Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-16

department headquarters and jail are i'm
perative, and will probably be built within
the next year or so, and half dozen other
buildings are likely to be erected in the
near future.
Two'Plans Prepared.
The architectural commission has pre-
pared two plans. One of them, which is
very elaborate, proposes parkway one
block wide and six blocks long. between
18th and 18th streets. which shall be deco
rated with trees. plants. flowers, fountains
and statuary. Upon the l3ta street side
OF this parkway six other blocks are to be
cleared of buildings, the sites may be
needed for new court house, a Carnegie
library Qor which provision has already
been made), historical museum and hall
of public records, a building for police and
fire department headquarters and Jail The
alternate plan, which is more simple omits
the parkings and places all of the municipal
buildings In line on 18th street, with
plenty of room between them.
The Civic Improvement League is also
agitating In favor of boulevard on the
street known as Kings Highway, which en-
circles the city from river to river like a
belt. with radius of about five miles from
the center of the city and a total length OF
fifteen miles 1t is already improved for a
considerable distance and IL the plan is
carried out II will be one of the greatest
streets in the world.
The Bridge Monopoly.
Another commission is engaged in prepar-
ing a plan to relieve the merchants of ST.
Louis from the what is known as the
bridge monopoly" Even today. and this is
the twentieth century. all of the great
trunk lines running eastward dump their
freight at East ST. Louis. just as they did
hfty years ago, and the merchants have to
go over to the Illinois side OF the river to
get their goods. They also have to send
over there anything they have for shipment
to eastern markets, for all the eastbound
railroads end the Illinois bank of the
Mississippi Formerly merchandise was
ierried across and some is still handled
that way.
In 1873 the great Eads bridge, one of the
wonders of the world. was opened to traffic.
EVERY person who has crossed ii since has
mad TO pay % cents and every wagon 35
cents each way. making the round trip 80
and 20 cents, and each package of mer-
chandise carried by wagon has had to pay
an additional cents a hundred-weight, or
10 cents ton or a minimum of s. car.
| II brought by railroad. Many people find 1t
cheaper to haul all of their freight back
and forth from East ST. Louis by wagon
Some years ago the merchants of the
city formed a company and built a new
bridge, under Il charter which prohibited
mergers, but 1t was soon gobbled up by
what is known as the Terminal Company
which owns the Eads bridge. the Union sta
ton belt line railroad. the track yards and
all the railway terminal facilities In the
city. This company was originally COM
posed OF representatives of seven great
railroads. but from time to time II has taken
In other roads until now there are four
teen stockholders with equal shares and
equal rights. and an absolute monopoly.
Obstacle to City's Growth.
While no terminal system would be salts
factory to all shippers there are especial
grounds of complaint suffered by the mer-
chants of st. Louis, and they Lave long
realized that the present arrangement is
a serious obstacle to their business growth
and prosperity. The terminal assocta don is
hot willing TO spend money to extend is
facilities with the growth of the city and
the development of business. Many mer-
chants and manufacturers haul their own
goods back forth over the bridge with
teams, not so much to save money as TO
save time and trouble. They complain that
the facilities for handling freight In ST.
Louis are so inadequate that they are
never sure when they will get their goods
II they order them sent over by rail Ii has
also been demonstrated that the opening
of the new bridge at Thebes in the lower
part of the state will divert from ST. Louis
much of the enormous through traffic which
mas heretofore been passing through this
city between the states east and west of
the Mississippi river The Thebes bridge
makes no extra charges, but is counted as
pa. : "a 'HV Tvs uie'i iiiiioeASe VI th- ioauS'
Two years ago the attorney general of
the state began proceedings to dissolve the
Terminal Company, on the ground thai the
character of the Merchants bridge forbade
consolidation.
Last winter the legislature of Missouri
passed an act authorizing the city of ST.
Louis to dig a tunnel under the river or bull I
a third bridge, and the Illinois state senate
did the same; but the bill was killed in the
lower branch of that legislature. The APP
plication for a municipal charter viii be
renewed at the next session of the iegisla-
ture. In the meantime. a commission COM
posed of the mayor and eight other persons,
has been appointed 10 investigate and re-
port upon the problem, and So, 900 has been
appropriated to pay their expenses.