The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1904-01-14


of the County Commissioners:
For the twenty-third time, the
mem bership of this Association
has assembled in annual session,
for the purpose OF interchanging
views, of receiving and imparting
information, of comforting with
each other as to the best methods
of constructing, and maintaining
the important public works COM
mitted to our care; and last but
not least, of suggesting to the leg
islature such changes in the null
tiplicity of statutes, under which
we work, as practical knowledge
of their workings, suggests as de-
sirable or, as decisions of courts
have rendered necessary. We are
rt4ot here on : junSet, the decision
of a badly informed but no doubt
well-meaning common pleas judge,
to the contrary Notwithstanding.
We are here to learn Of each
other, and from those whom we
have invited to address us, about
up-to date methods OF construct
ing, and maintaining bridges,
roads, court houses, jails, work
houses, county infirmarys and
children's homes: and not less
important than these, concerning
the exercise Of certain degree of
supervision, made our duty under
the law, over every other county
office.
The value to the taxpayer, of
this means of interchanging in
formation, was most fUrcibly i'm
pressed upon my mind, at pre-
liminary meeting of one of your
committees, in this city, a few
weeks ago. In answer to ques-
tion, one member of the commit
tee explained how his board exc
cuted n certain statute, involving
the expenditure of considerable
sum of money. When he had
finished, another member of the
committee, a good commissioner
and very intelligent man, OBJ
served, that his attendance at
this meeting would result in saw
ing his country several thousand
dollars a year. The county COM
missioner who does not attend
these annual gatherings, is dere-
lict in his duty to the tax-0ayers
of county, who are not willing
to shoulder the modest bill of ex-
penses, incurred by their commits
sioners, while in attendance here,
are simply Penny wise and pound
foolish"
Without endeavoring to cover
the whole field, because to do SO
would extend this address beyond
proper limits, l shall content N.Y.
sef,, with an attempt to bring
out few Of the more important
matters which should claim your
attention, and most serious con-
sideration, during the days which
we are permitted to be together.
And now, gentlemen, l come to
a subject which in my Judgment
is as important as any that can
claim your attention and thought,
and that is, bridge construction,
or rather the universal substitu-
tion as to new bridges, of perma-
nent floor, construction for the
old, out-of-date, insecure and
wasteful plan of wooden joists
and plank floors. Oak lumber
for bridge purposes is getting to
be so high in price, and so infer
dor in quality, that it must soon
become thing of the past.
All over the state, there are
many millions of dollars invested
in ordinary low truss, and high
truss, steel bridges, whose mem
bers have not the required
strength to bear the added dead
weight of any permanent floor
construction, yet devised. The
floors of these bridges We will be
compelled to repair and renew, as
best we can, in the old way, for
an indefinite period, until some
genius makes his own
fortune, and becomes henefactor
to his fellows by inventing per-
floor construction suffi-
,iently light in weight, to be ,
,orne by the members of ordinary ,
russ bridges constructed.