Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-05-07

sidewalks " 5000
Truck and fire department. .:. 1000
Bridges .. .. ........ 1900
lSiXteenth street improVement 500
lStreet repairs .. .. 1000
Third avenue at viaduct ....... 1000
Have But Little Left.
These necessary expenditures pro-
vided for from the general fund, we
shall have only $4,000 for purposes
other than those mentioned. But of
that sum, about S25, 900 is hypothecated
to meet the city's proportion of the
cost of building the No. 2 sewer dis
ltrict. The estimate of the cost of that
lmuch-needed Improvement was S43,-
AIS, of which amount $26,67S71 was
assessed against the city for general
benefits. But the contract entered into
by the board of local improvements
Jan. II last calls for the expenditure of
Sal, 232.50, so that the city's proportion
of the cost is approximately $4,000.
On the city engineers certificates of
work done, the city has paid $4,000 as
its portion of the cost. The construc-
ton of the improvement will be COM
lpleted this summer, and the difference
City's account and the amount assessed
for general benefits must be paid from
the revenues of the fiscal year upon
which we have now entered and that
leaves us about $4,000 available for
other improvements.
The cost of maintaining the several
departments during the coming year
luyiII ,ilx bn bnp FL no
lpast. The ordinances passed by the
IoutgOing council raising the wage or
salary of every man employed in the
several departments will compel the
present council to appropriate $4,000
more to meet the payrolls than was re-
lquired last year This is exclusive of
the waterworks department, whose pay
enueS.
Urges New Hose House.
From this statement it will be ap-
parent to you that no extensive public
Improvements can be inaugurated dur
ing the present year. But there are
two projects which should engage your
Immediate attention-the provision of
more adequate fire protection for the
east, central and eastern bluff sections
lof the city, and the building of the
Seventh ward drainage system. The
former is urgently needed, and can be
provided with the funds available, af
) ter meeting the payments on account of
} the No. 2 sewer district. The city
council number of years ago abandon.
ed the hose house on Twenty-sixth
street and established the company at
Thirty-first street and Seventh avenue
1t was thought that from this location
: the bluff district would be afforded ad
eQuate protection, and that the east
: central residence district and the fac
: tory district north of Fourth avenue
would not be jeopardized. But in
practice it has been found that the bluff
section has not been benefited, while
the section in the vicinity of Twenty
sixth street is not so well protected
: In responding to alarms from the bluff
section, the company is compelled to
make two turns, and negotiate the
steep grade of Thirtieth street In re
| spending to alarms from the western
/
make its run down hill, and this has
5 repeatedly resulted in accidents, the
horses losing their footing, and suffer
ing damage and causing delays il
! reaching the scene of the fire. In my
Y opinion. the best solution of the diff
2 Guilty is the establishment of a new
2 hose company in the vicinity of Four
teenth avenue, east of Thirtieth street
g to which the present building at Thir
1 ty-first street could be moved at an ex
e lpense of about $500. and the establish
I ment of a hose and chemical compan,
r at Twenty-SiXth street. The city for
t tunately still owns the property at tn,
, latter point, and it is available for TIN
: erection of a permanent brick struc
= ture to house the company.
g Can Not Undertake Sewer
:, "The city council recently passed al
), ordinance providing for the construc
: ton of the Seventh ward sewer system
:. which. according to the engineers es
: innate. will cost considerably owe
100000, of which probably one-third i
to be charged against the city for ger
eral benefits. From what | have sal
- concerning the funds available, yo
= will readily recognize that the wor
. could not be well undertaken this sea
= son, because the city would not be abb
- to pay its proportion. But as a matte
- of fact, the project is not yet in sue
;, shape, from legal standpoint, to wa
:. rant the belief that the improvement
:. lcould be made this season. even if tn
= necessary funds were available.
=" "The district includes the territor
- from Thirtieth street east to the cit
'. limits, and from Eighteenth avenu
. north to the river. The building
= the system is urgently demanded b
g sanitary considerations. The bluff Sc
= ton of the Seventh ward is being raj
idly settled, and it would be built u
even more rapidly were il provide