The daily morning journal and courier., 1894-08-31
THE DR4WBRIDGE SCHEME.
Some Conclusive Reasons Why tt Should
 Not Succeed.

Some Conclusive Reasons Why n Should
 Not Succeed.
 T'New Havener" in Evening Leader.l
 When public convenience and public necessity require public Improvements. it is the general practice on the part Of all municipalities to require that public evidence shall be given that the pro- posed public improvement Is actually for the public benefit.
 On the plea Of public necessity the United States government authorities have been petitioned 10 cause the eon- struction and maintenance at public eS- pense of a drawbridge over the West river at Kimberly avenue. and without doubt many of the signers of the peti- ton affixed their signatures without realizing the intent and meaning of its prayer.
 It now appears as Il matter Of fact that but one concern would receive any immediate benefit from the construc- ton and maintenance of the proposed wbridge. and that that concern has been located and doing business above Kimberly avenue bridge and on the West river banks only two or three years.
 It Is obvious that if the public should pay out from $40 900 to s50000 to erect the drawbridge that only one private concern would be benefited thereby, and that to very limited extent. viz. 1t would save the boats bearing clay and coal bound for the company's fac- tory from removing their mast 30 that they can pass under the present bridge. and that Is all the benefit that would accrue to anyone who might wish to have cargoes ascend the West river above the Kimberly avenue bridge.
 Surely, then, the plea of public neces- sity and convenience Is not based upon facts. but is set off to secure the benefit of private individuals rather than the general public, which does not own one foot of the land to be benefited by the proposed bridge.
 The bridging of West river and the converting of it into a highway of com merce is an old, old scheme, and when the matter of strengthening and dredg- ing the river was under consideration by the legislature of the state the schemers assured their hearers that there was no necessity for drawbridges, as canal boats drawn by propellers which were provided with hinged smokestacks would be used; in fact, the illustrations of such propellers showing how the stack on its hinge could be laid over on the deck of the boat when passing under the bridges, were shown.
 Under the influences of special plead ings the city of New Haven was by the legislature authorized at it's own ex- pense to dredge out a channel for the West river between Westville on the north and the Derby railroad on the south. Now supposing that someone of the private owners having frontage on the strengthened river above the Derby railroad should establish a small guano factory and should prosper and grow so that they would be benefited by drawbridges over the West river where the several railroad tracks cross 1t; that they would then petition the secretary of war and set forth that the river was navigable above and below the railroad bridges and that public necessity required that drawbridges should be established, maintained and operated wherever the railroad track crossed the river.
 TL1 oF ho manufacture fertilizers would be pre- cisely that of the petitioners who to-day have sought the United States authori- ty to compel this community to con- struct and maintain a draWbridge at Kimberly avenue.
 The brick makers have overlooked the rights and convenience of the mill lions of persons who pass over the Kim berly avenue bridge In the street cars, carriages and on foot, whose lives would te endangered by accidents which might arise from defects of the drawbridge or neglect of it's tender to say nothing of the inconvenience these persons would be compelled to suffer by reason of opening and closing the draw. Under the circumstances it would seem the part of wisdom for our citizens to take some steps to prevent the in- crease of hazard to their lives and to protect the taxpayers from useless ex- penditure of public funds for private benefit.
 The establishment and maintenance of drawbridge would greatly increase the burden of public expense, both to Orange and New Haven. It'is private enterprise which will be of no public l benefit. It will be wrong against the public to impose such burden. I say | this as a citizen and taxpayer in New Haven, having no interest in the mat l ter of a purely personal nature, except to the extent that every citizen who pays taxes and takes proper interest in public affairs ought to have. FASHION NOTES.