The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-02-12
Committee With Power to Act is
Appointed ut Joint Meeting With
Township Delegates.


Township Delegates.
Thirty-two miles of road oiling
at an estimated cost of $1,000 is the
aim of the Rock Island Chamber
of Commerce to reopen several
trade arteries linking the merch-
ants of the city of Rock Island
with the residents Of the southern
end of Rock Island county and the
northern ends of Mercer and the
western border of Henry counties.
improvement by oiling of the
acknowledgements road, together
with the byroad leading from that
highway northward toward Coal
Valley to the county home, and the
roads to Aledo and Andalusia was
considered by the membership of
the chamber last evening at hear
ing Of preliminary reports from a
delegation OF men from the south
ern townships as to the condition
of the roads and the steps the rural
residents already had taken and
were willing to take to meet local
business men halfway financially
in the opening of better trade COM
munication between the country
and city.
Following the discussion, a mo-
ton was carried authorizing Presi-
dent J. J. Burgess to appoint a
committee with power to act to in
vestigate the matter and meet with
the several committees or organ
izations interested in the same
proposition. This committee was
to be appointed this afternoon.
% Miles in Rural Township.
The project in Rural township
as presented by w. w. Wilson, re-
siding near the southern border
entails the grading, dragging and
oiling of II miles of road on the
Knoxville highway to the Mercer
county line, three miles from the
junction east to the Henry county
border, and about eight miles north
from that road to the county hons
toward Coal Valley. Although nc
definite action had been taken, in
clement weather having prevented
a meeting of residents of Rura
Tuesday, Mr.. Wilson assured the
members of the chamber that they
would be willing to meet the city's
business men in the matter.
Although the number Of miles .tt
be improved along the Aledo anc
Andalusia roads is not so large, the
need for oiling of those stretches
was stressed and about ten miles
Of oiling is contemplated.
John Upton of Bowling. chair
man of the board of supervisors
and Charles H. Clark of Sterrard
! also attended the meeting and gave
several examples of the benefits tt
be derived by both rural -rsident'
and city merchants by the improve
ments.
Double Spread of Oil.
The plan and estimate Of cost:
as submitted by MIR. Wilson, pro
vides for the double spread of OF
on the roads for a width Of 10 feet
which, explained the speaker
would seep an additional twf
feet, giving an oiled road of II fee
width. The cost at present prices
of oil would be approximately $20j
a mile, allowing 2.400 gallons O
oil to the mile. The cost of oilint
80 miles would approximate an ex
penditure of $6,40O.
W. H. Schillinger of this city
member of the special road com
mittee of the board of supervisors
spoke of the proposition from thu
standpoint of Rock Island business
men and emphasized the point tina
much business. which considered
territorially, belongs to local mer
chants, is being diverted into othei
centers. A. M. Blood, in consider
ing the acknowledgements road
said that there were fairly gooc
highways for the residents of ths
territory to come to Rock Island
But" he said. they all leat
through Moline first. The improving
and oiling of that road directly int
the city of Rock Island would b.
one of the biggest steps the Cham
Der of Commerce has ever taken t.
boost local business.
| Tells Of Mercer Work.
Charles Clark, Of Mercer county
highway commissioner Of Richlan'
Grove township, within who's
boundaries marked advances in tn
condition Of highways have beel
achieved under his sponsorship
made a number of material sugges
tions. He spoke of the number o
war department trucks. 5000 0
which are now at Springfield avail
able to counties for the rent of $40
a year and which might be con
verted into road oilers at an ex
pense of about $500, a large econ
omy, over the plan suggested b.
Mr.. Wilson that the board of super
visors be asked to purchase a roa
oiler for use on roads throughou
the county
| Details were presented of tn
plan which was successfully car
riad ont in Mercer county wherah