Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-04-10
JUDGES DID
WORK POORLY.
Failed to Certify to Returns of
Election and Canvass Is
Delayed.
COUNCIL FINDS TROUBLE
Difficulty Arises Because of Careless
ness of Boards in Three Pre-
cincts of the City.

When the. city council last evening
opened the ballot boxes and started
to canvass the returns of the election,
it was found that in three precincts
in the city the judges of election had
carelessly failed to certify to the re-
suits, and accordingly the council was
unable to complete the work of count
ing the votes. The precincts in whic.,
the judges failed to complete the re-
turns are the first precinct, Fifth ward;
first precinct, Sixth ward, and second
precinct, Seventh ward
In view of the tangle last year in
the Fifth ward, the canvassing com
mittee of the coup Gil, composed of
Aldermen J. r. Tuckis. G. l.. Schmid
and Charles l.. Thompson, did not
care to report count based on the
tally sheets, and asked for further
time to report. In the meantime the
judges in the precincts involved are
being notified to report at the council
room at s o'clock Monday evening,
when the matter will be thrashed out,
and an effort will be made 20
straighten out the tangle and in some
way complete the returns.
Learned Last Year.
1t will be remembered that last year
in the Fifth ward there was a differ
ence of five votes between the tally
sheet and the certificates, on the re-
turns on alderman, and in canyassing
the council saw fit to accept the tally
sheet in preference to the certificate.
Later quite a controversy arose over
this action and legal opinions were
goven that the certificate and not the
tally sheet constitutes the return Of
the judges. Consequently if this is so
there is in this case no return what
ever from the three precincts.
A year ago it was assumed that Al
derman G. l.. Schmid was elected ac-
cording to the tally sheet. but this
year, as a member of Vie canvassina
committee Alderman Schmid refused
to sign a report of the canvass until
the returns were completed by the fiji
ing of the certificate. maintaining that
the tally sheet is not sufficient.
1t is expected that since the results
cannot be affected by the situation,
that the matter will be adjusted, and
that the judges will make the tardy
certificate. The incident will serve
however, as a lesson to the aldermen
in the appointment of judges and
clerks of election, and also as les
son to the election boards in the
counting of the ballots and making 30
turns. The situation might prove Sc"
ious, though fortunately in this in
stance it does not appear likely that
it will, In such a case the members
of the election board would be amen
able to the law for their negligence.
Pass Over the Filter.
The council on the suggestion e
Mayor Schaffer, decided to drop en-
tirely the filter plant project, and leave
the matter as a legacy TO the new
council Mayor Schaffer argued tina
it would not be fair to bidders to ad
vertise and have them go to great ex
pense to present propositions, and the.
have the entire plan open to change
by the new administration. The sue
gestion that the instruction to TIL
clerk to advertise for bids be with
drawn was promptly adopted.
The Sand & Gravel company of EaS
Liverpool sent a communication re
newing It's proposition to construct
filter on the hill for $4,000. The con
pahy has submitted no details, but en
plains that this price will include TIL
services of their engineer, John "