Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-11-19
CITY COUNCIL is ASKED
RI COMPEL BETTER
CAR SERVICE
BLAME ROCK ISLAND
NORTHERN ILLINOIS LIGHT 4
TRACTION CO. UNABLE TO OP-
ERATE CARS OVER ROCK ISL.
AND TRACKS.

Municipal ownership of the local
railway owned BY the Northern Hi
nois Light and Traction Company was
discussed this morning at the meet-
hng Of the city council. The matter
was advocated by Attorney George V.
Weeks, who acted as spokesman for
the 100 North Side residents who ap-
peared before the city council, bring
INK with them a petition asking the
mayor and city commissioners to
either make the Northern Illinois
Light and Traction Company operate
ears north OF the Rock Island track
or to revoke their franchise.
About thirty women We're present
who have started out 10 either make
the local street car company furnish
an adequate service for North Siders
or discontinue in Ottawa entirely.
This petition followed a meeting held
last week at the Jefferson School.
The petition was presented by Az.
council how the car service north of
the Rock Island tracks had been dis
continued sice Oct. p, leaving the
residents of that community without
any way Of getting back and forth to
the business district during several
rainy days during the influenza cpl
demic He said service had been sus-
pended for eight weeks last winter,
during the zero weather, and called
the North Side line a fair weather
one, saying the car ran during the fine
weather every summer.
He declared If the council did not
take action TO compel the Rock Island
to build crossing so that service
could be resumed at once that he
would start a movement to have the
electrical company taken over by the
city and run under municipal owner
ship.
The members of the council said
they would instruct their city attor-
ney, Roger Clark. to take the mater
up with the state utilities commission
at once, to see that the Rock Island
railroad BOLT crossing 50 that traf-
tic could be resumed on the city lines
Rock Island at Fault.
Traffic was stopped in North OF
tawa when the Northern Illinois
Light and Traction Company was OBJ.
liged to put in new crossing across
the Rock Island tracks to comply with
the ruling of the city council and the
utilities commission, Under an old
agreement the Rock Island is re-
Quired to install all crossings for the
local company.
The local company is unable to con
tnue service until a new crossing is
put in, and the North Ottawans are
facing another winter without car
Service.
Four thousand residents and 1000
voters are said to reside north Of the
Rock Island. They feel they should
be entitled to reasonable car serv
ice.
viii Form Permanent Organization
A meeting of all residents of North
Ottawa will be held on Wednesday
evening at 1880 O'Clock at the Jetfer
son School to form a permanent or
jganization and elect permanent Off
GERS to care for the interests of The
res dents of this section Of the cit,
ard to see that they are given ca
service
The petition Is as follows:
II the Honorable, the Mayor and Cit,
commissioners of the City Of OF
tawa, ILL.,:
Your petitioners, all residents Of tn
city Of Ottawa. ILL.,, respectfully repre-
sent unto your honorable body, tha
the Northern Illinois Light a. TraC
ton Company, corporation opera
Ing system Of street cars upon Gel
tain streets of the city Of Ottawa
NJ. under its franchise obtained frof
tie city Of Ottawa, H., has since tn
twenty.second day of October, 1911
ceased to operate It's cars on Colun
bus street, north of the Chicago, Roc
island 4 Pacific railroad tracks. an
upon Norris street and Deleon stree
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