The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-08-28
TIE BIG BEJD4E,
Some Observations On i.s PFC icsi VeIne
ofthe East Kivet BEilge.

Gen. II. W. Slocum, of B.ooklyn. in
recent interview, said tat. in his
Judgment, the bridge would he worth 10
the two cities more than ten lines its
cost. but its real calac will not he real
lied until it is made absolutely free
to all except those who ride over it in
the ears. 1t must he paid for By the
people OF the two cities, and the most
convenient, safe, and economical meth
cd of collecting the taxes 10 do this is
not by placing irresponsible men OH the
bridge to collect them in drihlets, and
return to the city what their c0nsciences
shall dictate but to have them collected
annually BY men who cannot steal any
portion of them. 1t is real estate that
is to derive the great benefit resulting
from the bridge, and therefore ii is fair
that real estate should be taxed to pay
for it. Ii it is made free, it will be paid
| for blythe increase in rents and the adj
vanced value in real estate. The speak
er referred to the operation of the ele
waited roads in this city to show how the
value of property is affected by rapid
transit. In 1877, he said the assessed
value of real estate in New York was
1895, 063, 600; in 1882 it was s, 1,040,-
1903, 900, and increase ia five years of
Sl45, 740, 900, the two wards in the up
per part of the city, the twelfth and the
nineteenth, being most affected by the
construction of the elevated roads. I'm
view of these figures said Gen. Slo-
cum, who can doubt the effect of a
free bridge on the property Of both cit
les? An increase in the valuation ofthe
real estate of Brooklyn of =! per cent,
will at once repay the city for its ill.,
vestment in the bridge. No reasons
can be urged for the collection of tolls
on the bridge which do not apply with
equal force to our other highways and
to our parks
The two sections of London" said
Gen. Slocum, separated by the Thames
are not so closely allied as are Brooklyn
and New York. The two sections of
London are united by eight bridges, be-
sides two or three built exclusively for
the use of railroads. The most cele-
brated of these is the London bridge,
which cost the city lust about the
amount which Brooklyn has contributed
to our bridge-say $4,000, 900. 1t is
built upon piers, with granite arches
its entire length is but 92S feet, less
than two-thirds the river span of our
bridge; its width is but forty-four feet,
while ours is eightr-fve Twenty thou
sand vehicles and 10000 pedestrians
pass over it every day. 1t is a free
bridge. The most beautiful of all the
structures over the Thames is the Wa
1erloo bridge, constructed by a private
corporation at a cost of 50 100000 and
opened on the anniversary of the battle
If Waterloo, June Is. 1917. 1t yielded
IN tolls about 500, 100 per annum. In
1873 it was purchased by the city of
London from the corporation which
built it, and was made free to the pub
tic The other bridges, the BlackfriarS,
the Vauxhall, the Chelsea, the Albert.
and the Battersea were all constructed
by private corporations, and all charged
toll till the wear 1879, when this system
If taxing the public became so obnox-
ous that the city of London purchased
all of them and made them free bridges
This is the result of the experience of a
great CITY, Whlch IN Jhe past mas hcen
governed with as much intelligence and
certainly as much economy as either
New York or Brooklyn. Not only has
London abolished this system of collect
/, ling money. but even in the rural dis
r tricts the tOll-gate has been abolished
with other nuisances, Many of US were
born and reared in the country and can
recall the time when we could not 60 tc
; school or pass from one village tc
another without taking q few pennies
J with us to meet the demands of the toll
/ ratherer. The East river bridge will
be made free. 1t only remains for Us
t who have had the care of its consruc.
ton to decide whether we will adopt tho
/ wise and popular policy dictated by the
$ experience of others, or whether We
; will leave to others the honor of inaug.
4 urating this poIicv.--Ncsc York Times