The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1907-08-15
Mayor rIaher VetOs the Bridge
Ordinance,

Greenville, o., Aug. 10, 1907
To the Honorable, the City Coun
Gil of the City of Greenville
0hio,-
| herewith return to your hon
Orable body without my approva
an ordinance to issue bonds il
the sum of $26, 10000 to pay the
city's portion of the cost of con.
struction of Broadway bridge fol
the following reasons, viz:
First-Persistent rumors have
been circulated in this city, anC
have reached my ears, that re-
fleet on the good faith, fairness
and honesty of the proposal you
are about to accept. While | do
not believe, and wholly discredit,
any rumor or suggestion reflect
ing on the honor, integrity, or
uprightness of any city official,
and regard them all as honest
men, yet in the light of recent
exposures in this state of dishon-
est understandings by and be-
tween contractors on bridge
work, l deem it wise and prudent
to veto this ordinance in the in
terest of the good name and well
fare of this city and her citizens.
Second-The best engineers in
the country are divided in opin-
ion as to the advisability of build
ing a single span, fiat arch con-
crete bridge, of the length of this
span, saying, it would be an ex-
pertinent, and we cannot afford
to experiment with the peoples
money at such enormous cost.
Third-The tax rate in this city
is high at present and the people
are groaning under the burden,
and l am in favor of adding only
such additional burden as will Sc
cure to the people as good a bridge
as can be built at the best price
obtainable, and the aim of all Off
cials should be to reduce this rate,
if possible, without permitting
the interests of the city to suffer.
Fourth-The bonded indebted
ness of the city at present is
$2O2, ,247.37, which, added to the
special assessment for streets,
etc., makes the indebtedness on
the people at this time approx
mately $3O3, 10000, and if in the
construction of this bridge we
can save to the people of the city
$1,000. 90 or 100000 regard it
as our sworn duty to do so, if, in
so doing, we can attain, as | be-
lieve we can, the same end, and
have erected a bridge that will
be just as ornamental, just as
strong, and good in every re-
spect, as the one proposed to be
built by the contractors whose
bid it is proposed to accept.
Fifth-For the reason that the
City Council and the Board of
Public Service have not arrived
at an agreement on the said
bridge with the Traction Com
pany, and the building of the
bridge by the city, or attempt to
build it, would result in endless
litigation and expense to the tax
payers Of the city,.
SIXTH am further convinced
and have no hesitancy in assert
ing that the bid of $43, 443.OO
which the Board of Public Ser
vice has approved and propose to
accept and for which said bond
issue is requested to enable them
to enter into a contract with such
bidder, is excessive and extrava-
giant, and l am convinced the
bridge proposed can be built for
$40, 900 or $12,OO less than said
bid; l am officially informed that
the Main street bridge in the city
of Dayton, 668 feet long, 81 feet
wide, was built at a cost of $128,
OO0.OO. The Third street bridge
in said city, 1893 feet long. 66 feet
wide, was built at acost $3.50,
600. That the Washington street
L, - L. oOn.c