Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-05-05

indeed / expect reductlOn III INC
revenues from saloon licenses. Hence
the need of rigid economy in every
department is apparent and care in
selecting the Improvement projects to
be carried out. Indeed | do not see
my way clear to recommending any
street improvements for this season
beyond those already covered by con-
tract. These include the completion
of the Seventh avenue improvement
from Thirtieth to Thirty-eighth street.
The boulevard plan will be followed
from Thirty-fifth to Thirty-eighths streets,
but thence to its connection with the
western section owing to the narrow-l
ness of the street the thoroughfare
will be asphalted from curb to curb.
In addition to this contracts have |
been let for the following improve
ments: Paving of Nineteenth street |
from Tenth to Twelfth avenue with |
asphalt; paving of Twenty-fifth street
ron Seventh to Ninth avenue with |
asphalt; paving of Twenty-fifth street |
from Fifth to Seventh avenue with
brick; paving of Twenty-third street
from Tenth to Eleventh avenue with |
brick, and the paving of Fifteenth
street from First to Second avenue
with brick
The approval of the assessment roll
for the raving of Fourteenth street
from First to Second avenue is pend
ing in the county court. The city's
share of the improvements mentioned
will be about s6,O00-$5, 600 OIL &C
C"unt of Seventh avenue and $1,000
IN account of the shorter sections, as
only few intersections need be paid
for.
As the rev hose house on Twenty
sixth street can probably be built for
$4,000 these items would represent
extraordinary expenditures of s11 400.
But as an addition to this the pay
. ment of vouchers to the amount of
$4,000 on account of the No. 2 sewer
district must also be provided for, you
will see the need of economy in order
, to meet the preliminary expenses on
; account of the improvements program
for the year 1909.
One Improvement which should be
carried cut this fall as preliminary to
the paving of Tenth, Eleventh and
Twelfth avenues, is the No. sewer
district. comprising the section be-
tween Fifteenth and Twenty-second
streets and Ninth and Eighteenth ave
nues. Most of that section is fairly
i well provided with domestic drainage
but before the thoroughfares are
paved with asphalt means must be
provided to carry off the storm
waters. The charges against the gen.
eral fund for public benefit on ac-
count of the improvement will be
about $4,000 SO that the total expen-
ditures for the extraordinary purposes
mentioned will be approximately
$4,000.
J Small initial expenditures will also
be- required on account of two i'm.
provements which the succeeding ad-
ministrations should take up and COM
tplete next year: the Seventh ward
isewer system and the paving of Ninth
Istreet from Third avenue south to the
city limits. Indeed | entertain the
hope that both projects may be adj
yanced to the point of contracting for
the work this fall or winter so that
construction may be started early in
the spring of 1909, which owing to
the magnitude of the jobs is impor-
tant if they are to be completed in
one season. This applies particularly
Ito the Seventh ward sewer system
(which is designed to drain the terri
tory from 1hirtieth street east to the
city limits and from Eighteenth ave
nue. north To the river. An ordinance
for this project was passed early in
the spring of 1907. The measure was
: passed in haste and the doubts I ex
pressed in my initial message as tC
: the legal sufficiency of the ordinance
! were justified, for it became necessary
to dismiss the proceedings for an as
sessment of the cost of the improve
ment. Even had the ordinance beer
valid 1T would have been necessary
to start anew because of the failur,
to provide properly for the necessar,
practical preliminaries. The city en-
gineer during the past year has com
Ipleted the detailed surveys and tn,
city attorney has been engaged in Ell
forts to secure the right of wa,
(which must be obtained at severa
: points. He is making good progress
! in this work and he will probabl
be able to report the disposition o
q all the legal preliminaries within
j livery short time. Coincident witt
: this work the water works depart
: ment has been engaged in the e,
l. tension of the mains in the bluff SCI
0 ton which are not only necessary fo
y fire protection but without which tn
e Isewer system would have been pra,
L ltically worthless. The balance of tn
e water main extensions which Shout
$ be made in order to make the sewe
i system efficient viii be made thi
k summer.
ell One more subject which may b
t properly discussed in connection wit
e the general affairs of the city, is til
If repairing and remodeling of the cit
k hail. AS you know the property wa
s recently damaged by fire caused b
d sparks from the torch of timer Ell
gagged in repairing the cornice.