Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-01-21
TALK ANNEXATION
Residents of South Rock Island
Express Themselves on the
Proposition.
MEET AT THE TOWN HALL
Legal Questions Are Explained by City
Attorney-Maiority in Favor
Of Coming in.

A well attended mass meeting OF res !
idents of South Rock Island was held
last evening at the town hall near
Center Station for the purpose of dis
cussing the proposition of anneXing
South Rock Island to the city OF ROCK
Island The hall was packed with rep
resentative residents OF The district in
volved and of Sears, all of whom ex-
pressed their views relative to the pro-
posed move.
Though there were differences OF opin-
ion, the majority Of the residents, includ-
ing the principal property owners, we're
heartily in favor of annexation. only
a small number of those who talked
would not admit the advantages which
would result. their main contentious
being that taxes would he too high ana
that the city would fail 10 push muni-
cipal improvements in that section for
many years.
). T.. Witter Present.
City Attorney j. f. Witter was pres
ent, and was the first to take the plat
form to answer questions upon which
the residents would desire informa-
ton. The school question was one OF
the principal ones on which no clear
understanding was had. Attorney Wit
ter stated that the schools of Rock Is
land were maintained under a special
school charter and that the schools OF
South Rock Island would, under its
provisions, have to be placed under
the jurisdiction of the city school
board by special election. Mr.. Wit
ter also explained the nature of assess
ing for water mains, sidewalks, and
similar public improvements. The few
directors were here alarmed because
such system would permit those who
did not own property and who were
not assessed, to use the walks and to
have the benefit of the lights also.
They also feared that the city desired
to annex them to its body of taxpayers
for the purpose of increasing the city's
source of revenue to continue the inn
provements in the central portion of
the city, and would not extend the
improvements to their section for
years. Attorney Writer answered to
the latter objection that no such mo-
tiyes prompted the move and that the
improvements would be extended as
quickly as the residents of the district
would care to meet the special assess
ments for the improvements.
Hon. II. ,. MediII Talks.
Hon. r. ]. MedilI, who was called
on to extend his views, addressed the
meeting briefly on the work of the In
dustrial commission He mentioned
that it was the desire of any progress
sive city to extend its industrial and
commercial pursuits He called atten
ton to the past growth of Rock Island
which has finally filled the peninsula
on which the city is built, as far east
as the city of Moline. which has stop
ped it's growth in that direction, leav
ing only one direction in which the
city can continue TO build, and tina
direction toward Rock river. He add
ed that he Thought it would be the nat
ural desire of any community adjOin
ing a progressive city to be added t.
its territory and that such a NOV
would result in a rapid Increase il
property values.
In outlining the work of the Indus
trial commission. he stated that Sout
Rock Island, being ION high and DIR
ground, afforded admirable factor
sites, but that an extension of munic
pal advantages, such as light, wate
and fire protection, was necessary
get prosperous concerns to locat
there. He mentioned one concerl
which asks Inducements, however, a
most too large to consider, desirin
200 acres of land and a bonus of $l0C
600. He mentioned the concession