Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-08-27
THE CONCENTRATES BOND ISSUE

THE CONTEMPLATED BOND ISSUE.
Every proposition on the ballot to
be voted on by the citizens OF Rock
Island Sept. II, is worthy OF approval.
The purchase by the city OF Island City
ball park means two things. II means
the return Of Rock Island to the arena
OF professional baseball, which apart
from the amusement that it will afford
TO a large percentage of the citizens,
old and young, puts the city back on
the sporting page OF the metropolitan
newspapers, the country over, from
which it has been sadly missing for twCl
years In other words Rock Island
goes. back on the map, which in this
application is more than the casual
observer may realize. Yet it is a fact
indisputable, that the average concern
seeking a new location in this country
today is very APP to look over the
papers to see if the city bidding for the
location of factory or other institution
is big enough and enterprising enough
TO have a ball team. Apart from the
advertising asset, along with the ball
park, which may be used for all sorts
of athletic sports, such as amateur
baseball, football, etc, comes an equal
area for playground purposes, owned
and controlled by the city. The pres
ent ball park and contiguous strip in
cluded in the proposition is valuable
property. That it is so regarded is
evidenced by the fact that there is
/ in existence today a syndicate OF
men eager to grab it and split it UP
| lots, should the city fail of the oppor'
tunity TO acquire it.
The improvements in the waterworkS
system, which include the construction
/ of the elevated tank on the bluff, anC
the extension of water mains along
(. Eighteenth avenue, from Twenty-fOurtl
10 Eighteenth streets, and TO the newly
annexed territory, involve not only
the convenience but the safety of the
present residents of the bluff region
and of those who are to come in.
! A wrong impression exists, by tn
way. that the payment Of the bonds L
be provided for are TO be met by ger
eral taxation. This is not the case
These bonds amounting to $4,000 o
the contemplated issue are TO be chars
ed specifically against the credit O
the wsterworks department, and prir
cipal and interest charges are to b
paid out Of the waterworks fund, ant
not by general taxation. In othe
/ words the commission is merely ash
, ing the citizens to approve the boz
, rowing of this much money for tn
use of the waterworks department an
20 be paid back, not by general taxa
ton but out of the earnings of tn
waterworks department. The commi
= sion is DESTROYS Of taking care of III
new territory at once in order that 10
people who are coming in may enjo
without delay the advantages and CO..
veniences of the waterworks systeI
[ to the maintenance Of which, al
the liquidation of the additional Q
pense of which. they will be conuibu
ing as soon as the improvements al
extended.
The flooring OF the Rock riv'
l bridges, as an encouragement TO on
of-town people in Rock Island and Me
r Ger counties 10 come In here, is s
important that it hardly needs con
meut. The installation of the polio
= alarm system. a feature of every up-t
date city, and the erection OF the ne
fire station in the newly annexed teri
2 tory are matters of expediency an
protection that certainly no progre
sive citizen would oppose,
2 The annexation of the further teri
I tory in South Rock Island. which woul
= take the city limits back TO Brashi
t street and clear up everything betwee
= Twelfth street and the river, wou
add 1000 people to the population
the city and afford advantages OF
s mutual nature, that no one would thir
r OF disputing.
i The whole program is worthy II
a support OF all citizens who want TO 8
1 Rock Island go ahead.
/