Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-09-14
HOUSING PLANS
CAUSE TROUBLE
City Commissioners and Govern
ment Officials Hold Stirring
Session.
PLUMBING is AN ISSUE
Claim Made That System of install
IatiOn VIII Cause Unsanitary
Conditions.

A stirring session, during which
several government housing points
were discussed with much heat, was
held yesterday afternoon between
the Rock Island city commissioners
and members of the government
housing committee. The city heads
objected strenuously to the pro
posed plans for the installation OF
plumbing in the government houses
to be built in Rock Island.
Walter Littig, city plumbing IN
spector, stated that pipes, accord
ing to the plans, will not be IN.
stalled SO as to give sanitary ser
vice. Service pipes to the bath
room and the kitchen sink are con-
nected in such a way, the inspec-
tor states, that will cause the
syphoning of water out of the pipe
leading to the sink with the result
that sewer gas will be allowed TO
travel up into the kitchen.
The pipes will also be of galVan-
lied iron instead of lead, and the
plumbing inspector states that
these pipes will soon rust out
The commissioners stated that If
they permitted a breach of the city
building ordinance at this time they
would be asked by others to be al
lowed to install material in such a
manner as to be IN violation of the
ordinance. The housing officials
said material is scarce and the mat
ter is also a necessary war meas
ure.
The building inspector stated that
a sufficient amount of lead pipe
could be obtained in this vicinity,
but the housing officials stated that
this was not the case in other To-
calities where houses are being
erected, and that if lead pipe was
provided here other cities, where
the lead pipe was not to be had,
would also request that lead pipe
be installed.
Mayor McConochie relieved him
self of several remarks about the
situation being unsatisfactory, but
finally stated that the city would
sign the contract under protest
And it was later stated that the
city contemplates obtaining the
names of master plumbers in this
vicinity who believe the plumbing
unsatisfactory, and forward this
report to Washington, with the in
tent that the plans for the plumbing
might be changed. The commits
sioners announce that they do
not care to have the city inspectors
look over the work when cOmplet-
ed as a report could not be given
that would comply with the city
ordinance. The housing officials
stated that it would not be neces-
sary for the local inspectors to pass
on the work as the government
would furnish inspectors.
City improvements.
In the contract the city agrees to
construct a Waterman on Seven
teenth avenue between Thirty-sec-
ond Thirty-third streets; do grad
ing on Seventeenth avenue, be-
tween Forty-fourth and Forty-sixth
streets, and construct sewers on
Sixteenth and Seventeenth ave
nues between Thirty-second and
Thirty-third streets and on Eigh-
teenth avenue between Thirty-ninth
and FOrty-first streets. The mayor
was authorized at the meeting yes
terday to advertise for bids for this
work.
After a consultation between the
city heads, Commissioner Martin T.
Rudgren submitted the following
resolution, which was adopted:
Resolved, that the mayor and
city clerk are hereby authorized on
behalf of the city of Rock Island to
enter into contract with the United
| States housing corporation, rela-
| tive to community utilities, it being
distinctly understood that we do not
approve of the plans and specifica-
tons for plumbing, but are author
izing this contract as a war meas
ure.'