Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-06-08
WILL IMPROVE
PARK AT ONCE
City is Given $4,000 Toward
Filling by F. G.. Denkmann,
Who Donated Square.
CONTRACT is APPROVED
Work Will Cost $1,000, According to
Offcr-Council Starts War on
Sidewalk Contractors.

The city council last evening ar
ranged for the filling of Denkmanm
square in the west end of the city, the
mayor and clerk being authorized to
enter into contract with George Evans
for the filling of the park. The work
will cost $4,000. and of this amount f.
&c. Denkmann, who donated the square
to the city. will pay $4,000 The city
will pay $1,000 of the amount this
year. and the balance next year.
There is fund of $1,000 now appro-
priated for this purpose. The square
will require many thousand yards Of
dirt to fill it TO grade. and Mr.. Evans
has a contract for lot of excavation,
and so can make the price reasonable.
Mir. Denkmanns offer to share in the
cost of filing adds to the value of his
Sift of the park TO the city, ana will
result in the Immediate improvement
of the west end park. The square is
located in a district where parks can
be well appreciated.
Are After Sidewalk Men.
The council is after the sidewalk
nished the required bond to indemnify
the city against accidents are not 20
be given any grades to work on here
after: those who have laid walks I'M
der general city contracts will he or
dered to relay at once all defective
walks: and the council will soon adopt
an ordinance requiring all contractors
| to give a five year guarantee on all
concrete walks laid, whether by gen
eral city contract or by private con-
| tract. This all comes about through
| the complaints of Alderman Bloch
linger. registered in the council sess-
ion. Aldermen Blochlinger, HolZham-
mer and Utke wanted to force the con-
tractors to relay walks in the Seconl
ward, where, it Is reported. many are
not according to specifications, ana
are defective. The aldermen desired
to include both those walks laid ind ar
| the board of local Improvement con-
tracts, and those laid by private con-
| tract. but after much discussion, it was
shown that the city has no jurisdic-
| ton over the walks laid by private
contract Under the general contract,
however, there is five year guarantee
| covered by bond to the city, and the
city will force the contractors to make
| their work right in these cases, not
other wards in the city.
| Contractors Irresponsible.
| The city engineer, the city attorney
and the aldermen declared that work
is being done by irresponsible contrac
tors, and that the property owners
have been under the impression that
they were backed by the city, and that
the contractors bond to indemnify
the city against accidents was a bond
to guarantee the work. The city engi
neer declared that while the ordinan
Ices give him no police power what
lever, he had forcibly prevented two
contractors from laying walks, and had
put them out of business. "And there
are couple more that ought to be
lput out of business" he added.
Alderman BlOchlinger took the view
THAT the private contract should have
| inc SAINT Sudidhtcc DO tire City Coli
tract. and as n result of the whole dis
lcussion a resolution was adopted Il
compel the .relaying of all defective
walks, and another resolution i'm
lstructed the ordinance committee ant
city attorney and city engineer to pre-
pare an ordinance providing for th,
guaranteeing of all sidewalk work
The city engineer was also INSTRUCTED
to furnish no grades to contractor;
who have not complied with the ordi
nance in the matter of bonds.
Want Streets Paved.
Petitions for three short stretches o
lpaving in the east end were presented
and were referred to the board of Ia