Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-05-10
INTERESTS OF CITY
Subject of Regular Monthly
Meeting of Rock island
Club
USUAL COMMITTEE REPORTS
Various Topics Discussed and Progress
is Made in Various
Projects.

ROCK Island CIuD was nelu last cycling
with President E. H. Guyer in the
chair and Walter Freeman filling the
position of secretary. Routine bust
ness was taken up and several matters
of more than passing interest were
brought TO the attention of the club
A communication was read from an
Industrial bureau relative to the posi-
bility of locating another manufacture
ing enterprise in Rock Island. The let
ter was referred TO the committee on
manufactures.
Outing Club Grateful.
The secretary then read a letter
from the Davenport Outing club eX-
pressing the thanks of the club across
the river for the courtesy of the local
club extending the use of its build
ing 10 the members of the Outing club
al the time the latter club lost its
building by fire.
F. w. Bahnsen, chairman of the eX-
ecutiye committee. Morris Heagy of
the house committee, Gus Tegeler of
the billiard committee. and F. A Head
Of the bowling committee. all rendered
their monthly reports.
Report on Local improvements.
Chairman Medill. of the local i'm
provements committee. who is also
president of the Longview Park assO-
citation, reported having conferred with
Mayor McCaskrin. and found him IA
vorable to the improvement contem-
plated in Longview park, and
ing he would probably have
something more to say on the
subject AS to street Improvement, it
was the intention of the committee to
aid the mayor and city council in the
further pavement of the streets
of the city. Mr.. Medill an
nounced his intention of appearing
before the city council to advocate that
action be taken in this respect in out
lying districts not now reached. Mr.
Medill also brought up the old bOule-
ward or continuous chain of parks idea
which found favor in Rock Island some
years ago when Rock Island and Mo
line had joint committees on the sub
ject. He cited the example of Peoria
and Quincy in this respect. This prop
osition found favor in an extended dis
cusSion that followed, and it was or
and report at the next regular meeting
c. J. Searle, of the interurban road
committee, detailed the plans that the
committee had in hand. as had been
reported at the former meeting of the
club. AS far as the Investigations of
the committee had gone. it had found
| that many proposed and advertised
projects were on paper purely, and
while there were those of a bona fide
character that were headed toward
Rock Island. and would undoubtedly
be brought in here eventually, it was
the opinion of Mr.. Searle that the best
and surest way 10 insure an immediate
interurban road was for local capital
to interest itself and make the begin
ming. The most successful and the
most desirable interurban that could
be devised would be one with Rock
| Island as it's fountain head.
| Factories without Bonuses.
|. S. White. from the manufactures
committee, reported that the commit
tee was in constant communication
with factory promoters and projectors;
that it had now in hand correspondence
that would likely lead TO the bringing
| of another industry to the city, but he
desired To deprecate the idea of bonus
es in securing new industries Mr.
White believed that hard and intelli-
gent work and perseverance, and the
proper setting forth of Rock Isl
and's exceptional facilities and
advantages. with the liberal
backing of local capital, which had
|
worthy project was under considera-
ton. would accomplish more in tangi-
| BILE results than the Offering of bonus
es- In the Industries that have been
brought TO Rock Island so far through
the efforts of the club, Mr.. White stat
ed that not in a single instance had the
| inducement of bonus been offered He
spoke in this connection of Industries
| brought here through the instrument
tally of club manufactures commit
| tees, without the aid of bonus, as the
| Lightning Medicine company, with a
capital of $75. 900: the Fremont Butter
| Tub company. with a capital of So
| 600, and employing 35 men; the Ma
| tional Neck Yoke company. which had
/ doubled its capacity since coming TO
Rock Island: the Standard Table Oil
Cloth company. a $lO.G0000O concern.
with a local investment of $500. 900,
| employing 20 men in Rock Island alone
and having a monthly pay roll of So
| 000 and 10000 annual tophage; the
| securing of an advantageous factory
site. such as had induced the White
| Buggy company. with a capital of $25,
600. 10 abandon plans To remove
from the city because of insufficient
means to successfully carry on its in
| dustry
Small Arms Incident.
/ Incidentally Mr. White mentioned
the small arms plant at Rock Island
arsenal. and. read the following extract
from a letter received from Col. Blunt:
| The arsenal in its different shops now
employs nearly 2400 men. of which
number nearly 700 are in the armory.