TKIE ROCK ISLAND) ARGUS
TIT5SDAY, MAY 17. 1010.
10
1
Hi
COMMITTEES OF
COUNCIL iJED
Appointments for the Year Are
Made by Mayor Mc
. Caskrin.
SCHMID IS AN INSURGENT
Declines Place Assigned Him Un
co La Court Assessment Op
posed. Standing committees for the year
were appointed as follows at the
meeting of the city council last even
ing, by Mayor G. W. McCaskrin:
Claims Simser, Cochran, Mc
Nealy. Finance La Van way, Frick, Holz
hammer. Health and Police Thompson, La
anway, Holzhammer.
'Fire and light Frick, Simser,
Cochran.
License and markets Naab, Leaf,
Huff.
Ordinance Schmid, Frick, La Van
way. Parks Leaf, Thompson, Naab.
Sewers Huff, Leaf, McNealy.
' 1 Printing Stephens, Borst, Schmid.
Streets, alleys and grounds Holz-
hammer, Naab, Stephens, Slmeer,
Thompson, Cochran. Borst.
Waterworks McNealy, Stephens,
Frick.
Bridges Borst, Schmid, Huff.
As originally announced, .Alderman
Schmid was on the claims commit
tee, but he requested to be with
drawn. The mayor consented to the
change, switching the Fifth ward rep
resentative t6 the printing committee
and changing Alderman McNealy
from the latter committee to the
claims committee. Alderman Schmid
seemingly was not overly pleased by
the new arrangement of the mayor,
remarking with a suggestion of . ir
ony: "I do not care to serve, on the
printing committeeeither. There is
altogether too much work connected
with it, and I haven't the time to de
vote to it." The printing committee
probably meets a few times in a
year. Despite Alderman Schmid's
protest, the committee appointments
were approved by the council. Al
derman Schmid voted negatively.
Fire Alarm PropoaI.
On a resolution introduced by Al
derman Frick, the council voted in
Ftructions to the city clerk to ad
vertise for bids from the various fire
alarm apparatus companies on the in
stallation of the proposed new Rock
Island system, and that the propos
als be ' accompanied by displays of
equipment to be furnished here in the
city hall for inspection by city of
ficials and the public. It is planned
to have the new fire alarm installed
during the summer. Already the
preliminary wiring is being done un
der the supervision of the city elec
trician and the chief of the fire de
partment. Lincoln Co-art Aueumeit
There is a judgment against the
city in the county court for $2,185.62
for street improvements in Lincoln
court addition, and there is a dispo
sition among the aldermen to resist
payment on .the grounds that the
owners of the addition are under
stood to have agreed, when the plat
was adopted and the work ordered
by .the board of local improvements,
to bear the entire cost. Alderman
Frick in this, connection, offered a
motion, which was adopted by the
council, instructing the board of lo
cal Improvements to bring in an ex
planation at the next meeting of the
council as to why the city should be
assessed.
. Street SprinkllBjt Plana.
Aldermen Frick, McNealy and
Cochran .were appointed by the may
or a committee to act with the Rock
Island Business Men's association in
visiting owners of property on- the
streets and avenues for which the
association desires sprinkling, service
and secure signatures to contracts
agreeing to pay a weekly or monthly
charge for such service. The con
tract is to be prepared by the city
attorney. If enough contract signers
are obtained the council will feel jus
tified in purchasing additional sprink
ler wagons to take care of those
streets in the fire district not sprink
led by the Trl-City Railway company.
The city has decided to buy one wag
on and team, these to be employed in
sprinkling before city property. The
clerk was Instructed to ask for bids
on one wagon and one team.
Clerk to National Convention.
. The council appropriated $100 to
pay the expenses of City Clerk M. T.
Rudgren in attending the clerks
and controllers national convention
in New York city, June 9-11.
The clerk was instructed to notify
the Rock Island, Burlington and Mil
waukee roads to install, without fur
ther delay, crossing gates between
Forty-second and Forty-sixth streets,
as recently ordered by the council.
To Select Fire Station Site.
Aldermen Borst, Frick and Simser
were appointed a committee to se
lect a site for the proposea iiew fire
station in the soutneastern part, of
the city. -
Aldermen Borst and La Vanway
complained of automobile scorching
o
on Seventh avenue and Twelfth
street, and the police department was
ordered to enforce the ordinance car
rying penalties for exceeding the
speed limit in the city limits.
The council appropriated $100 to
purchase ice for the water barrels to
be provided daring the summer
months by the Woman's Christian
Temperance union.
Dill from Filter Company.
An itemized bill of $5,215 for ma
terials and labor to date was received
from the Pittsburg Filter Manufac
turing company, which is installing
the new filter plant in ; Reservoir
park. This is in accordance with the
terms of the contract with the city,
Less 15 per cent allowed if payment
is not deferred, the charge against
the city is $4,432.75. The bill was
referred to the finance - and water
works committees.
