Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-11-08
Number of improvements Now
Under Way That Give Prom
Use of Early Completion.
BELT LINE is RIGHT MOVE
Few Cities of Rock Islands Size I'm
dertake Such an Enterprise
Uniform Lights.


To the Honorable City Council
Gentlemen: I have the honor to pre-
sent a short message covering some
of the important things done and do
ing during this administration, and
some things that should be laid out for
the future by this body.
We will complete by January a fl
ter system that will insure pure. clear
water to the citizens of Rock Island.
We will complete the Sixth ward
sewer system within one month that
will take care of all surface drainage
and afford sewerage to properties in
the very heart of the city one-half mile
square, or 800 acres Of land, at an ap-
proximate cost Of $4,000, and about
four and a half miles in length, which
has been largely borne by the proper
ties within this territory.
We have laid and are laying water
mains in the aggregate three and one
fourth miles, at probable cost of $40,-
900, and each and every main not less
than six inches in diameter.
We have after five years placed the
business districts of the city in a posi-
ton so that before the conclusion of
this year the telephone poles of the
Central Union Telephone company
will be dismantled and the wires plac-
ed under ground. The work, in fact,
will be begun within the next three
weeks. and have limited a perpetual
franchise to 90 years of life, without
one dollars cost to the city.
Placing Wires Under Ground.
1t now remains for us to compel the
placing of electric light wires to go
under ground and really make the bus
mess streets modern and up-to-date and
progressive.
A movement was begun in this city
council not more than eight months
ago by the passage of an ordinance
regulating street lighting of proper
ties Since the passage of the said
ordinance many properties have taken
advantage of this measure and petit
lions are almost complete both on Sec
ond and Third avenues for complete
system of lighting. The city along its
parks and city hall should immediate
ly install these lights as per ordin-
ance, as an inducement to private
properties to follow the example of
the city. The city hall property should
be lighted at once.
We have arranged to complete per
feet fire alarm system for the city and
install same by Jan I. This will give
us a first class police alarm system,
and dispose of the obsolete antedated
system that we now have.
We have granted extensions to the
Tri-City Railway company and receiv-
ed a large improvement in railway
service, and when fully completed will
be of great value to the city and prop
erty. We also secured a bonus ofS25,-
600 TO repair and rebuild the Rock
river bridges which today are in i'm
mediate need of reconstruction in or,
der to make the travel and passengers
safe There was no fund from which
we could secure the available money
to do this with and it afforded our
only remedy to meet this emergency.
Aid to PION Company.
We have lent our approval to the
giant undertakings of the Rock
Island Pillow company in its efforts to
increase its plant in the west end of
the city, vacating to it the street and
avenue terminal for this specific pur-
pose.
We are cooperating with the propos- |
ed Belt line, which is materially the |
work of the industrial commission. |
This is an enterprise such as is sell !
dom undertaken by any city of this
size 1t will be a great advantage to |
all merchants and shippers on account |
of the switching privileges it will give, !
as well as reduce the freight rates to- |
ward the factories.
We have granted permission to the |
Rock Island Sand & Gravel company !
to improve the river front between |
Nineteenth and Twentieth streets at a |
cost to it of $4,000. This has proved |
q great advantage to all coal mer- |
chants and the government in loading |
and unloading heavy freight and other |
material.
Things to be looked forward to:
First, get busy and compel all COM
panies to repair the pavement of the |
city wherever they have removed It |
in the carrying out or their work in |
the past and demand the strict en-
forcement and rigid regulations in the
future. Second, endeavor to devise
plan to get the avenues in the business
districts repaved. Third, by all means
get the sewerage system completed in
the Seventh ward this next year.
Annexation Advocated.
Fourth. Make an effort TO annex a
new tract of territory south of the city
limits, reaching to Rock river.
There are many more things to be
planned for the future greatness of
this, city by this honorable body.
We have been greatly handicapped
during these two years on account of
the failure to get the amount of money
really due us from the general fund
and tax levy.