The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-05-24
ST. PAUL MAY LOSE
SMELLING BRIDGE
WAR DEPARTMENT WILL STAND
NO TEMPoRIzING.
Actual Work Must Be Undertaken
Within Year Of Passage of Act and
Unless Neighbor Gets Busy Soon
Government Will Declare Deal Of.
Old Bridge May Be Condemned.

Members of the st. Paul city council
apparently 90 not realize what they
their part of the preliminaries to tho
construction of the new Fort Smelling
bridge. War department. officials point
| out that under the act of congress the
time for action is short, and that, if
| something is not done soon, it will be
too late, and there won't be any new
bridge.
Under the act of congress "actual
construction must be commenced
within one year of its approval. This
limitation was put in the bill purposely
| at the suggestion Of the war depart.
| ment, where it was desired that the
bridge should be completed as quickly
as possible.
would take six months to prepare plans,
let contracts and begin construction.
The first half Of the year was to be
| consumed in carrying out the prelimin-
| aries, such as the issue Of bonds, etc.
Two Months Gone.
Two months Of the first six have
passed and the city of St. Paul has
done nothing toward carrying out it's
share Of the preliminary work. Advices
A-oin washington 10 y Ii q
are that unless the city council acts
quickly it will be too late, as the de-
partment will not have time to carry
| out its part of the program within the
time fixed by congress.
War department officials, say the dis
patches, are fully advised Of what is
going on in the st. Paul city council
| and the attitude Of that body has
caused them to make up their minds
that they will not recommend an extern
| sion Of time for beginning work. In
the past, congress has extended the time
for the construction of bridges when
the parties back of the enterprises
showed good faith in complying with
the law and submitted evidence that
delay was not due to any refusal to
take advantage Of the privilege given.
All bills for extension Of time are re-
ferred to the war department for re-
port, and none is refused relief when
good faith is shown.
Good Faith Lacking.
In the case Of the city of St. Paul,
the Washington dispatches say, depart
ment officials declare that good faith
has not been shown. On the contrary,
the city council has done everything it
could to obstruct and delay construc-
tion. Because of the attitude of the
city council, the department will not
recommend an extension Of time for
commencing construction, and it is GER
tain that congress will not act in oppo-
slt1on to the views of the department.
CRITICAL reports on file at the war
department in Washington Indicate
that, unless a new bridge is constructed.
St. Paul will be cut off entirely from
alrect communication with Fort Shell
lng: These reports say that the piers
OF the old bridge are cracked and the
bridge is likely to be condemned and
closed to traffic Of all kinds in a wear
or two; With the closing Of the bridge.
the on ly way for the people of st. Paul
to get to the reservation will be by
way of Minneapolis. War department.
officials -reiterate the statements made
In the, dispatches to The urnal
yesterday. that they do not care a cent
whether st. Paul gets into line on the
new bridge or not. They have a loop
from Minneapolis running into the res
ervation, and are satisfied with this
means Of getting to and from the fort.
In connection with the controversy
in the St. Paul council and the posi-
bility that there will not be any new
bridge, the tip is given the street rail
way company. from Washington that it
might be we'll to make the temporary
g. permanent one. Under the orders of
the secretary of war this station is to
be located near the artillery and cav
airy para de ground, a most advan-
tageous site. The proposed new drill
hall is to be located in that vicinity,
and that is where nearly all the visi..
tors to the post will go, as the cavalry
and artillery drills are more SNOWY
and spectacular than the infantry drills.
1t is said that specific provision viii
probably be made in the sundrv civil
bill for drill hall, which is estimated
to cost $50, 900. Representatives Stevens
and Fletcher went before the committee
on appropriations yesterday and urged
that an item 20 into the bill to carry
out this, part Of the plans Of the de-
partment. go -. -