Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-02-24

believe that tn company could anord
and should be compelled to furnish in
terurban service to the lower end OF
the county, in this connection making
reference to the liberality the corpor-
alton had shown towards Davenport
and Moline in return for the franchise
extensions in those cities. II was not
a square deal to Rock Island to build
line to Muscatine. tapping the lower
end of Rock Island county, without
affording equal service to this side of
the river. Alderman Blochlinger IA
vored also the clearing of Market
square-now having the appearance OF
a farm barnyard-building a waiting
station there for all car lines, and
changing the location Of, the city mar
ket place TO Flatiron square or some
other part of the city.
Council Sits ms a Jury.
Mayor McCaskrin, looking over the
large delegation of business men, sus-
pected that it was desired that there
be further discussion of the respective
claims of Second and Third avenues
for street railway facilities. He was
therefore ready to hear anyone who
wished to speak, but he suggested the
wiser plan, in his judgment, would be
for an agreement between the inter
ested parties in conference, and then
lay their report before the council.
Little Roadway would be gained by re-
hearsing the matter in open council.
The councils business was to serve
the whole city; not any particular
le-N- 10 tnId nf OF IL
ing a meeting of the Third avenue
business men in the morning at the
city hall. w L. Aster, secretary of
the Third avenue committee, read a
communication of his committee ad
dressed to the council, in which the
need of street railway facilities over
that thorouShfare was cited. The bus
mess men of Third avenue. the COM
munication stated, were for a Greater
Rock Island They wanted their ave-
nue. and the whole business district to
have an opportunity to expand. Mr..
Aster said his committee was ready to
confer at any time with a like commit
tee from Second avenue. Eli Mosen-
fielder, speaking for Second avenue,
said that he had not yet received an in
vitation to be present at the suggest
ed conference, but he could not see
that any such meeting would be out of
place Moreover, he felt that the prop
er means Of broadening the city's bus
mess was to open up the untapped ter
ritory by interurbans.
Confidence I'm Aldermen.
DR.. Joseph De Silva had confidence
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council in arriving at an adjustment.
II have known the majority of these
men for years." said the doctor. II
have met many of them in their homes,
and I know they can be trusted not 10
injure me and other property owners
on Second avenue by taking away from
us transportation facilities that are so
essential to the life of our holdings"
The doctor favored growing by reach
ing out for new territory, not by Grip
ping. as he put it, what we now
have" The doctor renewed the argu-
ments he made to the council Monday
night in support of the claims of Sec
ond avenue to be let alone in the pos
session of existing franchises.
James Mcnamara. in his remarks.
said he had heard Of a Second
avenue merchant having been offered
a premium of 81 200 for the surrender
of his lease. Confining of business be-
tween certain streets on Second ave
nue. resulted in almost prOhibitive rem
tails. He never heard before of anyone
purchasing business property assuming
that street railway lines were included
as part of the purchase. The men who
made investments on Third avenue
were just as sin cere and as confident
in the future of their city as were the
men on Second avenue. Mr.. McNam-
ara was for a Greater Rock Island
Mr.. Guyer's Idea.
e. H. Guyer thought the council was
losing sight of the real question, and
that was whether a new franchise
really was to be given to the Tri-City
Railway company. 1t was time to hear
claims of different streets for transpor-
tation lines after the franchise matter
had been settled. He saw no occasion
for bad blood among the business peo-
pie. He called attention to the value
of the holdings of the street railway
company, and upheld City Attorney ].
F. Writer'S requirements in the
new ordinance. Mr.. Guyer agreed to
bond himself to the city in the sum of
$4,000 to agree to pay the city $780,
900 for a franchise similar to that now
held by the Tri-City Railway company
on the expiration of the latter.
William Jackson was for lines on
Third avenue, but he preferred to re-
serve a full statement of his position
until the, council had arrived at a de-
cision as to what it was to do with the
oompany's new franchise ordinance.
Under the present franchise, he said,
the routing of cars could not be dis
turbed. He saw that personal inter
est entered almost wholly into the
Second and Third avenue controversy.
1t was only human that it should. He
n N h,,Ci r. 10