Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-02-25
SLOW WORK ON
The PETITION
Delay in Securing Signatures
for Southern's New Route
Because OF Faults.
ARE USING DUE CAUTION
Suburban Promoters Specify Stand
dard of the Passenger
Equipment.

| Progress in securing signatures to
the petition for right of way for the
passenger traffic of the Rock Island
Southern via Fifth avenue and Eigh-
teenth street is being delayed some
what by objections that have arisen,
not to the project, but to the nature
of the petition which it is maintained
| by some is not sufficient in its present
| form nor is the draft of the ordinance
which it is proposed to ask under it.
| While it is admitted that the council
would be the judges of the ordinance,
and that body would exercise all due
caution in the nature of any franchise
that may be granted, and would de-
sire the advice and cooperation of all
| interested, yet certain of the holders
of property along the proposed route
| feel that the petition should in itself
act as a guide to the council and may
be so construed, and, that the petition
should be so amended as to set forth
precisely what the ordinance is to
! seek.
Ordinance Cannot be Too Strong.
It is argued that Rock Island wants
to offer to the Southern a right of way
that will be in every way acceptable,
but quite in harmony with the repeat
eddy stated position of The Argus, it
is held that the ordinance cannot be
too specific both as to what use is to
be made of the franchise, both as it
applies to traffic and equipment A
business man said this morning: 1T
seems to me the best plan is 10 have
committee of interested property
holders confer with the representa-
tives of the Southern az to the nature
Of the petition and ordinance, and if
necessary have new petition drawn
that will receive such endorsement on
the part of responsible and represen-
tative men as to insure readily the
signatures of all to whom it is pre-
sented"
, There ought to be a way of .provid-
ing franchise free from flaws that
will enable the Southern to get into
town over a feasible route, and the
one under consideration will from
present indications be secured if prop
erty holders are convinced on all dis
puted points.
As to the Equipment.
On the matter of the equipment, a
representative of the Messrs. Walsh
gave to The Argus today photograph
of enc of the cars now running on the
Observation-Disclosures line of the Rock
Island Southern. It is of the type Of
the modern interurban coach, is taken
in the street at Monmouth and printed
on Il souvenir postcard Eve have
FIVE of these cars now in service
said the Walsh representative, "ard
running on the lower end of the line.
Inquiry at Galesburg or Monmouth
will satisfy anyone as to this and any
one who desires to take the trouble
may ride on the cars between those
two points on the regular trips.
We have nine more of these cars
ordered from the Niles Car company
at Niles, Ohio. They have been built
for us and bought by us and viii he
delivered for service as soon as we
are ready for them. They are GO feet
long over all, equipped with four
motors of 100 horsepower each, and
capable of running 60 miles an hour.
They are of the most improved and
as to these cars, we will be glad TO
have inserted in the ordinance, and
II may be stipulated as strongly as It
is possible to make it that the road
is to be used for passengers, mail and
baggage only, and not for freight, and
for no other power than electricity,
emphasizing the point that steam can
not be used under any circumstances.
We are sincere about wanting to get
into town. by the Fifth avenue and
Eighteenth street way, and are will
ing to accept any reasonable ordinance
that the city may desire, leaving the
city to draw up the ordinance"
Talk waiting Station.
Discussion of the street car situa-
ton has abated somewhat, the only
suggestion that came forth today being
that a waiting station on Market
square for all cars regardless of what
street or avenue they traversed and
requiring every car to pass it or some
side would be a good thing. The
present route of the Southern would
take it a block away unless it made
q loop over the Tri-City Railway
tracks