeting till
the question was settled. He then
moved that the bid of Mrs. Corcoran
be accepted.
Aid. Birkel was ready with a copy
of the city ordinances, from which he
read to show that the question having
been lost could not be taken up under
the circumstances. Aid. Kennedy
pointed out that while the bid had not
been accepted, neither had it been re-
jected, and it was still before the
council and would be till a ma iority
vote rejected it. The city attorney
took the same view of the matter
when he was called upon to give his
Interpretation of the rules. Accord
ingly Mayor Knox ruled that the
question as proposed was in order.
Mr.. NIaucker Heard.
w. {. Maucker, who was present,
then asked to be heard and was pres
emily given the opportunity to do so.
He repeated his former assertions,
that he stood ready to put up a S10.-
600 building upon the lot and bring
here 4 branch of the Amazon Picking
| s.,.l-g. IL
him on his lower bid. He also recall
ed the occasion upon which the prop
erty was previously advertised for
sale and he was the highest bidder,
and questioned the sort of improve
ment that his competitor would make
on the land.
Then upon an insinuation from AID
Kennedyaas to the motive that actu-
ated certain aldermen in voting
against the sale of the lot to the
highest bidder when they had voted
to advertise the same for sale in the
first place, there came two or three
| explanations and the question was
put to a vote. Then it was that Aid.
Blochlinger broke from the minority
and the vote stood II to 3. Aids Bir-
KEEL, Gall and Naab voting against.
Another motion was then put and
carried authorizing the city attorney
and city clerk to prepare and execute
a deed for the transfer of the lot.
Fire and waterwOrks Board Proposed
Aid. Blochlinger did something else.
! He introduced an ordinance provid-
ing for establishing a board of fire
and waterworks commissioners, Il
measure that is in every way COM
mcndable. The board is to consist of
the mayor and two reputable citizens
to be appointed every two years by
the chief executive, one from each of
the principal political parties with
the consent of the council. This
board is to have entire charge of the
appointing and discharging of all en-
! ployes connected with the fire and
water departments.
Is is especially provided that no
employee shall be removed for politi-
cal reasons, but that when it is de
sired to remove a man the charges
against him must be committed to
writing and one copy filed with the
board and another served upon the
| objectionable incumbent Then
| hearing must be had in which the ac-
cused party shall have full chance to
! be heard Then he would have the
privilege of appealing from the board
to the city council, which body must
take the matter up at the next regu-
lar meeting. Detailed records must
be kept and the city clerk is to be
made secretary of the board. "Ano-
Their job" commented that oyerwork-
off ia1 ola
The ordinance was referred to the
ordinance committee to report ut the
next meeting.
Railway Ordinance Up Again.
| A mistake having been made in
publishing the ordinance presented
by Manager J. +. Lardner, of the Tri-
City Railway company, for the west
half of the Longview line, another or
dinance was reported from committee
and passed last evening. The new one
is copy of the old one except thar
two or three details are altered and
certain parts are elaborated upon to
eliminate ambiguity. This was inn
mediately considered and passed. The
work must be begun in three months
and be finished in six.
Aid. Birkel called up the question
of improving Fifteenth street, for
which petition had been referred to
the board of local improvements. He
was informed by City Attorney Scott
that the board of local improvements
had met yesterday and adopted a res
olution recommending the passage of
an ordinance by the council for the
| carrying out of the work. The only
reason that the ordinance was not
presented last evening was because
the city engineer was out of town
and it was impossible to secure the
necessary data. The ordinance was
/ promised at the next council meeting.
i The health committee reported the
completion of the remodeling of Riv-
4 erview hospital for the treatment of