The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-08-02
REPLIES
MIR. T''U|..R||''.Pl.N||''|'
Mr.. Henry w. Wood Takes
Strong Ground for Free
Bridge.
WOULD /. ENHANCE VI BUSINESS ' YES
Believes the Advantages Of the
Proposition Are Self S
Evident.
| WOULD ENHANCE BUSINESS.

Mr.. Henry w. Wood, one Of the prom \
Elnent business men, who is e moving
spirit behind the proposition now pend =
ing before the Council to Join Richmond
and Manchester with q new free bridge,
last night gave out tho following inter-
view In answer to thatSuf President Tur-
PIN, of the Board Of Aldermen. on that
subject in5last Sundays Timeg- Dispatch
l am very much surprised at Mr.. Tu i',
pins criticisms In regard to the propois &c.
purchase Of Mayo's Brids, with a. view
to making It into g. free BIRD ~
bridge: Mr.. Turpn says It 10 evident =, tha a
s"tlle thing bought Is only the right OF
way across the river. :" In this he is en-
trey GRton stone
and abutinents, the right OF way across a!' sss
tho islands and approaches to the b,
bridge, which really II g .ls ,, tne
$is ) at 1t present $4,000 Of bonds upon the
bridge, carrying four per. cent. interest;
The earnings from the bridge. have PAID
this interest pom the bonds me expenses
besides. and i am informed tina t there Is
now in the treasury sufficient money 70
pay the interest on the bonds foratWo or
earn another cent. In any calculations as
to the value OF a property. the earning
capacity must be taken Into considera-
ton. and t hose who have locked into the
the bridge IS q very rea 3 enable one IN,
deed Z and that the purchase price fixed
for he brld ge. with the amount .ne e.
yery aua eM MAKE
Procured Estirfla ties.
Mr.. Turpin also states tl,at 1T would be
most unbusiness-lik like procedure Il to take
any step antil the final cost IS ascertain
ed I will state that The committee IN
charge procured estimates from the Wo
try both for y q + steel glrder bridg and
for a concrete steel reinfoi ced B bridge,
and that the Inmates yarys from sloo. ooo
to $4,000 for rst class .to7 71e e
charge has left nc, stone unturne ed to put
this whole ma tter&up IL ID finite busi-
ness basis, procurlng estimates as to tho
entire cost, GLIDING the re Try flllng
IN, paving, laying street car ails and
sconduits for carrying telegraph, telephone
and electric power cables. and the. conclti.
sions reached are that the purchase Of
the Old bridge can De mace ana the n9
$3.50. 900 of bonds proposed to pc guarraan-
teed by the two cities. b. ;l @
Petersburg Cars.
The construct ton OF q i,rs5-class bridge
will enable the street car lines TO cross e 8
the bridge as formerly, and 1T Is within
all reasonable proba bility that arrange
nents can be made for running tho Pc I, !.
ton to the. Hull stree q line. which will
have to go over the bridge henever,d,nne
bridge is put in to good condi J, t = :
these conditions. q nd n q X tract made
with the street raj way &C lnpanics on a
basis OF the contract for1ner ly existing,
4whichjs entirely within the control Of the
commissioners and the City Councils Of
the two cities. there is has dly, 2 DOUBT e!,5,
from the start, be more than 8suftic lent to
pay3lthe expenses and tho interest upon
the bonds. With. anything Ike a. reason
able increase, which Is bou I'D to come. the
revenue from the bridge should also pro-
Vide III sinking fund with which TO retire
the bonds Mt maturity. Us 8ss5#f
Many Advantages.
The advantages from the bridge are
self-eVident to any one who gives the
matter the slightest though. Retail mer,
chants inthe lover partSi RiehmGna
that since the time the Hull Street line
was taken off the bridge that their sales
had fallens OFF from o to IS ia per cent.
The increase in property value and taxes !e
part Of the city will Itself In my y opin-
Ion, easily more than pay the interest on
the bonds 3.
point ON it it Seams to me 10 be the best invest
! ment that the city can maxi from a reYe-
nue. point Of view. Tho crying need OF
l3betters bridge facilities between the two
cities has long been felt, and there is, in
my opinion. nothing that the two cities
can do that will improve pnd advance
their business and material interests more
on3the Mayo's Bridge site. If advantage
lis-not taken OF the present opportunity
| the chances are that we Will never be
| able to procure a free bri ago on anything
Hike as favorable terms as a t present.
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