Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-08-18
CITY REFUSES TO
/. PAY BACK REBATE
IN PAVING CASE
Order Appeal Taken From Rul-
ing Of Judge Bell in Ninth
Avenue Controversy.
$500 ASSESSMENT CAUSE
Decline to Reimburse Property Own
ers With This Sum, Under the
Terms Of Supplemental Roll.
1920 ASSESSMENT CAUSE

The city commission and the county
court have locked horns over the
Ninth avenue paving assessment con-
troversy. The former refuses to stand
for the ruling of Judge B. S. Bell, who
! declared the city should give a rebate
OF 1920 to property owners along tie
proposed improvement, and has or
dered an appeal taken.
After the paving of Ninth avenue,
Twenty-first to Twenty-fifth street,
had been completed and the assess
ment roll confirmed in county court,
it was found the cost of the work ex-
ceeded the engineers estimate. There
fore a supplemental roll was prepared
and it is over the confirmation of this
that the present discussion arises.
In the original assessment made by
B. F. Schriver it was found that the
entire benefits from the street car
switch were given to four residents
whose property fronted the double
tracks. In paving cases the Tri-City
Railway company pays for the work
between the tracks and the commits
sioner determined that the residents
at the four corners of Twenty-third
street should get the advantage of
this rebate. which amounted to $500.
Others in the paving district declared
that this sum could be distributed
among all those assessed for the i'm
provement.
Orders City to Pay.
The protestants took the matter up
rr-s,I Id Dill in, 10
declared that the original assessment
could not be changed, having been con-
firmed, but expressed the opinion that
a supplemental roll could remedy the
matter, and he ordered this prepared,
deciding that the sum of 1920 be de-
Quoted from the assessment roll and
be related to the property owners,
each sharing according to his frontage
and that amount be assessed to the
city
When the matter was brought up
by Mayor H. NJ. Schriver yesterday.
he declared that he thought it unrea-
sonable to ask the city to bear this
expense.
This is merely dispute among the
property owners relative to their as
sessments and does not concern the
city," he declared, land 1 am abso-
lutely opposed to the city paying one
penny for the Improvement"
1T is not fair to ask the city to help
pay for this pavement" declared Com
missioner Rudgren. 1T would not be
square with the property owners on
other Streets"
What are we going to do about
it?" inquired City Attorney ]. F. Wit
ter. 1.-The court has intimated that he
will approve no other roll than one
providing that the city be assessed
1920.
Can the matter be appealed?'
asked Commissioner Rudgren.
1T can, but it will put the contrac-
tor in bad" replied the city attor-
ney.
Il offer a resolution that the city
attorney be instructed to prepare
an appeal from the ruling of Judge
Bell announced the mayor. The or
dinance adopted for the paving does
not provide that the city pay any
thing on the Improvement, and l can
see no good reason why the city should
be forced to do So
The resolution was unanimously
adopted.
Water For School.
Commissioner Hart brought up
again the question of adequate water
service for the Villa de Chantal. There
is but a private two-and-one-half inch
main on the grounds, and the nearest
hydrant which the fire department
could use in case of an emergency is
several blocks away. The question OF
whether the city should install mains
on this private property was thorough
ly discussed and the matter referred
to Commissioner Bear to secure an es-
innate of what the probable cost would
be to give the school proper fire pro-
lection.
The request OF Mrs. Nellie Munroe
for water service at 400 Forty-sixth
street was referred to Superintendent
Sharp.