Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-11-06
TO ALL
CI7Y'S employees
East Moline Council Directs Special
Committee to Draw an
Ordinance.

all city employees of East Moline was
ordered by unanimous vote of the
East Moline city council last evening.
The council rejected, by a vote of five
TO three, motion to grant to the
members Of the police and fire depart
ment. and the employees Of the street |
and alley service increases in wages |
Immediately upon the completion OF
the vote on that motion, Alderman /
Carlson. who had voted negatively. de- |
clared that the council had before it |
requests for an increase from but two |
departments. These departments, he |
said. were unquestionably entitled to |
an advance in wages, but in his opir- |
ion the proper way to grant the in
creases is by an ordinance which shall |
provide increases for all employees Of |
the city The other departments, he
said, would ask for raises Just as soon
as an advance was granted to the po- |
lice and firemen, and If conditions
Justify an increase for one class of
employees, they do for all. He then Of
fered motion that the mayor be di-
reCted to name special committee OF
four to prepare an ordinance making
general revision of the salary and
wage schedule Of the city. This mo-
ton prevailed by unanimous vote
Aldermen Carlson, McLain, Sehleu-
ter and Lundeen were appointed by
/ the mayor. OF those named three
have been committed to the Increase.
, They are Aldermen Carlson, MeLain
and Lundeen, Alderman Scbleuter did
not express his view, except in a
! negative vote on the motion to grant
/ the increase Of SIS a month asked by
the police and firemen. Vote on that
motion was F'or-Aldermen Lun~
| deem. Passm0re and McLain. Against
Aldermen Wilcox, Geisler Carlson,
/ Schleuter and Ryan.
/ Alderman Ryan suggested that the
/ city can not finance an increase. He
said the balance is now only 81 500 in
the general fund saloon licenses viii
brig in $4,000, and taxes in the
spring ST. 600 Bills allowed last eve
ming amount 10 something more than
$4,000. and according to Mr.. Ryan the
city's current expenses. without any
change in the pay schedules, will be
81 goo q month, or more than $4,000
He said he favored paying good wages,
but wanted 10 know where the city
would get the money to meet the eX-
pense.
By unanimous vote the council ap-
proved the contract with the Peoples
Power company, under which the city
is to obtain its power for operation OF
the waterworks pumping station on
the demand system, which viii result
in a saving Of 5000 or more each
/. month. The council also authorized
! the water and light committee to pur-
chase necessary transformers to cost
about 5000 each, in order to take ad-
vantage of the new rate The rate is
! effective from Oct i. Under this con
! Ltract the city pays S1G6 a month for
the power reservation fer it, and a
j small fee for each kilowatt hour OF
: current.
{ Bills Of The Peoples Power company
( for street lighting showed reduction
2 OF S4l.49 on account of failure of she
/ service during the period covered.
Request was fled for adoption of a
! new ordinance for switch tracks of the
2 several railways to serve the Union
= Malleable. and extend along the south
a side Of the Malleable plant. The ordi.
e nance adopted on Sept. S has beer
L found insufficient as to- location OF
e tracks. The matter was referred tc
1 the city attorney and city engineer.
0 There was a lively discussion over 9
bill Of L. IT. Haemer for work for tbs
n street department, and the result will
+ be d revision OF the method of hand
a ling city's business. II has been tht
e practice to refuse to pay bills not &C.
: companled by an order Of the finance
committee, and for that reason the
Haemer bill was rejected last evening
The mayor called attention of tn.
u council to the situation. and said hC
l. could see nor reason for other commit
= tees if the finance committee alone i.
II to issue orders. He said the resolu
u ton OF several years ago, establishins
e such rule, is not now operative. anC
Il that hereafter the order OF the chair
e man OF the committee in charge of III,
e department concerned should be re
8 garded as sufficient. Alderman
l. Schleuter declined to vote on the bill
: and the vote was four to three. Alder
I. man Cas!son insisted that Mr., SchIeu
~ ter should vote, and called attention
II to the rules There was sharp clasl
/ between Aldermen Schleuter an,
pl Carlson, but the mayor declared tn
bill had been rejected and would q
: BACK 10 the committee on finance
=, Report Of the street and alley com
= mittee dlsallowed a petition of Harr
= Orman for permission to construct
y storm Yestihule on the sidewalk i
u front Of his hotel
~ When Mayor johnson announce
- the appointment Of Victor Hedman a
% patFolman, there was a split over hi
=, confirmation. He was confirmed bv
= vote OF five TO three, Aldermen viii
y cox, Gelsler and Ryan voting negs
livery. Ills bond. signed by H.
COX and II. II. Siebke was approve,
Alderman Wilcox charged that He'd
90 man had made Misrepresentation
"a connection with the department IN
~ should get the job fairly" said M
al WILCOX. He has obtained ii fairl,
as SO Tar, declared the mayor sharply,
~ purchase OF a spotlight for the fiji
ed truck was ordered. The matter
n building new shed for the waite
works station was left in the hands
the water and light committee. and /
was a proposal that street Iamn !
installed at Seventh ayenua ar
ID twelfth street. Plumbing INSPECT,
Elmo Allsbrow was allowed a yacatif
-st OF two weeks by unanimous vote
10 Some discussion arose over II
raj establishment of q street car gaitir
ng station a Nlnlh street and Fifteen
avenue thu