Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-12-12
Council Instructs City Attorney
and Grants Petition Of In
dustrial Commission.
AS TO SEWER DISTRICT NO. 4
In Opinion of Mayor, City Engineer
and Others, Claim of Owners
Would Be Good in Court.


| the judgment on the assessment roll
| in the No. 4 drainage district. This
| action was taken on the petition pre-
scented Monday evening by the mem
bers of the Industrial commission, and
on the strength of the affidavits pre-
scented with the petition. The council
regretted that any action was neces-
sary which meant the delay or possible
tying up completely of the storm drain
project. but the aldermen were CON
WINGED that the affidavits that notices
had not been received would be suf
ficient grounds in court to throw out
the entire proceedings.
Opposition to Vacation.
Last evening there was opposition
to the proposed vacation of the judg-
ment, though the resolution was car
ried by a unanimous vote. The COM
missioner of the assessment Henry
Grothe. was present, and spoke in his
own defense He claimed that it had
been necessary for him to turn the
work over to his deputy, H. c. Haver-
field, and he said that Mr.. Haverfield
had largely done the work, and had at
tended to the details to conform to the
statutory requirements. He said of
the affidavits that notices had not been
received, that in his opinion either the
notices were received, or that it was
the fault of the postoffice and not of
himself He declared that he had per-
sonally mailed a part of the notices.
and that Mr.. Haverfield was to finish
making out the others and mail them
later.
Defends Rolls Correctness.
City Engineer Wallace Treichler ad-
dressed the council in defense of the
correctness of the roll, which was
questioned in the affidavit of Hugh E.
Curtis presented the evening before,
and in which it was stated that there
were tracts assessed to people other
than the owners; that tracts were
omitted from the assessment; and
that certain property had been assess
ed twice. Mr. Treichler indicated that
the roll did not sustain these claims of
incorrectness. though he and Mr.. Guy
er disagreed on certain legal points in
volved
Job Paid Poorly.
In addressing the council, after some
suggestion had been made that the as
sessment should be recast by compe-
tent commissioner. Mr. Grothe took oc-
casion to recall the amount he was al
lowed for this work. 1t will be remem-
bered that Mr.. Haverfield, acting for
Mr. Grothe. presented a claim for $3.50
as commissioners fees for the work.
The fee bill was made a part of the
assessment roll, and Mr.. Haverfield in
sisted that the roll could not be con-
firmed without the courts allowing the
bill. Judge Parmenter, however con-
firmed the roll and took up the fee
question later and then allowed Mr..
Grothe 500. In referring to the mat
ter last evening Mr. Grothe claimed
the fee was ridiculously small, and
said that if any one else wanted to do
that work again for the same money
he would be welcome to the task.
Big Factories in Project.
Carl Helpenstell, one of the members
of the manufacturers committee in
urging that action be taken, stated
that he had knowledge of an arrange
ment whereby the city will secure
from one to three factories employing
between 500 and 600 men EACH and
representing a large amount of cap
ital. He said that this matter had not
yet come to the attention of the COM
mittee, but will be presented soon He
expressed the opinion that the coun-
ellis failure to take action to relieve
the commission would prevent any
such result as he had suggested.
The question was thoroughly dis
cussed, and among those who spoke
were E. H. Guyer, City Engineer
Treichler, F. G. Young, Aldermen
Blochlinger, Eckhart and Anderson
and the mayor John Looney was pres
ent and made a long argument oppos-
ing the granting of the petition of the
Industrial commission. After the mat
ter had been thoroughly argued, AL
derman Anderson presented his resolu-
ton. Alderman Pratt offered an
amendment that action be deferred I'M
til Monday, but this was later with
drawn land when the vote was taken
on the resolution, it carried unani-
mously Alderman Smith first voted
against the resolution, but later asked
to have his vote changed.
The Afidavits Presented.
The affidavits that notices had not
been received were made by the fol-
lowing: A. E. Lindquist, manager of
the Republic Oil company Mrs Julia
Schreiner, P. N and j. J. Kahlke. ].
S. Wilbert, manager of the Penn Oil &
Supply company, Hugh e. Curtis, NJ l.
Morris and H. Lewis, Charles r.
Nourse, manager of the Standard Ia
bic Oil Cloth company. and Oscar
Schmidt and Franz Happ. representing
the Peter Fries estate.
The assessment which is to be vacat-
ed placed the following tax on IA prop
erty owners, though in several instan-