Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1878-10-10
Free Bridge. i

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The question as to whether q free
bridge shall be built across the Missls>t
sippi river at Little Falls or not vii
soon be settled by vote, As stated
we are in favor of building
the bridge. tseems to us that the
advantages to be gained by it are very
great, much more than enough to res
pay the cost. AT St. Cloud and Sauk
Rapids four bridges will shortly span
the Mississippi within distance Of
two miles. In every place where has
there is any noteworthy degree Of
prosperity money is literally expended
to build bridges and improve roads.
In this county there are good many
people who are opposed to building a.
free bridge because they believe that.
the people Of Little Falls and The CEN
trail part Of the county would derive
a greater portion of the benefit than
the people In more remote parts. We
admit that it would be impossible to
distribute the benefit of this or any
other improvement equally among all
the taxpay ers, but this does not con-
stitute valid reason why pubic i'm
provements should not be made. No
community, county, state Or nation,
can be truly prosperous unless spirit
of generosity is shown about such mat
ters. All questions in regard to pub
lie improvements should be viewed
from a brsad platform, considering
the interests of the people as whole.
It is very probable that even the mons
resident taxpayers would, in general,
prefer to have the bridge built, know
ing that the slight additional tax that
would have to be paid would be much
more than balanced by the natural
advance in the value of their property.
We have heard the objection urged
that according to the bill authorizing
the Issue Of county bonds for the pur>
pose of building bridge, it would be
necessary to issue bonds to the full
limit allowed, this is, to the amount
of $25 900 This is a mistake. The
bill provides that the county COM
| missioners shall be authorized "to issue
! the sum Of twenty-five thousand dol
lars in bonds, Of such dimensions as
| they shall deem most expedient, Or
| such amount as they shall find a'ecessa~
ry, not e1ceeding that amount, in order
to raise sufficient amount of money
to pay the cost of building a bridge
across the Mississippi river In said
COuuty VI NOIItSUI dC VI uedI tAe
village Of Little Falls. which bridge
when constructed shall be naintained
and kept in repair by said county fo'
the free use and benefit of the public. >
It is we'll known that the bridge
if built at the most advantageous
point. would not cost over SIS 900, as
it would not be much more than hal
as long as the bridges at St Cloud and
Sauk Rapids. But even suppos1ne
that it would cost S25, 600, the burder
of the taxation necessary to pay for il
would be very light. The assessed
valuation of real estate and persona
property in Morrison county is $780,.
900. The rate Of interest is fixed a
eight per cent. This would require ;
tax of two and three>tenths mills on
dollar at the present valuation but i,
view of the rapid development of th'
county and the corresponding increas,
Of valuation, the necessary levy coul,
not exceed two mills on a dollar afte1
the first year or two, and would, in ,
few years, fall much below that. Blu
at two mills, taxpayer whose proper
ty is assessed at 81 900 would have t.
pay only two dollars annually to NEE
the interest on the bridge bonds
Now, would that be serious burden
Let each taxpayer figure up for him
! self how much he would have to pay
and see if he does not concede tha
the small sum necessary would be GOV
cred many times by the enhanced valu
Of his land. We have heard me-
whose property is assessed at abou
$500 declare that they could not affor
to pay ten or fifteen doIlars a year 70
a free bridge. II they had take
time to figure up what they woul
have to pay they would have found
to be about one. dollar a year. ]
seems to us that there is a great dea
Of misapprehension on this subject
Figure it.up, taxpayers, and if: yo'
can't afford it, vote against it, 0