Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1890-10-11
fHE SALEN BRIDGE
4 General Pebble Demand for .
Mere Wsiohfsl Stptrrisis.-Tax
PAYERS Aiisriier.

THE JOURNAL Is only one tax
payer cut Of thousands who sre in
teres;ei in and will have TO pay for
the rs 600 steel bridge that is coiT {
NJ at Salem. /; Is fur herrno-e 3
Newspaper that 10 certain extent
10 dependent for its exi>tercs upon
the coNi. will and business pstron-
scs of these who are in control cf
the erection of this t.riice- On the
other hand. - public newspaper,
ihsi sol,ciis support from thousands
cf disinte-estei taxpayers, it y
under cS,licStinu 70 certain ex-
tent 70 furnish Intelligent iuforma-
ton IS 10 bow the work i prrc-es>-
Dc and bow well it = h-einc done
Salem fees deep pride in the rev
hr1iCe- 1t was the uuSniuity
sod enthusiasm and enterprise o.
salem t'usipe- men that FASTENED
be plan by which speedy sciiou 10
7episce the bridge VS. = Gu 81.
But every tsxpsyei in Marion sDd
Polk COUNTIES hs> Just ss much in-
ier->t in se-2r!us good, lasting
giece of work an bat bridge s. the
JOURNAL has. o- - any citizen in
salem. The CITY will lS full O.
-,rorniperI free bpidr-. next week
sben the c c-i; cpurt viii be j,
-ession All lh--~e representative
-itireps sn bezvy taxpayers viii
se SD TO make Investigation for
iben$.ves s. t. the p-oEress of the
<o-k.
Much information has cnrns tofhs
JoCRSAL 70 the effect ihst crooked
- poor ~nrk vs. :.-inC done. The
s-si tsi break vas the defective
pier vo-k. thai has Slre-sdy ne-e>si-
sted sn eXfrs -X.-@ - II sv-r Sl0.-
80. The di--r-i.iei engineer v 10
rss lArce'y Responsible for this l.
still -etsiuei. and s-Jt-h supervision
-zrnoi but prove cr>tly in the con
-Iroc-ion q the whole b-ldce. How
-psny more slQ.ptl ext-As vi.l come
IN 10 coe c4n tel. This l. plain,
frank t.lk. and We; Ne feel that
there i iitl. use Iuincing nlsIIers-
ADo,h-r irnpar-sut matter that II
= not too hate - investigate = the
i1spcisl standing of The suriIies on
the CONTRACTOR oa0i. Il Il vel
known thzt 10 effort Was msde 2
recover on the loss sll.'s io-d hy the
other t'ridrs going ont; Vet il went
o1t with Ut The bsuk. washing
away ~ anyih;u- striking the
b-idge. Il simply Eel down. Tue
county had DO -@cGri;y. II i weL
known as rule. thai large brii :,
contract ug firms are Dot found so
vent wnfn ssked 70 face 8 los O
$500. II any accident hsppene-
TO this 3 iEe in the course OF il.
Z construct or il j. almost certain lh-
taxpayers woulI have L. bear lit
loss.
The org nsl plsn sevms 20 con
template that the east end u Ia.
Dew steel = s'lnciUre shall rest Upn'
the shell cyiD-.er pier- that sup
ported the old tridge. To place ttia
immense steel span Upon those tw,
faulty cenc- cted sbeel-iron pillar
Is soout equal TO setting ten--tor.
granite building upIn stilts. Tn
same pillars failed 70 hold up tn,
wooden bride. How shal the!
sustain one Of steel
The eubsnkmeut that TWO year
ago was one-third the width Of ;
stree, is nearly al gone. No or,
knows hut that those piers were uu
settled when tie other bridge wen
out More than likely they were.
The JOURNAL has received 3
number Of Communications aud
complaints upon this enterprise, -
important 10 taxpayers. This l. bu'
natural. We have 50 far refrAined
from comments or publications. We
do not consider that anything CAL
% gained by longer silence. The
fullest airing must be given these
matters in the press that people may
have confidence that their work il
being done righ', aud the taxpayer =
money righteously expended. To
Investigate and make public such
matters is not d pleasant task iur
anyone, much less newspaper, at
bose business those taheu 10 Task
can daily strike blows. But 50 far
as the JOURNAL j. concerned, no
personal feelings enter into the mat
ter. II dO-s not assail the Integrity
of Supervisors GrOndahl aud Nc
Coy. But thDse gentleman caunoi
in turn throw the responsibility Of
The first SIC, 900 biunder in coustruc-
ton upon each other without the
public losing confidence in tdeir
joint supervision. Some one Is to
blame. Let the public decide. Ia
the meantime let intelligent tax
payers take an Interest in their
bridge. We can only voice the pub
10 sentiment as IL c.ms.s IN a. with
out fear or favor. But We believe
that the public is entitled 10 the
waichful supervision Of 3 skilled
steel bridge engineer, whose duty it
shall be to -ee that the specifications
Of the contract are faithfully com
piled with. The super-truciure il
now TO 20 on. 1t is still time to get
he 81 eel bridge that il called for. and