Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-05-20

tients the spacious recreation grounds
needed.
3. 1t is surrounded by wooded hills
ard shady, moist ravines, an environ
ment highly unsuited to the needs of
persons requiring the maximum warm,
dry air and germ destroying sunlight.
EFFICIENCY NOT SEEN
4. 1t adjoins the East End park This
park is tract set aside by the city
as rest and recreation spot for its
citizens and a playground for their
children. To safeguard public parks
as places of wholesome enjoyment, the
statutes of the state of Illinois declare
to be public nuisance any building
which is dangerous to the health of in
dividuals or of the public on account
of noXious exhalations, offensive smells
or otherwise.
The legislature did not foresee the
eXigency that hospital or sanatorium
for contagious diseases might be To-
Gated in or near q public park, or it
would unquestionably have included
such institutions among the public
nuisances not TO be tolerated near pub
lie parks for fear of their vitiating the
air and imperillng the health. The
course now contemplated by the board
of directors of the sanatorium in the
choice of a site seems to have been
so improbable, so contrary to public
policy, so detrimental to the purpose
/ OF public parks that no statutory safe
guard at this point was ever deemed
| necessary.
The danger of the tubercular infec-
! ticn spreading to the surrounding To-
cality is imminent in every institution
! sheltering consumptives, as evidenced
| by their stringent rules and regula-
tons. To place the city sanatorium at
the very boundary of the East End
park, therefore, would expose any fire.
| qUenter of the park to contagion, i'm
peril the lives of the children (who are
especially susceptibility in the very
Fairgrounds provided for healthful
recreation thus utterly defeating the
very purpose for which the park prop.
erty was acquired.
s. The high valuation of property in
the locality in question as compared
to land values at some distance from
the city is an argument against the
purchase of city tract which is well
worth the consideration of men en-
trusted with the administration of the
city's business.
g. The inevitable depreciation in city
property values in the vicinity of the
site contemplated for the sanatorium
should prompt full and fair considera
ton of the interests of the people oil
that neighborhood and concurrence IN
their wishes in matter so vitality af
fecting their financial affairs and theil
rights as citizens, unless very weighty
reasons can be urged against so equit
able a concession.
Whereas, the acquiremen; of prop
erty for sanatorium purpose by the
board of directors Is subject to the
approval of the city council, and
whereas the selection of the site is q
long step towards the success or fail
ure of the proposed institution, We
present this memorial to your honor
allie body, confident that you will dea
wisely and fairly with the question and
arrive az q settlement in full accord
with the interests of the city and witt
the requirements placed on tubercu
losis sanatoriums by general concen
sus of public opinion and medical sci
ence.
Z. But for the fact that the close
proximity Of two public schools tc
the proposed site seems TO have been
toperlooked or ignored by the board
i it would be needless to remind the