Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-10-30
BONDS FOR BRIDGES.
Chief Bigelow Says That Enough
Should Be Issued to
PAY FOR OTHER IMPROVEMENTS,
A Committee Obtains Prices on Some Of the
I'D Bridges.
PLANS READY FOR A NEW STRUCTURE

The free bridge question IL rapidly as
suming shape. Those who are well posted
say that by next spring the city will either
| have purchased one of the existing bridges
| to the Southside or have authorized the con-
struction of new one A subcommittee
of the Free Bridge Committee has ascer-
tained what the cost of the present bridges
would be. The report will be made at q
meeting of the general committee next
Friday. By that time another sub-commit-
tee, instructed to ascertain the cost of
new bridge, will be ready to report, with
plans and figures
The first committee reports that the Point
bridge can be bought for S250.000 This
does not include bonded debt of $325, 900
which the city would have to assume. With
it the bridge would cost s575,000. Its
original cost is figured at something less
than $500, 900.
The Smithfeld street bridge can be
bought for ''about q million" The COM
pany only wants what it cost them Ac-
cording to the company's figures, the new
bridge cost S901, 900.
Waiting for the City to Move.
Twenty per cent dividends have been
drawn BY the stockholders in the Tenth
street bridge for years, so it is said. The
original capitalization of the company was
Sill, 900 divided into S25 shares The shares
are now selling at S67 and the company
| values the bridge according to the market
value of the stock. An offer of 100000
| would buy the bridge. Another offer is
made by the same company. Their present
bridge is badly run down. they having
decided not to rebuild until the city had
settled her course in relation to free bridgea
| A proposition is made by the company to
rebuild frst-class four track structure
considered unlikely that the latter PROPOSE
| tion will receive serious consideration, but
| the first one undoubtedly will
The scheme to issue bonds and buy all the
| present bridges at once is again being re-
| vived. George Holiday, President of Com
| mon Council, will present o resolution to
Councils tomorrow providing for vote of
the people on the question. 1t will provide
for an issue of $4,000, 900 worth of bonds
With this sum, Mr.. Holiday argues, the
city can buy the three present bridges and
ready set aside for the purpose by Councils
there will be enough to build another bridge
at South Twenty-second street.
Want to Embrace Other Improvements.
The majority of City Hall officials favor
the bond issue, but they don't want to stop
at bridges. MI. Holiday and Chief Bige-
low discussed the matter yesterday The
Chief declared the people of the East End
were not interested In free bridges and
would not vote for bond issue providing
for bridges alone. To get the people to
vote for bonds, each section and the whole
city must get some benefit from them. The
city, he declared, needs a considerable e1-
tension of her water plant Future genera
tions will enjoy the benefit OF it, as they
will from the improvement of the parks
Not unless the bond issue was made large
enough to include these improvements
would the people support it. according to
Mr.. Bigelow. and he was opposed to it
unless it did include them.
Mr.. Holiday denied that East End peo-
pie would not support the project "You
hear every day" said he, s'that the business
people of the city live in the East End.
Granting this to be true, the business men
have their interests downtown, and their
business extends to the Southside as well as
other sections Their wagons cross the
bridges, likewise their customers.
Business Men Are Deeply Interested.
'Business men have come to me and told
me they would support the bond scheme 4
Inev QOn want TO DullO or Duy one Drt0ge
and make it free. leaving the others toll
bridges According to the present plan of
setting aside $780, 900 q year for bridges, it
will take 20 years to make them all free. 4
We could buy them cheaply by building a
new one between Smithfield and Tenth
streets and running the investment in the
old scheme. They are disposed to treat the
bridge companies fairly"
The traction companies will likely figure
in the question of free bridges When the
city buys them they become public high
ways. In order to make the street rail
ways pay their share toward the mainten-
ance of them, it is said, ordinances giving
rights OF way and requiring of the COM
panies an annual tax for the privilege will
be necessary. At present the Point bridge
receives S. 900 year, but new contract
goes into effect on January for $4,000
year for traction privileges The Tenth
street bridge receives 5000, and the
Smithfeld street 81, 900. This is consid-
cred fair figure by those who have studied
the question for the city to charge when
she assumes control of the bridges
Mayor Gourley and Chief Brown are
both in favor of bond issues, but not for
free bridges alone. They think that parks
and water works should be provided for as
we'll