Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-03-08
UNDERTAKERSA ASK
COUNTY BOARD TO
ALLOW INCREASE
Appear Before Supervisors to Explain
More Money Required for Bur-
ial of Paupers.
BIG ADVANCE FOR MATERIALS
Prices 20 Per Cent Higher Than Six
Months Ag0-Petiti0n Referred
to Poor Committee.

Petition of the undertakers of Rock
Island county asking for an increase
in fees allowed for handling pauper
burials was presented at the meeting
Of the board of supervisors this
morning. The sum Of SIS is allowed in
each instance at the present time and
s25 for children from l to I years OF
age and S35 for children over and
adults. is being asked.
Harry 7. Knox, and a. J. d. Moeller
Of this city and A Y. Esterdahl. Mo-
line. addressed the board outlining
their reasons for asking the increase.
They explained there had been a So
per cent advance during the last six
months in the price of all mater
ials used by embalmers and mention
ed the fact that today advices had
been received that another Is per
cent raise had been made. They con-
tended that it was impossible to
handle pauper cases at the present fig
ure without a loss.
Prices Paid Elsewhere.
Supervisor c. S. Kerns, Moline, who
had conducted little investigation
on his own hook relative to the prices
being paid for pauper burials in other
counties of about the same size as
Rock Island. read a number of letters
he had received concerning the mat
ter. In one county the figure paid was
S25 and $40 for grave; in another S25:
another $40; another SIS for adults
and $40 for children and one county
paid SIS.
That the matter should be laid over
until the next meeting was the sug-
gestion Of Supervisors Griswold and
Larkin while Moline members, es-
pecially Supervisors Brunstrom, Graf
lund and Weckel favored action at
this session. On motion the petition
was referred to the poor committee
which went into session with the I'M
dertakers at once.
Allows Office Expense.
Two petitions from Rural township
asking for aid for bridges to be built
this year were read Cost of each will
be $1,000 and the county is asked tc
pay half of the expense The matter
was referred to the roads and bridges
committee
Communication was read from Mis-
Lou NJ Harris, county superintendent
of schools, asking that she be allowed
what is due her for office expense I'll
to the present time 1t will be remem
bered that last year, Miss Harris wa:
voted the sum of $3.50 for office ex
pense but none of it has been paid
AS nine months of the year have
passed the sum of $3.50 or Is pei
cent of the yearly appropriation was
allowed on motion of Supervisor J. E
Larkin.
Ask Bridge Aid.
The board was in session less thar
half an hour yesterday afternoon. Fol
lowing the report of the official boiler
inspector, the clerk read a petition
from the highway commissioners O
Andalusia township, which was re
ferred to the committee on roads ant
bridges to report at this meeting of thu
board, asking that the county bear hal
Of the expense OF constructing 81 ,6O(
bridge over Coal Creek. where tn,
same is crossed by the highway leading
from Buffalo Prairie TO Andalusia.
Certificate Of the county clerk show
ing list of applicants for blind aid
found by DR.. F. n. Davenport, officia
examiner of the blind for the county
TO be entitled to pension, was approved
and the clerk directed to issue order!
TO the following: Helen Rodin, Mary
Johnson and Tlllie johnson. Moline
and GOttlieb Zimmerman. Milan.
II fha oil "a