Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-07-20
CENTRAL BODY is
OPPOSING BRICK
Earnest Protest From Union
Labor Organization Is
Voiced.
MAJORITY FOR MATERIAL
Time for Change From Quarter Cen.
fury Ago Ideas 10 at
Hand.
MAJORITY FOR MATERIAL

Rock Island, July 20.-Editor The
Argus: Would you please publish the
following protest: To the mayor and
commissioners and board OF local i'm
provements OF the city OF Rock Island:
AS the central body representing or
ganized labor in Rock Island In the /
management Of the home building and /
business affairs of the Rock Island In .
dustrial Home association, we DO hereby !
voice our vehement protest against I
the use OF unfair (scabJ material in /
front OF the association building, /
which will be included in the Third /
avenue paving project, as this build /
ing is the home and a monument TO |
organized labor In Rock Island.
&. l.. MACDONALD. Sec'y.
Rock Island Industrial Home asso-
ton.
USE MODERN MATERNAL.
The above Communication shows I'M
ion labor opposed 10 Purington brick,
a material TO which Rock Island has
been committed in its paving improve
ments. While a majority OF the prop
erty owners on Third avenue express
ed a preference for brick, and that is
their own affair, The Argus feels. as
II has often Expressed, that a mistake
has been made and that a more mod
ern material should be used, demon
strating progressivism in paving i'm
provements instead OF adhering 10 the
same material used quarter OF cen
fury ago when paying improvements
were inAugurated here.
In fact, The Argus has already stat
ed that II the property owners insist
on sticking to brick, they may as well
patch the paving which Ia not too far
gone, for 1t is only d question OF time
till a more modern paving material
will be employed in all street improve
ments.
SECOND AVENUE AGAINST BRICK.
The owners OF property abuttlng
the six blocks on Second avenue,
contracts for the paving of which have
been let, were unalterably opposed to
brick from the start, while the choice
between wood block and asphalt was
marked by a narrow margin. There
was only one thing definite. and that
was that brick was not wanted. And
IL is not the fault OF the progressive
property owners along the avenue that
the pavement is not already well in,
for last fall. before Thanksgiving.
numerous meetings in view OF facili-
tating the prellminaries were held 80
that the work might 30 on early in
the spring. To this end, preferences
as 10 material were subordlnated 10
the commissions desire for having
the Improvement made this summer.
The contract was let nearly two
months ago TO the Mccarthy Improve
ment company OF Davenport with the
stipulation that operations be started
July !. But II seems that the COM
pany slipped Joker IN the contract
by fixing Oct. 10 as the date for the
completion Of the work. while no pen
atty was fixed for not beginning the
work on time. And now the contrac-
tors are putting on airs and waiting
their own time to begin
LIVING IN HOPES.
There are those who are inclined to
think that the Mccarthy people are
delaying the job In the hope that the
Improvement as It stands now Will be
abandoned and that brick will be sub
stituted, for that company is a sub
sidiary concern to another corpora
lion that practically owns the Puring-
Ton brick plant near Galesburg.
While this delay is being INDUCED
he brick interests are slipping other
wedges into Rock Island and materials
adopted other than brick are few.