Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1871-11-10
THE GAZETTE.
CEDAR FALLS, NOV. 10. 1871.
The Bridge Question.

On the 2Sth of this month the pco-
pie of Black Hawk County will be
called upon by special election TO
vote upon the question Of a%ppropri'
ating SIG, 600 TO contract an iron
bridge across the Cedar River at Wa
~terloo, also, whether the indemnify
swamp lands in Hardin, Wright,
Humboldt and Croker counties be
sold aud the money appropriated to
the building of a bridge across the
Cedar at Laporte City.
1t will DE seen that the proposition
for the building of the Waterloo
bridge comes up in a different shape
from that submitted at the general
election last month. $4,000 was
.hen asked for from the county at
once. Now a one mill tax is asked
for per annum until 10000 is raised,
and that, with the conditions, that
the city of Waterloo shall appropri.
ate $4,000 to raise the amount neces-
sary for the construction of said
bridge. 1894 would be the annual
observation-disclosures dollar per annum
on each one thousand dollars Of val
uation. To-
Ofthe swamp lands Black Hawk
county owns 4, 760 acres from which
twelve to fourteen thousand dollars
could be realized-an amount suffi-
cient to construct q bridge across the
Cedar as asked for by the people Of
Laporte city. ...... ~..u.a 3
The questions then are 10 be view.
ed from n business stand point
Should these bridges be built? If so,
the people of the county are mutual
ly interested in their construction.
One locality cannot say that another
shall build its wi bridges. OF the
necessity of a new bridge across the
Cedar ut Waterloo there can be no
question. The board of Supervisors
being satisfied by thorough examin-
alton of its necessity have taken the
most feasible plan, in their judg.
ment to meet it. The same in the
case of the Laporte City bridge
They do not say that ii shat be built
but submit whether it is not the part
of wisdom to convert the lands, on
which the county is now paying tax
es, into money for the construction
OF Unnecessary highways for the public.
The people Of Cedar Falls have sig
nified their belief in the necessity of
new bridge at Laporte by signing
the petition on which the Board act
eel in calling the special election, 1t
is therefore taken for granted that
they will vote for 1t on the 18th of
this month.
There seems to be some discussion
in the county as to whether the new
bridge at Waterloo should be wood
or iron. That in our judgment is The
consideration touching this question.
Is it best to expend a compare
lively large amount at the start and
lie free from future repairs or build
q wooden structure that will require
n new one again ere many years
shall elupse? This is the simple
proposition. Not how much Wafer
loo has expended in bridges injudi-
cionsIy, OF the proportiopate contri-
buttons, ty taxes by the two Water
hbo's, but now that the public safety
demandsaa bridge, shall it be wood
or iron? The best judges and most
experienced minds would undoubt-
eddy say that an iron bridge is the
cheapest TO the county in the long
run. although il requires a seemingly
large expenditure at the staIt.
The propositions are before you
taxpayers! And we trust that they
will he met with fairness and can
dor and in a manner becoming good
citizens having the general interests
of the county in view.