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

ready to go ahead and rebuild its
plant on big scale, and the council
should not delay in making it pos
sible for the concern to do so. John
Looney spoke of the value of corpora
ton franchises generally. S. r, Ken
worthy discussed the value of the
street railway franchises, and advised
the council not to be bashful in its de-
mands. L. S. McCabe said he had not
heard of any quarrel between the Sec
ond and Third avenue merchants. The
Third avenue committee was ready
and willing for a conference with tho
Second avenue committee.
L. P. Best, owner of the
Best building occupied by the
Youngs & McCombs store. said he in
vested on Second avenue in the con-
fident belief that the street railway
facilities would not be disturbed. He
wanted to see the interurbans
brought into the city. That would
make the city grow. Rock Island
needed a waking up. It's business dis
trict, he said, looked more promising
in 1874 than it does today.
FavOrs Broader Spirit.
F. o. VanGalder advocated
broader spirit among the business in
terests of the city. He gave some
Third avenue statistics, pointing to
the hundreds employed in the Wood
men head offices. They were entitled
to some consideration. He didn't be-
lieve in forcing impossible conditions
upon the Tri-City Railway company.
If the council could get an interur-
ban as a concession, he wanted to
see it, but not at the expense of any
valuable extensions that were now ir
prospect for the city. He agreed with
Mr.. Best in many of the points he
scored. particularly that of the bust
ness situation in 1874 compared to
what it is now.
F. G. Young said 1t would be a
serious mistake to upset the railway
arrangements on Second avenue
Rock Island was in the midst of
business boom He did not want to
see it stif1ed. He wanted the garden
spot at the south of the city entered
by interurbans. That was the most
important matter, in his mind, before
the council. He wanted the council
to get something in return for the
valuable franchise asked by the rail-
way corporation.
Living In Present, Says Mayor.
Mayor McCaskrin. when the dis
cussion had been concluded, read
special message, in which he eX-
pressed the position of himself and
the members of the council as he I'M
derstood it. 1--WE propose demand
ing what is fair of the Tri-City Rail-
way company" he said But I
want to tell you right here that no
man can come in here and block
progress on legal technicality (here
apparently having reference to the
suggestions of some of the lawyers
that the franchise of the Tri-City
Railway company was not good. If
there are such great fortunes in the
railway business, some of you men
ought to go into 1t. If you have any
thing to offer, come forward with it
now. Don't talk to us about what
you would do 16 years from now.
We are living in the present We are
here to keep things moving. and we
are not going to be stopped by any
such nonsensical threats" The may
or suggested the conference of the
Second and Third avenue committees
with the council committee, and 1t
was ordered by the council that the
meeting be held next Tuesday even
ing
To Hear from Belt Line.
On motion offered by Alderman
Frank Lawler the Rock Island Indus
trial commission was invited to have
a committee at the next meeting of
the council to give information as to
the progress of the Belt railroad The
council is anxious to cooperate with
the commission in putting through
this enterprise.
SOuthern's New Route.
= 1t was stated by one of the right
of-way agents of the Rock Island
Southern that it had been decided, as
reported in The Argus of yesterday.
to carry the line east to Eighteenth
street, and following that thorough
fare instead of Seventeenth street to