Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-12-20
TO BUY THE BRIDGES.
An Official Demand for 81, 800, 900
in Bonds for That Purpose.
4 VOTE OF THE PEOPLE REQUIRED.
Free Bridge at South Twenty-Second
street Recommended.
BRISK MEETING OF A SLOW COMMITTEE

tee got move on yesterday and before it
adjourned had voted to build free bridge
across the Monongahela river at South
Twenty-second street and to recommend the
issue of 81, SOC, 900 In bonds. The bonds are
to be used in buying all the present bridges
to the Southside. Both the Twenty-second
street bridge matter and the bond issue
must be passed on by Councils before it can
go any further. Those who have interested
themselves enough to study the feeling of
Councils on the question say they will pass
an ordinance to submit the bond issue to a
popular vote, which must be done before
the issue can be made.
AS to the bridge at South Twenty-second
street, it is believed it will pass without
much difficulty and, whether the bond issue
goes through or not, the bridge money al
ready appropriated by Councils will be used
in its construction. Chief Bigelow told the
committee yesterday he had received rough
estimates of cost on the bridge and it will
cost $500, 900 if built wide enough for three
tracks aud $400, 900 for four tracks He said
the accurate figures would probably fall
below the estimate.
To Connect With Second Avenue.
The rough plan of the bridge he has pre-
pared provides for high elevation so that
one entrance will come out on a level with
Forbes street at Brady, and the other at
Fox alley on South Twenty-second street.
He proposes that a branch track with an
easy grade will connect the bridge with
Second avenue which it will cross at an
elevation of 40 or so feet.
There was a good attendance of the COM
mittee, all but Messrs. Ford and Holiday
being present. The latter had in his pos
session the report of the subcommittee in
structed to ascertain the cost OF the existing
bridges, so no report was made. The SUBJ
committee to prepare legislation for con-
demnation of bridge properties, only re-
ported progress. The subcommittee on
sites reported, through Mr. Matthews.
resolution in favor of the South Twenty
second street location and instructing
Chief Bigelow to proceed at once with the
work.
Chairman Bigham ruled the resolution
out of order, and it was changed to q recon-
nendation with the instructions to Chief
Bigelow cut out. A discussion on the SUBJ
ject of location followed an attempt by Mr..
Robertson to change it to South Eighth
street.
Wanted Another Location.
He argued that that. location was more
central than the other, but said the greatest
advantage would come from wiping out the
franchise value of the Tenth street and
Smithfeld street bridges by placing free
bridge between them and compelling the
companies to sell out at the actual cost of
their property. Mr.. Fox argued in the
same vein.
Mr.. Mathews maintained that South
Twenty second street would be the most
central location and would give accommo-
dation to the greatest number. Messrs.
Anderson, Shannon, Finn and Wilson
argued on the same line. The amendment
was defeated and the recommendation
adopted, Messrs. Fox and Robertson being
the only opposition.
1t was MI Robertson who sprung the
bond question. He moved to make the
Issue of 81, 800, 900 in bonds a part of an
ordinance which should be prepared for
presentation at the next meeting of Councils
with the committees recommendation.
'These bonds" he said, "should be made
to run for 30 years. They can be foated
easily at 81 or per cent, we will say 4.
In order to pay them off at maturity sink
ing fund of 81 per cent would be necessary
This would make ~ per cent year on
We are now appropriating $500, 900 a year
for park extensions and improvements,
500, 900 for extending the water plant and
500, 900 tor free bridges. This keeps up
our tax rate and we have comparatively
little to show tor it.
PosterIty Getting the Benefit.
'tBy issuing these bonds we will have
$27O,OOO less to appropriate each
~ fhA
secure the improvements we want,
need and should have had 20 years ago.
Futurlty will get the benefit of the i'm
provements and help to pay for them as
we'll 1t will take 20 years to buy all the
Southside bridges at the way we are going
on. The people don't want to wait that
long to be relieved of paying a tax for
going from one part of the city to another.
The bonds should be divided, 81, 500, 900 to
parks, the same amount to water works
and the same to bridges. With the $500, 900
in the bridge fund next year we could buy
all the bridges and build a new one at
T1enty-second street besides"
Mr.. Bigham picked several flaws in Mr.
Robertson's argument and declared it not a
part of the bridge committees business to
provide bonds tor parks and water works
He didn't believe the people would vote
for it anyway.
Mr.. Robertson, after considerable discus
sion, changed his motion, reducing the
bond issue to $l,5OO,0 and making it
simply recommendation to Councils, and
it was passed. Gas to the people voting
for it, said he, ''that is why L wanted to
include parks and water works. All the
city is interested in them, but only the
Southside wants free bridges The neces-
sity for water works improvements exists
They are needed badly, and it will cost
heap of money to make them. By my
original proposition the tax rate next year
could be reduced 2 mills without incon-
venience. 1 am afraid the East End people
will not vote for bond issue tor free
bridges"