Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-12-31

porcelain signs delayed shipment so
/ long as to prevent their being plaq-
| ed this year. Both the standards
and the porcelain signs are here
now and are ready for setting as
soon as the roads and the ground
will permit.
The office personnel of the Cham
| Der of Commerce was used in the
interest of raising that part of the
united war fund not included in
/ The Patriots fund budget, this
amounting TO approximately $40
900.
Housing.
| Early in the year the Chamber OF
| Commerce established a room and
house rental bureau. 1t made a
drive throughout the city for the
| listing of light housekeeping apart
nents and furnished and unfUrnish-
| ed rooms for workers coming to
work at the arsenal and at manu-
| featuring plants. This roOming bu-
Ieau placed approximately sixty
eight hundred factory and arsenal
employees during the year.
In March, representative OF the
ordnance department asked for
conference with the directors or
| the Chamber Of Commerce in the
interest OF formulating a plan for
the erection of houses for federal
employees working at the arsenal.
The plan contemplated building
three hundred houses, for which the
- 5gr1
$3.50, 900 and the war department
$4,000 In April committee from
The chamber met in conference with
the United States housing depart
ment of the labor bureau at Wash
ington and submitted its plan, which
was practically accepted at that
time. Later the government chang
ed it's housing program and an
uOunced that it would furnish the
entire sum of money independent Of
private enterprise. Through the eff
forts of the Chamber of Commerce
committee $1.1O0,000 was appropri-
oted for houses in Rock Island. II
is positively known that this sum
would not have been appropriated
for Rock Island but for the watch
fulness of the committee handling
the project.
The committee points out that
,he securing of this appropriation
and the putting through Of the
project was no small undertaking.
it involved weeks Of preparation
and numerous conferences here
and in Washington, and in the Sc
curing OF this appropriation the
chamber undoubtedly has its great /
est achievement OF the year. After
the appropriation had been secured /
months were devoted by the office /
in assisting the many government /
housing committees in the prepare
ton of surveys touching upon to-
Biography. location, transportation, .
factory employees, schools, santa /
ton, sewage. marketing, living cost I
property valuation and welfare coli
ditions.
Construction on these houses was
actually begun during the latter
part OF September, ana the close of
the war on Nov. IL found them all
under construction but far from
completion. In December a reso-
luton was passed in the senate au-
thorizing stoppage OF all work on
building projects not IS per cent
completed. Again a committee was
dispatched to Washing
ton, and through its efforts sutii-
cient delay was obtained 10 make
possible rs per cent completion OF
the houses. This places Rock Is
land in such a position that should
such a resolution prevail in the
house during the coming year Rock
Island will not be affected
The Chamber of Commerce was
the headquarters for the food ad-
In the administra-
ton of the food administrators Of
fee the secretary of the Business
Mems association, George II. Kings
bury, devoted a large part Of his
time. this in the interest that the
retail merchants, grocery stores and
restaurants would have a clear IN
derstanding Of what was expected
Of them by the administration
The Chamber OF Commerce was
also the headquarters for the fuel
during the fuel crisis
which Rock Island experienced in
january, February and March Al
D
crisis had been reached and thai
The situation was desperate, a con
terence OF the coal men was held
and a decision was made to organ
re a centralized Office through
which all coal orders would clear
The meeting adjourned at 10
o'clock. BY 9 O'Clock the next
the central 3rice had beer
organized and equipped and ready
.or business. II was believed al
he time by those familiar with the
situation that il was only through
he establishment OF this clearing 3
house that the public was saved
rom an absolutely fuelless situa- :
ion.
Good Roads.
The board OF directors OF the
Chamber OF Commerce got behind
he 100000. 900 bond issue and g. /
lanced the campaign in the south
ali OF the county. They arc now J
on plan TO open up the