Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-02-08
OPPOSE new LINE
Sentiment Expressed at a Meet
ing of Rock Island Bus
mess Men.
WILL BE NO AID TO THE CITY
Street Railway Promoters to be In
Vited Before Merchants
Association.

granting of permit to any additional
street railway company to cross ths
Rock Island arsenal and the Rock ISL
and bridges.
This motion, which was made by
Col. W. T. Channon, was unanimously
adopted by mass meeting of repre-
sentative business men and merchants
If Rock Island held at the Office of w
G, Maucker at + O'Clock yesterday
afternoon TO discuss the proposed
construction of a line across from
Davenport to this city, and through
a portion of Rock Island
The motion very cOncisely states the
sentiment of all of the business men
If the city who attended the meeting
| The meeting. which was called by
| President George Kingsbury, of the
Retail Merchants association. was at
tended by about % representative
| citizens, and proved a very interesting
| session.
| Tells Syndicate Plans.
Mr.. Kingsbury briefly stated that the
| purpose of the meeting. He said that
| it had come TO the knowledge of many
Of the citizens of this city that the
Walsh syndicate. of Davenport CON
trolling the Davenport & Suburban
.ailway, was seeking to secure right of
way in Rock Island, and at present was
at work in Washington trying to secure
a permit to cross the Rock Island
bridges and the arsenal TO Rock ISL
and and Moline, as stated in the
petitions which are being circulated
The question. said Mr. Kingsbury, is
whether the syndicate is sincere in at
tempting to secure right of way into
Rock Island, and do the business men
of Rock Island under and conditions
approve of the granting of permission
10 any additional line to cross the gov
eminent island. Mr.. Kingsbury made
a few suggestions as to the best meth
Cd of procedure, and suggested that
every business man in theecity should
work individually with the members
of the council. to see that they take
no hasty action in case the petition
for right OF way should come before
them.
Those who were present in no
doubtful manner expressed their dis
approval Of the companys methods OF
procedure and of its seeming inten-
tions. AS expressed by Warren H.
Reck, the business men of Rock ISL
and do not want another line crossing
the arsenal under any circumstances.
A direct line from Rock Island to
Davenport will be of no value to us.
And further stating his views of the
proposition of the sO-called suburban
promoters, Mr.. Reck said: Anything
that fails to make Rock Island the hub
of the interurban system will be a great
detriment to us, and should be strongly
opposed"
Answer of the Secretary.
Other business men who we're
at the meeting strenuously oppos-
ed letting the company get either
the franchise from this city, or the per
mission to cross the island, since they
believe that such action would be in
imical 10 the interests of the people
of this city. The general sentiment
of the meeting was that "forearmed is
forewarned," and as pointed out by
T. j. Medin and H. f. Casteel, many
citizens are signing these petitions
without realizing that they are not as
they are represented to be by the pro
moters of the company.
One of the interesting features of
the afternoon discussion was the
reading of extracts from the report
of a mass meeting of Davenport bust
ness men. held Feb. >. At that meet
ing resolutions were passed by the
Davenport business men. sanctioninE
the proposition of the Davenport &
Suburban. These resolutions were
forwarded to Washington within five
minutes of the time that they were
passed The resolutions stated that
he meeting Endorsed all the efforts |
of the Davenport & Suburban to get
permission to cross the government |
bridge" One of the main argumentSl
made in securing the sanction of the |
Davenport merchants was that it was
TO the advantage of Davenport bust |
ness men to get more people into
Davenport. and 10 have more roads
and lower fares Davenport
where Does City Get on.
Among the expressions of the situa-
ton yesterday afternoons meeting /
the following show of sentiment of
nose present:
H. E. Casteel-"Show disapproval
Il any proposition to secure permits
sion TO cross the arsenal. at once. You
IAN not make your resolutions too
broad TO suit the business men of this
,ity.
Eli osenfelder-'Unless this COM ,
,any viii give something to the city &,
or what it asks-gives something in ,
he way of a business gain-every ,
merchant and business man should OPP ,
'ose it"
Col. W. T. Channon-"Can We afford
o take the risk OF this company's Sc
uring the right to cross the arsenal
nd later going 10 Moline and leaving {
lock Island out? We want interur- /
ans to this city. and no company that s