Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-09-03
HAVE A DEBATE
ON ROAD ISSUE
Proceedings Of Highway Barn
stormers" Enhvened in
Bowling.
OBJECTIONS ARE ANSWERED
s-.,se-s Use Auto as Platform and
Run Side Show at Church
Supper and Bazaar.

Soaking from IN automobile IN the
o,eu Air. the seasoned campaigners IN
..a hard roads cause last evening
.--sst obstacles into arguments and
-,sa the meeting at the Milan Metho-
AZ. camp grounds one Of the best yet
..,s Bowling township IS the only
,,stu which there has been any organ
,,ss opposition 20 hard roads. and this
-sstinC was the first one in which
here has been any disposition by the
audience 70 debate the question with
he sneakers. The discussion, however.
-,s conducted in good part and IN
soBh,edly vas mutually profitable
TsIks for the bond issue as a means
~ getting hard roads we're TO have fol
1,red exercises IN connection with the
annual supper and bazaar given by the
presbvterisus after the close OF the
Methodist camp meeting. The supper
-. served II the dining room and the
sg5d roads meeting was 70 have been
reId in the tabernacle nearby. But so
many came late for the supper. and IL
vas seen that the sale OF fancy work
ard TIE program OF music and recita-
--o-s would take till q late hour. so an
sr-ouo5ue vas backed up near the
f-o-t OF the dining hall and the good
-,ads program was held as a sort OF
side show-with the cordial consent
O! TIE church management
The Svea quartet sang several num-
hers and there we're three addresses,
Delivered by Phil Mitchell. president
@. the Rock Island County Highway
Enforcement association, William Nc
Entry and :. W Searle.
E1-SUpervisor Heard.
II was during the address OF Mr..
Mitchell that James McCaw, former
supervisor from Bowling. interrupted
10 ask a few questions and TO make
some comment OF his own. He was as
s1red that he would be given an op-
porrunity 70 be heard at length II he
desired. but he colteIJed himself with
asking more questions when Mr.. Nc
Eliry was speaking. and being quite
effectively answered, as the advocates
Q. hard roads believe.
The burden Of Mr.. McCaw's conten-
tion. which appears 10 be typical OF
Euch Of the opposition 20 the hard
roads program IN the rural districts.
was that DIT roads are in fact better
than hard roads. OF even city paw
!ug. He averred. without being very
specific a. 20 localities, that hard roads
are being pIowed under and dirt put
over the top OF them. 10 show that the
hard road e. not a success. He assert
4 that he opposed placing the bond
-sstiOn on the ballot on the ground
that az an election voters VINO had no
property would have as much 10 say
a5otu II as those who have. He de-
c-arsd that the Rock Island county
court house was q piece OF eGtraya-
ganee and that the people were de
cs.vet al % the cost that construction
vas poor. e. took $4,000 20 repair the
roof the first year and that with such
q example before them the people
we're not going 20 trust the county
o1cers IL the handling Of finances for
Izrs roads He irsiuUated that the
state highway engineers do not know
teir business and that engineers in
general are iu much the same tx, stat
-g that f. one case he knew OF in
---A-E4 ----4as a.4 fa-e -l4-E4 A4elA p-t ~
. concrete bridge al a cost three times I
as great as would have been expended
by the township commissioners in do
l1g the same work
What business have you fellows T.
coming out here and trying 10 tell US I
about roads," he asked
Nr. McCaw has a large farm and 4
rdes II al automobile.
Al Seeking Light.
Gr. Mitchell made II clear that the .
county association does not arrogate /,
70 Itself the place as sole authority in I
ne matter OF roads The members, lie .
tzlc, confess that they personally I
Know little about the subject, but they Z
are viewing the matter from a business {
sLandpOint az affecting the interests 4
O. the entire county. They merely ,
lex the best way 10 secure good .
roads now, and so far they have been