Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-10-05
GROUND GAINED
BY BELT Line
Further Meeting With Property
Owners Along First
Avenue.
SEE IMPORT OF PROJECT
Only Means of Settling West End
Factory Question and Opening
City to New Lines.

OWheIS OF property fronting on
First avenue between Eleventh and
Seventeenth streets, since under
standing the real import of the belt
line enterprise launched by the trus-
tees of the Greater Rock Island De-
ve!opment fund, are becoming more
pliable, and while none are enthus-
iastic over the prospect of fur
Their track encroachMents, still they
feel. that for the common good they
will make the sacrifice involved, and
it is believed that their 30-foot right
of way will be obtained in a much
shorter period than at first antici-
pated.
The committee during last evening
and today, received encouragement
from several of the owners. All desire
time to consider, and the committee
is willing that they should have all
the time they wish. There is moth
ing in the project that is to be CON
cealed. 1t is a public undertaking
purely.
Only Remaining Route.
1t is the only means of solving the
west end factory problem and of as
shring an avenue of ingress to rail-
roads that may in future knock at
the doors of the city for entrance
1t is a subject that has been given
much study by the men who are pro-
noting the present project. If you
viii 70 70 3 h. 80
uation you will find that there is alb
Solutely no other means of getting
into the city with Il new railroad.
Interurbans are seeking entrance
here. They have their surveys made,
but they have not been able to get
further than the southern limits of
the city. 1t is up to the people to
bring them the remainder of the way,
if they want interurbans. These lines
tapping the surrounding rich terri
tory are what are needed to build up
the community. 2 But they cannot
come in> unless the people supply
way. The belt line also will be at
the service of street railroads. those
which may come in the future, and
those that are here now.
The road will be owned by the
city. No Individual will profit dol
lar from it, All earnings, after cost
Of maintenance. etc, will revert to
the public park funds.
Business men talked with concern
ing the belt line were enthusiastic
over the possibility of a happy. solu-
ton of the vexed problem, and all
ere ready to do what they can to
bring about its contamination.
All Roads Could Have Got In.
THE Rock Island is not wholly to
blame for the conditions in the west
end" said a former city official to an
Argus representative this afternoon
Il recall distinctly when at the solic-
itation of Mayor Schaffer, General
Manager Melchoir of the Rock Island
came to Rock Island and made a
statement before the council to the
effect that the Rock Island would
submit the entire question
of the main line track privileges i'm
the west end to arbitration and abide
the result. The Rock Island, Mr..
Melchoir said, was perfectly willing
to have all the competing roads that
so desired, enjoy equal rights on the
tracks it holds on terms fixed by a
board of arbitration. In the matter
of switch tracks. Mr.. Melchoir said
the Rock Island was willing to have
that adjusted on satisfactory basis
among all the roads using them Nc
enc road is to blame. The Others
could have got in had they desired. -
In this connection it may be stated
belt line proposition have made it a
point to say that there is no fight on
any railroad now in Rock Island. The
object is to get others in, free from
any entanglements or alliances-and
he belt line seems to afford the on'y
feasible means.