MAYOR REVIEWS
MUNICIPAL YEAR
Congratulates the Council in
Overcoming Financial
' Handicaps. '
FORWARD IMPROVEMENTS
Filter Plant, Sewers, Public Sana tor-
turns, Etc. Recommends Pur
chase ot Auto Patrol.
Rock Island, IH., May 16. To the
Honorable City Council of Rock Is
land, 111. Gentlemen: I hereby have
the honor to present'to you a summary
of the last municipal year. First, let
me say that I wish to compliment your
honorable body for your earnest ef
fort to make this a business adminis
tration, and a successful one. This I
believe you have done. There can be
no great work carried out where har
mony does not prevail in every branch
of an institution, and -1 am proud to
say that it has prevailed throughout
the year here The fact i is that the
records made in this brief period of
one year by you stand as an evidence
that It was the greatest and most pro
gressive year -in the history of the
city. Your course in so doing has re
ceived the united commendation of
the progressive spirited citizens in our
midst.
With the knowledge that we all have
of the finances of our city, when we
began this year with a depleted treas
ury, made so by the preceding admin
istration which shouldered a financial
The Sgock Island
O
RISES EVERY WEEK-DAY
burden In overdrafts upon us. making
it well nigh Impossible to operate the
city, we should therefore congratulate
ourselves that we could accomplish as
much as we have for the advancement
of the city's interest. -
' Improvement Tnder Way.
-While the work during the year has
consisted of much preliminary work
in preparing and completing plans for
proposed public improvements, I am
happy to say we have a number of large
improvements under process of con
struction, and others will follow this
coming year.
My first reference will be made to
the department of health. We have
now a health board, created during
the past year, and its work has gone
far beyond the expectations of those
interested in creating such a board.
This you will note by reference to the
report of the health, commissioner in
corporated in the annual report to be
published.
We have also been successful in the
adoption of the proposition at the last
municipal election for a "public tuber
culosis sanitarium," which will bo tak
en up as a public necessity and pushed
to a realization during the coming
year. Thanks to the public for its in
terest in the welfare of the health of
this city in the future.
The police department has a success
ful record in every particular. I have
the highest respect for the committee
and officers In discharge of their du
ties "and ; their kindness to me during
the last year. .
The city has, I believe, the cleanest
record in years, and If you will give
the attention to the detailed report
hereto attached covering the many
items that enter into this department,
you will find this to be true. This de
partment has saved $1,200 and with a
less number of officers than the pre
ceding administration
- For Anto Police Patrol.
I shall recommend to ypu that at
once steps should be taken to purchase
an automobile police patrol and ambu
lance combined. This can be done
this year, and if done will keep pace
with modern, progressive cities in this'
department.
The police matron has likewise, with
her careful attention, a splendid rec
ord for efficiency. Her labors and du
ties reach the humblest homes and her
work and report will show that she is
the person for the place. I wish to pay
her the lasting compliment that she Is
deserving, that I believe with her
heart and soul in this department she
will make the ensuing year even great
er than last year.
The Rock river bridges have requir
ed a great deal of attention this last
year, with a final solution of difficul
ties in securing the sum of $23,000
available from the Trl-City Railway
o
ill T fllSlnntf"' Til"
company to rebuild and reconstruct
the same, and further, your final adop
tion of an ordinance making it manda
tory that a separate fund be created.
when all revenues from this . source
be kept in a fund not to be used for
any other purpose. This is a step in
the right direction. I beileve that each
department should be kept In its own
distinct channel and not robbed for.
some other department, leaving it in
a depleted condition, as oftentimes is
done.
The claims presented against the
city , have been taken care of, except
ing the claim of the Seventeenth street
sewer, wiiich was a mistake shoulder
ed upon us from the preceding admin
istration. In fact, the city was never
more free from'suits against it than
at ' the " present time. This is greatly
due to your earnest effort in protecting
the citizens and the taxpayers from un
necessary litigation which usually re
sults disastrously to the city in the
end..
Increaae In Saloon Revenue.
The income of the saloon licensa
from $500 to $600 per year will in
crease our revenues from $46,000 to
$55,200, which will aid materially to
carry on the running expenses of the
several departments of the citytbis
year. . ', .
Another important step has been
taken up by the city in the revision
and publication of the ordinances that
have accumulated since .1903. It has
been practically impossible to get along
on account of the difficulty of getting
access to these ordinances, and much
credit is due to this committee and the
city attorney, in getting them in read
iness for publication to date.
The parks have not been lost sight
of, and the park board, together with
the committee have labored to a suc
cess during the past year, and now,
with the acquisition of a new park in
the eastern part of the city, we are
nicely arranged for the future.
