The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-07-02
Kansas in the Grasp of a Bridge
Trust.
Companies Form Pool to
Erect Public Structures.
PRICES ARE MADE HIGH
Then the Profits Are Divided
Among Companies.
Business in This State is Very
Profitable.

A bridge trust is one of the cornbina-
t1ons which seems to have been doing
business in Kansas for a good while
without anyone entering a kick on 1t.
The kick has come at last.
1t is alleged that the various bridge
companies which operate in Kansas
have divided up the state, each one TAX
Ing certain counties. 1t is claimed that
although they all submit bids when
counties have bridges to build.
The plan of operation is this: The
counties Of. the state are divided among
the various companies in the combine.
Just how the division is made is not
known and there has apparently been
no effort to find out. When the county
commissioners of any particular county
call for bids for a bridge three or four
companies will submit bids, but the COM
pany in whose territory that county be-
longs is nearly always the lowest.
If the county commissioners happen to
representa- tives of the various companies
be present at the time of bidding, the
lowest bid is generally high enough Sc
that the successful company can pay
the expenses of the various representa-
tives out of the profits, so that the coun-
ty really pays the expenses after all.
The bridge business is good one in
Kansas. 1t has been so for number
of years and will be for many years
to come. 1t is much more profitable
here than in older states. The older
parts of the state have been putting in
iron bridges on the main Travelled roads
for years, but there were probably never
more bridges being built in the state al
one time than at present. The cheap
bridges are being replaced as fast as
they wear out with substantial iron ones
In the western counties the iron bridge
business Is just getting well under way
So it is probable that the bridge COM
panies will have a good business fol
several years.
1t is claimed that the bids for bridges
are made as high as the companies be-
lieve the commissioners of the counties
in which the bridges are to be built, will
stand The county commissioners, as
q rule, know nothing about building
iron bridges and the cost thereof, ex-
cept in a general way. When a lot OF
bids are submitted there seems to be
competition among the various compa-
MES, and the commissioners take it for
granted that the lowest bid is all right
1t is possible that there may be an i'm
mense profit in even that bid.
Occasionally trade seems to be made
so as to make 1T seem that a rival COM
pany has underbid the one which gen.
orally gets the work in given county
but it is said that there are some coun-
ties in Kansas in which practically ev-
cry contract for an iron bridge in the
last five or six years has gone to a sin
gle company.
A short time ago the Sterling Bulletin
published a short item about this al
legged trust. and since then investiga-
tions and comparisons have been star
ted in a few counties. It is probable
that if a thorough investigation should
be made that the division of counties
among the various bridge companies
could be pretty accurately secured.
II it had been a matter in which pri-
vate individuals had been financially
interested the alleged trust might have
been ferreted out long ago, but as ii
was public business with which scarce
ly anyone came in contact in a way tc
find out the profits in the business, il
can be easily seen that it would not be
difficult for combination to work fol
a long time without discovery.