Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-03-26

the east half of the new wharf, this to
be the landing of the coal barges also,
thus affording a half block more than
it had now of accessible levee, in ad-
dition to freeing the harbor between
Seventeenth and Eighteenth street of
the unsightly barges. The Rock Island
Sand & Gravel company was home
institution; it was reaching out for
big contracts, and was getting them,
and 1t had reason to believe, especially
when it offered an improvement such
as proposed under the ordinance, the
council and the people would support
it. Alderman Ellinwood offered an
amendment to the ordinance providing
that at any time after the completion
of the improvement the city might
take over the wharf and its accom-
panying facilities on the payment to
the company of the amount of Its in
vestment, a sworn statement OF the lat
ter to be scheduled with the city clerk.
The amendment was referred to the
ordinance committee, in whose hands
the whole matter now rests, to be re-
ported on later to the council.
&4OO FER 4 eur IOE ANCnA~NAs
After devoting an hour to a discus
sion of the question, the council adop-
ted a resolution offered by Alderman
Lawler that the Tri-City Railway COM
pany pay an annual rental charge OF
$400 for the use of the Rock river
bridges It is now paying 500 per
year in accordance with a stipulation
in its franchise ordinance. 1t is en-
tirely optional with the company
whether it will accede to the increase.
However, the company had offered
$3.50 as a compromise. The bridge
committee was instructed to confer
with the off Gals of the company AID
report to the council as to whether it
is willing to pay $500. The desire is
to have three years rental advanced
in order to furnish the city with suf1-
cient funds to place the north bridge
in repair. The estimated cost of the
work is $1,000, this to include replank-
ing, new guard rails and the rebuild
ing of the south abutment. Alderman
Cochran believed that 5 cents a car
was not an excessive toll to assess on
the street car company. This, 1t was
found, would aggregate over thous-
and dollars annually. President J. F.
Porter of the company, who was pres
ent, informed the council that if the
company paid the city $500. per year
it was virtually turning in the whole
of the profits on that branch of the
tri-city service. While discussing the
railway affairs, the council adopted a |
resolution offered by Alderman Law
Ter instructing the city attorney to
prepare a report for the council on the !
legal status of the franchises of the |
Railway company and the |
Peoples Power company.
Requested to withdraw.
The Scharf Smoke Preventer com
pany was requested by a resolution of |
the council to withdraw its proposition
to the city for the installation of its
smoke consumers at the waterworks
station. While the machines
have made good in other cities, for
some reason the tests do not appear
to have fulfilled promises here, and
for that reason the company is to be
asked to detach the machines and can
eel it's offer to the city.
Raising the Bids.
The city clerk said he had received
a verbal bid from a Davenport junk
dealer of $500 for the old Holly pump
at the waterworks station. A week
ago the council rejected several bids 4
it had from junk dealers. Dan Kelly, II
of waterworks, told the
council he had heard verbally from the
same dealer who had approached the Il
city clerk. The superintendent had an
offer of $500. The mayor suggested !.
that the bids be had in writing, and
the matter was referred to the next Il
regular meeting of the council, by II
which time all dealers desiring to bid
on the pump will be expected to have
their proposals on file at the city
clerks Office
Three Ordinances Passed.
The council adopted three ordin-
ances: Providing for the keeping ins
a separate fund, after May 1, 1910, of
all tolls collected at the Rock river
bridges; granting Miss Sue Denkmann
the right to lay private water main
On Thirteenth avenue, Twenty-fourth
10 Twenty-fifth street, she to be ex-
empt from water rent until the rentals
have reached the cost of the expense
Of the improvement, at which time
he main is to revert to the city; and
one making it obligatory on all in
spectors on public improvements to
furnish the city with bond repre-
5enting 10 per cent of the total cost
If the particular work on which they
ire engaged.
The council adjourned to meet again
his evening at o'clock