-The direct interest of F. C. Denk
mann and Miss Sue Denkmaan to
wards this feature of civic beauty
should and does receive the highest
commendation for their action. The
Denkmann square, when complete, will
be a thing of beauty in a locality
where parks and playgrounds work an
unmeasured benefit to the children
now and in the future. , '
The fire department, as you will no
tice by the annual report of the chief,
will show that out of 140 fires there is
but a loss of property in the amount
of $22,000, which is very low as com
pared to the preceding year. The de
partment is thoroughly efficient in ev
ery particular, and the citizens should
certainly congratulate themselves upon
the work of this department during the
past year.
It now remains for the council to
Com&i
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AT 7 A. M.
o r
install a perfect, up-to-date fire alarm
system, and I find you have made suit
able provisions for this necessary ac
quisition. The rapidity with which
you act upon this matter will be In
strumental in protecting the city In
the future fires and be a guard against
Increased insurance rates. I shall as
sist you in every way to Becure the
same in this department, and further
steps should be taken at once to In
stall another fire station in the bluff
district of the city.
The sewers of the city have been in
the past a necessity. They are the de
mand for modern, up-to-date buildings,
and must be provided for by every pro
gressive municipality." This plan I had
the honor during my preceding admin
istration, and at that time began the
Second ward sewer system, now com
plete this year. We have passed and
have three-fifths completed the Sixth
ward sewer system, which will render
service to a large territory in the Sixth
ward. The west half of the Seventh
ward sewer system Is fast approach
ing a successful termination, and you
are to be congratulated upon" this work.
because this step will, be the cause of
a great Increase of population and
building in this present unclaimed ter
ritory. Many smaller sewers have
been taken care of and built, and the
plumbing inspector has by his annual
report a very successful showing as
an evidence that this department has
kept the pace with other departments
during the year.
Need of Filter Plant.
The waterworks department, under
the supervision of the superintendent,
closes a most successful year, in that
the council has finally been able to
adopt a plan to build a new mechanical
filter for the city and thus give the
consumers pure, clean water. The
failure to provide this necessity for
the citizens has cost this city probably
a net Increase of one-fourth of Its
present population. Now that the con
tract has been let and under process
of construction, It remains for this ad
ministration to see that it is completed
and carried out according to contract.
It will In all probability be completed
by September this year. Many other
water mains have been laid during the
year, and it is to be hoped that the
council will be able to provide means
to run a main down Twentieth street
to connect up Second, Third and
Fourth avenues to afford complete fire
protection for the business district.
The street department has likewise
made additional arrangements for the
coming year which will greatly assist
them In their work. The superintend
ent presents a report which covers
under the embarrassing condition fl
nancially that he was compelled to
labor that Is far beyond the expecta
tions of those In charge, and now, with
o
'T
ft.
Mrs
IK " ni ' J
TAKEN ON CHARGE
HIGHWAYROBBERY
Ilenry Miller of This City Alleged to
Ilave "Rolled" a Mjui in Dav
enport. Henry Miller, wanted Jn Davenport
for the theft of a watch, was arretted
Sunday by deputies from the sheriff's
office, who (found him on the court
house lawn partly Intoxicated .and to
day he was turned over to the Daven
port authorities after having spent th
night in the custody of the local police.
Miller is a young fellow whom the
police have had trouble with before.
On one occasion be got Into a saloon
brawl and after threatening to clean,
up the place started in on the task and)
had three men pretty well beaten up
before the police arrived. Th charge!'
cn which be is now being held is high
way robbery. It Is alleged that o
tired of operations In this city and)
that he went to Davenport last week)
and "rolled" a man for 'a watch audi
some loose change. After completing
the Job he hurried back to this cityJ
He denies his connection with the
theft of the watch.
the prospects of a much larger appro-j
prlation for this year, we can look for
ward to a great year in this departs
ment The horses and equipment arej
in first class condition, and the city
should congratulate Itself in having
and retaining such a capable and effi
cient superintendent of streets as we
now fcave.
. i
We ApetosT Shortage, ,
The final proposition that I again am
constrained to comment upon is the
one essential matter of finances, and'
we, the present administration, have
no apology to make for the shortage;
that the several departments have had!
to contend with. It was purely due to
the previous year's expenses that bur
dened us to an amount of $45,000,
which would have crippled the city in'
its entirety had it not been for the'
several banks of the city granting us
a loan of $60,000 to carry on the work.
The work that this present council
has done for this city during this year
in promoting the great undertaking of
placing the Central Union Telephone '
company's wires under ground is the,
opening wedge to a modern city. What 1
other steps of a like nature are able to
be accomplished remains with you the
coming year.
Respectfully submitted,
GEORGE W. McCASKRIN.
Mayor.
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