Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-12-18
the er,dae question.

The Bridge Question.
Every one interested in the growth
Of the city and the welfare Of those
who live on the south side Of the riv-
er must be in favor of free bridge.
All who lived here in the days Of the
ferry were in favor Of the present toll
bridge, because for the same price or
less they were able to cross the river
on it without detention or danger.
If all are low in favor of free
bridge, 1t only remains to be ascer-
tanned how we can get one with the
least expense to the tax payers who
will have to pay for 1t.
BY the provisions Of the charter un.
der which the toll bridge was built,
the county, for consideration, guar
anteed them the exclusive right to
bridge the river in front of the town
for term Of ten years, and reserved
the right Of fixing the maximum
rates of toll, and at the expiration of
the ten years the county reserved the
right to buy the bridge at . price TO
be determined by a committee chosen
Jointly by the county and the bridge
company. If the bridge company
have honestly complied with all the
provisions of the charter and faith-
FULLY carried out their part of the
contract, it would seem that the COM
ty in good faith oughtto do the same.
But laying all that aside, let us ex-
anime the propositions made by the
bridge company and see If it Is pos
sible to do better than they offer.
Their first proposition Is to sell the
bridge to the county on the first of
September, 1879, for $4,000. That IL
one year before their charter expires,
and one year before 1t is expected
that 3 new free bridge would be COM
pleted. By accepting that PROPOSE
ton the county, ifa new bridge 10 to
cost $25, 900, will save tho tax payers
1900, and give tho people on the
south side of the river free bridge
one year in advance of the time it
would take to get new bridge. The
second proposition Is to sell the bridge
to the county at the expiration OF the
charter, Sept. LIST, 1880, for the sum
of $1,000. BY accepting this PROPOSE
ton the county will save $4,000 and
have free bridge just as soon as they
could have the new one costing $685.
600. Tho third proposition il to do
nate the bridge to tho county, if the
charter 10 extended to Sept. let, 1881,
which would be one year after the
time fixed for the completion Of the
bridge. BY accepting this PROPOSE
ton the tax payers would have no ex-
ira burden put upon them. The pres
ent bridge has stood for more than
eight years, 1t has just been examined
by . competent en- gineer, II. l.. Wa
termAn, Esq, who says that the iron
work is substantially as good az when
first built, that the timber in the piers
10 solid and that the trestle work on
the west side will not have to be re-
placed for some years. An engineer
employed by the Supervisors, as we
understand, decided that the bridge
was not up to tho present style Of
bridges, in other words, that 1t was
out of fashion-but these hard times
we have to put mp with many things
that are not fashionable, especially
when they answer the purpose for
which they we're intended. II the
present bridge were worn out or I'M
safe, the case would be different, but
in point of fact the iron work will
last fifty years yet and the piers at
least ten years.
Now we submit if the above are
facts, any movement looking towards
the construction of new bridge at a
cost OF $4,000 is a base imposition
upon the taxpay ers of the county, en-
sircly uncalled for. and in direct OPP
position to good public policy.
We must remember that not more
than one-fifth the taxpayers of the
county are directly interested in this
matter, and that the people of Eddy
vile and at other points on the river
may with equal justice call upon the
county to do something for them in
the way of free bridge.
Business has also adjusted itself to
the present location of tho bridge, and
unless very strong reasons are given
for changing 1t to another street, it
ought, in justice to those who in good
faith contributed towards its loca-
ton, to remain where it IL.
We believe that public sentiment,
both in the county and the city, will
be in favor Of accepting one of the
propositions made by theb ridge COM
pany, and we submit that those in au-
thority ought not to create an indebt-
edness against the county without be-
ing sure of the consent OF the tax
payers. A CITIZEN.