Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-11-26

should be called when it is desired
to purchase horse or some fire hose
for the city, as to use it in this case. !
1t is a question of the city's reputa-
ton"
DRAWS COMPARISON.
NJ. H. Sexton said: Before the
commission form of government was
introduced in Rock Island the people
were not asked to vote when a new fl
ter was installed, nor when various
other improvements were made. Why
now? 1t appears to me that the COM
missioners are Quarreling among
themselves. 1t is time that you COM
missioners understand this matter. If
this quarreling does not stop. you
will kill the commission form of gov.
eminent. In no other city is there so
much dissatisfaction with the sys-
tenn as in Rock Island"
TOO MANY ELECTIONS.
Hon. William Jackson said: "You
| commissioners are responsible for
the health of the people. This is no
time for prejudice. You pledged your
competent to perform your duties, and
| if you were not competent, you should
not have been candidates. You pledg-
| ed yourselves as being competent and
| we expect you to keep your pledges.
| The waterworks is most important It
! has suffered in the past because of the
| lack of competent man at its head.
You commissioners are brought into
contact with it daily and are able to
judge what is needed, better than the
great mass of the people. There are
too many elections in the city. We are
! stirred up all the time. 1t is injurious.
Il is time for the people to stop this
incessant struggle and get down to
business. Do not humiliate the people
/ you represent by confessing to your
ipcompetency in this matter, by sub
hitting it to a referendum
CONTRARY TO LAW.
William McEniry said: at is time to
eliminate all this contention and re-
store confidence in our public officials.
If the commissioners follow the law
/ they will do no wrong, and the law
IT. this case forbids the submitting
of this matter at special election"
City Attorney J. F. Witter was then
called upon and he agreed in a meas
ure with the lawyers who had pre-
viously spoken, as to the non-legality
of the proposed step. He stated that
although he could find nothing in the
law permitting such a referendum,
there was also nothing forbidding it.
He maintained that it resolved itself
into a question of whether or not the
city had the right to spend the money
to print the ballots, and stated that
in his opinion it had not.
l RUDGREN TAKES FLOOR.
/ Commissioner Rudgren then took
the floor in defense of his stand, and
addressed the chair as follows:
Mr.. Mayor: I feel that am as deep
ly interested as any man in the city
in the success of all departments in
the city government and in the wa
terworks department as much as any
other department except he street de-
partment and this exception only be-
cause of my interest in that of which
have personal charge.
, | have voted my convictions on the
question of creating the Office of super
intendent of the waterworks and OF
filtration and am prepared to take he
personal. consequences of my vote
whatever they may be.
We have had in charge of the filtra-
ton plant, Mr.. Birdsall, who came here
, well recommended. Mr. Birdsall
stated time and again that the water
, was pure and that statement has care
fully been given widespread publicity.
If tina statement is true, then what
: need have we except to employ a chem
!. list in Mr. BirdsalFs place? If it be
false then a thorough investigation is
, needed. | am and | know Mr.. Rudgren
> is in favor of OBJ aiming a pure water
supply and it is unjust to us to repre-
sent us as holding otherwise.
: | believe we have men in this com
:. munity who are competent to act as
superintendent of the waterworks.
:, have nothing against Mr.. Sharp, who
: seems to be a fine man, but we have
men here who are qualified to manage
the waterworks and as Mr.. Rudgren
has pointed out, Mr. Sharp is not under
the law eligible to he office. l fee
that the real question before US now
is not the change in the ordinance
itself but the question shall the peo