Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-12-04
COUNCIL DECIDES TO
TAKE HILL WRANGLE:
TO UTILITIES BODY.
WILL GO BEFORE STATE EOARD
FOR EARLY DECISION ON TIE
AMOUNT TRACTION COMPAn.
les SHALL PAY TCkARD I'M.
PROVEMENT.

The much-mooted South Side hill
controversy last night during the
meeting cf the mayor and commits
stoners babe lair to enter the do
something stage
For a long while the hill. il, para.
mount needs tog repair and effective
remedies for improving it have been
! topics OF discussion among city ott-
cials since the veteran canine Heck
Was pup, but without an, thing tangi-
/ Ole in the way of result getting being
| done
I inspired against repetition of pro
crastination practiced by any Of his
/ predecessors. Mayor Weeks gave the
proposition his final utimatum, ana
uouncing fatty but nrmly he was tired
OF talkink, talking. everlasting talking
and getting nowhere With improving 4
condition everyone recognizes to be
| bad 1t its best, and from now on h"
WAS going 10 stand for results, ami
results only.
The whole council was heartily in
accord with him on his views. As a
consequence 1t was decided to immn
dlately start the legal machinery in
operation for taking the hill PROPOSE
ton before The state public utilities
commission and get a decision as tot
what the c., o, & p ana y |. L. & r.
companies shall pay as their proper
share toward building wall to re-
tain the ill which will have to be made
around the hill sooner or later
n 1t>;,p hat
commission should be presented tho
case without any further delay. AMI
in this way an opinion can be handed
down in time to start work in the
carly spring.
/ don't favor submitting this prop
oSltion to vote. said the mayor. /
until We have real offer from the |
y. /. l.. x T. Company as to what II |
will pay toward the work So far We |
haven't heard anything that would in. |
dictate the company intended doing |
lis proper share and the only alter
native open to us is to go before the |
utilities commission forthwith and get |
an opinion from them. | am tired OF /
this dilly dallying around and it j. 7
now time We did something to get /
the work done. That is the only wav /
We can ever settle the controversy
with the traction companies, once and /
ter all. The sooner we get at ii the |
better our chances will be for start
ing the work next year"
Commissioner Bradley. Commission.
er Dcugherty and commissioner Pa
mer O. KID the mayors sentiments.
Commissioner Sticklen took no voice
in the discussion. Commissioner Pal.
mer, while net showing any particular
favor for the recommendation OF En-.
eineer Nelson OF Elgin, who recon.
mended using rip rap to make the fill,
instead of building a concrete wall.
he though. that style OF repair should
be pretty thoroughly gone into. Com.
missioner Dougherty spoke against ey.
pelimenting and advocated the wal
az the most feasible way of getting
around the trouble.
commissioner Bradley made sug-
gestion that the city building a side.
walk out from the present place and
let the street car companies do Wha,
ever they wanted to with their tracks
HIS idea was TO proceed directly east
Instead OF following the contour OF
the hill, then turning sharply soutn
onto state street. This, he said.
would provide a very suitable Wala
and at the same time release the city
from any further burden as a result
OF the slips ana slides occurring III
intermittent intervals on the hill
proper Explaining his idea he said
a wall could be built upon which the
city could place its walk The space
between the wall and the Hill could
be LETT to worry about itself If the
IN erurban and local lines didn't see
TIT to do anything to relieve the sftua.
ton, nor were willing to pay their
sDare toward the Improvement He
depOred the danger that would be
evident to passengers on the two troll
lies, but said if an accident happened
it would then be no fault of the city's.
We must adopt some definite plan
the mayor interpolated, before We 20
before the utilities board. So far We
have not acted upon the specifications
presented by Public Engineer Farms.
worth, We've got to either accept
or reject them before we can 20 be-
fore the state board for hearing.
Everyone who has seen the Farms
worth plans have declared them to be
very satisfactory, Mr.. Cnubbuck him
self agreeing that the idea would
work out all right