St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-10-15
FAVOR THE NEW BRIDGE.
The Board of Trade Dislikes the
Old Suspension Affair.


The Board of Trade Dislikes the
Old suspension Affair.
The board of trade yesterday morn
ing wrested with the SUSPENSION bridge
again, and after hot contest of over an
hour vote was taken which showed
the majority of the board of directors in
favor of abandoning the old suspension
bridge and completing the steel arch
bridge. J. [. Wyman, b. +. Nelson and
DR.. D. j. Evans were the champions of
the steel arch bridge, while A. j.
Blethen, j. b. Bassett, Judge Daniel
Fish, III. G. y. Morrison, c. j. Buell. and
A. Il. Barton were the unsuccessful
advocates OF the old suspension bridge.
The question came up i'll the form OF
the resolutions of j. B. Bassett. which
we're tabled at last weeks meeting. In
brief they recommended to the city
council that the old suspension bridge
be repaired and made TO answer the
purpose for the present, and that no
action be taken toward completing the
steel arch bridge.
c. J. Buel Immediately sprang TO
his feet and offered an amend
ment which proposed that the bene-
fitted property should be taxed
when the new bridge was built, and
then he put in five minutes. in spite of
the protests Of the united board. talk
ing political economy. The amend
mentS were ruled out of order, the point
being raised by Judge Fish.
j. Il. BasSett spoke ten minutes favor
ing his resolutions. To begin with, he
made answer to President Wyman'S
forcible speech made at the last meet
ing. He denied that there was any
antagOniSm between the two sides of
the river. and went on to assent to Mr..
Wyman's proposition that the city was
pursuing a penny-wise and pound
foolish course. Especially did he agree
with that gentleman regarding the
question of building unnecessary
bridges in the outskirts of the city;
but, he added, they were things of the
past and stood as monument to the
fOOlishneSS of the council which built
them. He then presented figures to
show how much money the city would
save in the next twelve, tWenty-fOur
and thirty-siX years by getting along
with the old bridge. These were virtu-
ally the same as figures presented by
A. j. Blethen later, which were as fol-
lows:
The cost of rel airing the old bridge is
$4,000. and interest at per cent on this
amounts to 1920 in the twelve years.
making total cost of 1922 in using
the old bridge. The new steel arch
bridge will cost 100000, $1,000 will be re-
ceived for the material in the old bridge.
and interest on $4,000, the total cost, IS
s40.9O0 for twelve years. mailing total
cost of S125,S00 for the new bridge, and
making difference of $lO5,80O to the
city in the twelve years.
IN or 70 hot
taxation was becoming the ruinatfon of
industries in Minneapolis: that it had
reduced the number of labOrerS in iron
from 1.UUO to 800: and that il was de-
StrOving the lumber trade in the city.
President Wyman next took the nor,
and with his clear statements soon
turned the tide of feeling his way. IL
want to in few words puncture few
of these peSsimiStic statements of Mr..
Bassett'S," he said. 81 aking his argu-
ment, could go on to show you what
an immense sum the city could save by
getting along with the old bridge for
fifty or seventy-five, or hundred years,
or how much more they could save by
having no bridge at all. and in the same
way how money could be saved by get
ting along with no Improvements. This
is simply to show that his arguments
are peSSimistic. | don't believe this is
the place to manufacture iron. We
don't try to encourage it. Of course it
must decrease. As to the lumber trade,
it is increasing every year. Last year
336, 0OO, 600 feet were cut here in Mime
apolis, and the only reason that it hasn't
reached $40. Goo, 600 this year is because
the old Mississippi has gone dry. Has
this got anything to do with the bridge
or taxation? Not bit of it The way
to get business is to give facilities" The
president, by means OF a diagram,
showed how the whole traffic between
the two portions Of the city must pass
through channel forty feet wide.
Judge Fish made speech opposing
the new bridge. on the ground that the
old one could be made to Subserye the
purpose.
b. +. Nelson made a speech strongly
secOnding President Wyman. He told
of the Inconvenience of the old bridge
to the manufacturers of the East side,
and stated that he would rather see the
whole cost of the new bridge placed
upon the manufacturers than to be
obliged to get along with the old one.
A. j. Blethen followed, speaking against
the new bridge. A vote was taken and
stood to 6 against the resolutions, and
virtually the board goes on record in
favor of the new bridge, though it
has not made such recommendation.
At the beginning of the meeting the
nominating committee presented the
names of John De Laittre and V. w.
Bayless for membership to fill the va
cancies caused by the death of Leander
Gorton and the resignation of Clay Nc
Cauley. The members of the board
also devoted few moments to hugging
themselves over the success of Secre-
tary Hall in securing the location in
Minneapolis of Robinson Il Moan. This
firm is one of the largest manufacturers
of street cars in the United States. 1t
was formerly located at Waterloo. 10.
From there it proposed 10 move to Chi
cago, a proceeded so far as to pur-
chase six acres of land and residence
for the manager in that ty. Secretary
Hall was given wind of the matter by
J. E. Wilson. He secured six acres of
land in Hopkins by I. B. Walkers aid,
$4,000 in money and contract from
Thomas Lowry for all the cars needed
in his systems, and on this inducement
they came to Minneapolis. The firm
will employ about 1000 men and now
has its plant nearly complete.
A $4,000 FAILURE.
A Collection and Trust Company
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