Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-04-22
Neatly and Nobly Done.

The Rock Island council cleared its
decks of pending measures of impor-
lance last night and crowned its record
as the council that has done things.
1t has done them we'll, take them for
the most part. Seldom has 1t been,
as The Argus has had occasion to re-
mark before, that in one short year has
SO much. either through Inheritance
from preceding councils or the contin-
gencies of the time, developed for the
attention OF the council. It can be
said with absolute truth that no pre-
ceding council has had graver Ques-
lions to cope with and no preceding
council has gone about its work more
sincerely and more honestly than the
one that is soon to go into local his
tory
1t is not necessary to enunerate what
the council has accomplished up to last
night That was done in detail by
The Argus quite recently. There re-
manned two ordinances Of more than
ordinary Importance to the city, to
which the council has given much of
it's time. One Of these was the Tri-
City Railway extension franchise,
which passed the council a week ago
and which the mayor sought to block
by the exercise of his veto prerogative
last Monday night. This ordinance
was important In what it vacated as
well as what it provided. Thus the
influence it's fate bore upon the
other ordinance that came under con-
sideration last evening, that of the
Rock Island Pillow company The rail-
way ordinance gave up certain street
rights that the plow company desired
and which it could not enjoy, even with
the consent of the council, while another
corporation had a franchise running
through a period of IA years to come.
1t was in realization of this, as well
as the spirit OF fairness toward the
railway company that the council was
anxious to have the railway measure
out Of the way before considering the
pillow company ordinance. The latter
corporation, although 1t did not say so
in so many words, was apparently like
wise DESTROYS that every complication |
be removed to the full enjoyment of |
the rights and privileges that it sought |
to have bestowed upon it,
When the mayor, without word or |
warning. fired the shot at the railway |
ordinance that he helped to frame the |
aldermen were thunderstruck. They |
felt that they had been ditched. In /
the light of all that had happened they |
did not regard the mayors reasons for |
his veto as sufficient. On the other |
hand they looked upon the act as a |
breach Of faith with them which put !
the question Of self vindication !
straight up to them. To use a terse |
expression, they went to It They re-
passed the street railway ordinance, |
the veto to the contrary notwithstand- |
ing, and did so with a whoop.
Then they took hold of the pillow !
company ordinance, put it up for i'm |
mediate consideration and sent it |
through like creased lightning. 1t was |
all over in less than half an hour, but |
it was half hour that meant much to !
Rock Island. 1t gave more street car |
lines, settled the financial end of the !
Rock river bridge question. insured |
uniform street sprinkling and not the |
least, opened the way for the pillow COM
pany extension. It insured the perma-
nency Of the city's greatest and most |
important industry, and in a way
that will enable it to expand into one
Of the most important in the world.
It insured the expenditure of a million
dollars in buildings and improvements
on the historic site. 1t made the way
for the employment of 1900 men as
soon as the buildings are up to afford
for them. All this
was what the council did in that half
hour of time.
Altogether it was a fitting climax
for a council that has made a reputa-
ton for doing things.