Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-04-02

were stopped. BY making a more IA
vorable contract with the lighting COM
panies the city was able to decrease
the amount of the lighting bill for the
year from sec, 253-what it was under
the old regime-to 1854, saving Of
$3.50 The city was also able to Sc
cure a gain of 1878 hours per lamp per
year on 603 lamps. or q total gain of
1,126,254 hours. 1t instituted litiga-
ton which may result in increasing
the city's annual saving on light to
$10.332. The superintendent of parks
and public property did more and bet
ter work than ever before and saved
$4,000 for the year by introducing bus
mess methods to take the place of po-
litical graft. Modern bookkeeping
methods were installed in the city
hall. The system of careful checking
Of vouchers. initiated by the auditor.
resulted in a saving to the city of over
$4,000 in one year. Being able to pay
cash for what it bought the city was
able to obtain liberal discounts and
! by this means saved fully $4,000 in
one year. Under the old administra-
| ton contract was let to pave down
town bridge with creosote blocks at
SAT- per square yard; under the COM
mission plan the city did its own work
in paving an adjacent bridge with the
same kind of material at $4.09 per
square yard, thus saving the city al
most $1,000 on this one job. During
its last year the old government clean
en- 2.272 catch basins at an average
! cost of $1.40; under the commission
government 1851 catch basins were
cleaned at an average cost of $1.12.3.
a saving to the city of S1,069.25. I'm
der the old plan contractors were paid
$17.61 per cubic foot for putting in
culverts; under the new plan the city
was able to put in similar culverts at
a cost of but S12.63 per cubic foot I'm
der the new plan the police depart
ment was managed at a saving of ST.
900 over the year previous, while the
health department was supported at
S1.400 less expense. For the first time
in its history the city received interest
on all it's deposits, per cent on time
deposits, per cent on daily balances, |
the interest for the year amounting
to $9,132.17
Not Most Important.
To the native all this is interesting. |
affecting as it does his pocket book,
but the physical rejuvenescence and |
moral regeneration of his home city /
is even more important With an en- |
thusiasm which political platforms |
have never known he points with |
pride" to the fact that the commits !
sion plan had not been tried a couple |
of months before the red light district
was abolished and 300 scarlet women
were driven from the city and that |
not even a sporadic attempt at run
ming contrary to the order has since
been made. He praises the commits
sion because the streets have been
kept cleaner than ever before in the
So years existence of the city, while |
the alleys have been regularly swept |
and cleaned for positively the first
time. He bubbles over with enthusi- |
asm because of the completion of a
handsome reinforced concrete bridge,
supplanting the frail iron structure
which the young reporters waited to
see fall. He declares Des Moines Is
destined to surpass Chicago because
the dream of half century has been
bill boards and houses of i'll fame have
been removed from the river front,
while in their place have arisen sub
stantial structures, fronted by wide
stretches of green lawn, the whole
ramparted from flood ravages of the
river by a retaining wall. He can
hardly wait until the visitor has alight-
ed from the train before he rushes
him down to the river front and
points out the new 100000 postofice,
5000, 900 public library, $125,000 Coli
scum and the beginnings of the new
S35O,OO0 city hall, all situated where
the scarlet women once Haunted their
shame, midway between the bill
boards and the public dumping
grounds. When he has caught his
breath he adds the information that
during the year seven retail stores
have increased their floor space 210,-
900 square feet, 600 new residences
have been built, the bank deposits are
now approximately $35,000,00O and so
on, ad infinitum, for Des Moines is en-
joying its first experience with boost
ing and converted knockers are al
ways among the most enthusiastic
DOOSISIS-
Impossible Under Old Plan.
All this could not possibly have oc.
CURED under the old plan of municipal
government. There was too much
graft, too much politics, too much look
ing out for self at the expense of ev-
erybody else, too much knocking;
there was too little public spirit. too
little realization that there must be a
man higher up who is to blame and
that a system must be had by which
the finger of public scorn could be
pointed at this man without any in
tercepting barrier or underling to
shield him. The commission plan has
proved to be the much needed system.
By its provisions the responsibility OF
the public affairs of the
city is placed upon small governing .
hoard of five men elected at large |