Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-02-01
COUNCIL OUGHT
BROOK NO DELAY
Demand that Proposed Railway
Extensions Be Built I'M :
mediately.
CONDITION OF ORDINANCE
Chief Concern of Public Is That Cor
poration Keep Abreast of Growth
and Demands of Community.


The announcement that the Tri-City
Railway company and the Rock Island
council at least are IN a fair
way to reach an understand
ing concerning the extensions the cor
poration is to make in the city is graft
flying TO the people generally, mas
much as there is immediate need for
all the improvements in contemplation.
There may be some difference of
opinion as to the expediency of the ex-
tension of existing franchises, and
doubtless serious objections would
arise. were there a proposition to make
the extension for any great period of
time in view of the assured growth of
the community. How the public will
feel is apt to depend largely upon what
assurance is given for the immediate
improvements contemplated.
AS 1t is, the company is ask
ing that six years additional
be given to its present grant,
the latter having yet IA years to run.
In other words. the company desires
that the council renew its franchise,
making its expiration limit 20 years
from the date of its adoption
Easier to Raise Money.
j. F. Porter, president of the COM
pany, lays particular stress on the
representation that the owners of the
property, before whom the proposed
improvements must come for final ap-
prevail, would more readily vote for
the expenditures were they assured
of the permanency of their holdings,
and this could not be better indicated
than a concession from the council on
the basis requested. The Davenport
and the Moline councils are to he
asked for similar concessions. OF
course Davenport has more reason 70
readily meet the request than has
Rock Island. inasmuch as the company
has been giving more attention TO that
city than it has to Rock Island and
the further promise that an interurban
to connect with Muscatine is to be
centive TO cooperative action on the
part of the Davenport municipality.
Where Local Public stands.
But what the Rock. Island public is
concerned liz chiefly is good service,
standard equipment and transporta-
tion accommodations in keeping with
the growth of the city. If it is agreed
finally that the company is to receive
the franchise concession that it is
seeking, the city council should de-
mand that every foot of the proposed
new extensions be nominated in the
ordinance, together with the
liYni wi
is to be completed, and not for
getting the all-important detail that
the right of way consent for all ex-
tensions accompany the ordinance,
and in addition that there be a pro-
viso that the future may be taken
care of as eXigencies arise. The coun-
ell should refuse to pass any ordinance
until these features are agreed to and
embodied in the measure carrying the
new grant. Then there will be no aeX-
cuse for delays that too often follow
promises involving corporation i'm
provements. as instance the compile
ton of the Long View loop. That was
an heritage that fell to the new COM
pany from the old, yet it was an i'm
piled and well understood condi-
ton in the ordinance for the building
of that line that the loop be finished
within a stipulated period.
Should COuntennnce No Delay.
The council should not countenance
further delay in the completion of this
line and should not permit the ex-
pense of the alterations in Twenty
fifth street to intervene as obstacles.
What the people want, and in this
they expect the council to back them
up, is a guarantee of immediate build
ing of the promised extensions, not as
soon as feasible or convenient, but
now, this year. not next year.
The company which formerly owned
the Tri-City Railway properties expert
enced little difficulty in securing from
the council here desired ordinances
for the simple reason that it earned
and merited them. 1t had kept abreast
of the times and had given the COM
munity a street car system in every
respect ahead of those furnished CEN
tiers of larger population. Above all,
the company made good its promises.
The one incompleted line that it left
to it's successors was Long View.
Quasi-Public Institution.
A street railway system is in the
nature of a quasi-public institution. and
the people are always interested in its
development, improvement and pro-
gress, and are not so much concerned
in its profits as in the quality of serv-
ice and the fact that no more than
standard fare be charged and that
there be Just and reasonable