Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-04-16
First Gun Fired at Large
Banquet of the Bust
meas Association.
NEED is POINTED OUT
Law and Advantages Discussed
by Walter H. Kirk and
George E. Green.

Adoption of the commission plan OF
municipal government for the city was
advocated at the annual banquet at
the New Harper last evening of the
Rock Island Business Mems associa'
ton, an affair that attracted a large
and representative gathering of men
Of various walks of life.
1t was in the nature of an opening
of a campaign of education on the ad-
vantages of the new plan of govern
ment, the abandonment OF the old po-
liticallydominated system for the new
business system, an innovation that is
now successfully in operation in II
states of the union, not a single one of
which has ever discussed returning to
the old order of things. Rock Island,
with many other municipalities of iii
nois, expects to take up the commits
sion plan next year, if the people so
will
Thanks to Representatives.
State Senator F. A. Landee and
Representatives H. L. Wheelan and
Thomas Campbell were guests of hon
unable to attend owing TO illness in
his family. A resolution returning the
thanks of the association TO the rep
resentatives from this district in the
legislature for the solid front they put
UP in behalf of the commission plan
law was offered by G. H. Kingsbury
and was adopted by a rising vote.
E. B. McKown, president of the as
ISOLATION, when the company had been
gathered at the tables, called upon Rev.
w s Marquis, pastor of Broadway
Presbyterian church, to pronounce the
blessing. The banquet was served in
the large dining hall on the second
floor of the hotel 1t was preceded by
an informal reception continuing half
an hour, during which the speakers of
the evening, Walter H. Kirk and
George E. Green, both of Peo-
ria, the latter secretary of the
State Retail Merchants association
were presented to the guests. Both.
Mr.. Kirk in the capacity of attorney,
and Mr.. Green as an official of the
state merchants organization, played
an important part in the work at
Springfield leading up to the final pas
sage of the enabling act by the state
assembly.
FaEiIiarfzfng People With Law.
When the dinner had been concluded
President McKown raped for order
and announced the purpose of the ban
Quet to be a presentation by his or
ganization of the features of the new
law, which he hoped to see Rock Is
land adopt at the first opportunity. 1t
had been the desire of the association
to get together the representative men
of the community for a full discussion
of the new plan of municipal govern
ment, believing that when the i'm
provements It afforded over the old
condition were understood the COM
munity practically would be unanimous
for it. A telegram of regret at his in
ability to be present was read from
Congressman James Mckinney, who is
in Washington. Mr.. McKown, in 4
happy review of the career of the gen.
tleman, referring to his splendid serv-
ice in the local police department, his
embarkation in business, his whirl at
baseball, in which he had reached the
top, and, latteriy, his advancement to
the position of merchant prince in the
community, introduced NJ H. Sexton
as POSTMASTER of the evening. Mr.
Sexton, whose reputation as a presid-
ing officer is not confined to his home
city, supplemented some of the sug-
gestions of the president covering the
significance of the big gathering of the
men of the city. He impressed on his
hearers that the Rock Island Business
Mems association did not wish to be
understood as seeking to create a be-
lief that it alone expected the credit
for the introduction of the commission
plan by the city, in the event that it
should be embraced, or that it alone
was championing the new movement
On the contrary, he believed that every
thinking man in the community had in
way informed himself of the merits
of the commission plan, and wanted to
learn more about it. That was mani I
fest by the presence of business men,
professional men, union labor men
clerks, mechanics-in fact. he could /
not mention a line of activity or work
in the city that was not represented
at the banquet board.
An indicate Intrusion
Mr.. Kirk was the first speaker. He |
took occasion, at intervals, to depart /
from his set remarks and venture into /
local affairs and conditions. and 1t .
must be said that he made a grievous /
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