The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-11-13
FIND SENTIMENT ALMOST.
UNANIMOUSLY IN FAVOR
new DEAL FOR CITY HALL
More Than Required Num-
Der of Names to Call
Special Election.

It was announced today
that 5000 voters have signed
petitions request ting u
change in Rock Island from
the commission to the alder
manic form of government.
This is 1900 names in ex-
cess of the number required
by law to provide for the
calling of a special election
by the city council to submit
the proposition to a vote Of
the people.
Men who have been circulating
petitions for signatures will meet
at the sherifrs office in the court
house tomorrow evening at 8
O'Clock for the purpose OF making
final check of names and getting
the documents in readiness to pro-
ceed with the next step toward the
contamination of the undertaking.
Twelve thousand is the normal
voting strength Of the city of Rock
Island. A little less than half OF
the voting strength already has
gone on record as supporting a 4
change in the form of government. ID
1t is claimed by those who haven
been engaged in circulating petit
tions that there is virtually no op-
position to the proposal.
After the petitions containing
the 5000 signatures are sworn to
and checked up and verified the
petitions will be filed with the city
clerk. Under the law the petitions
will remain in possession Of the
city clerk for five days to afford
any who may be interested in an op-
portunity to inspect them and file
whatever objections they may have
to enter against their legal suffi-
cheney. At the termination of five
days the petitions are sent to the
county judge, with whom they are
left 10 days to allow him to revise
them and afford further opportun-
| ity for citizens to file objections, IL
(, they have any. IL the county judge
holds that the petitions are legal
he will return them to the city
clerk, and that official must forth
with submit them to the city coun-
Gil. It will then be compulsory for
the council to call special cleo
ton not longer tkSh 60 days after
, the filing Of the petitions with the
body.
All Seeking Change.
| Sentiment over the city is strong
| ly in favor of a change at the city
| hall. 1t is the same wave of senti-
ment that last Tuesday swept into
| office Edwards and Thompson by
| unprecedented majorities. 1t isn't
so much that the people disapprove
the form OF government under
which the city is now functioning
| as that they do not like the attitude
of some officials toward public
questions. The opinion prevails
/ that the surest way of getting an
absolutely new deal at the city
/ hall is to abandon the present form
/ of government, just as Moline did
several years ago after giving II
! fair trial.
| Under the aldermanic form OF
goternment Rock Island probably
would return to the former ward
alignments. Under the aldermanic
form there were seven wards, with
two representatives from each
ward, giving the city council a
representation of IA, with every
section of the city having a voice
in the management Of the affairs
of the municipality. The argument
/ of the promoters OF the change in
form is that while the aldermanic
system may not be quite as eff
cient as the prevailing form in
Rock Island, it will be more popu-
lar and satisfactory with the mass
es Of the people. and when they
find an alderman or official who
is not meeting with their wishes
they won't have to wait four years
to put him on the retired list.