Arizona republican., 1909-05-19
CITIZENS
 0F TEMPE Are Not Arrayed in Strife
 Against Phoenix OVER BRIDGE CONTROVERSY But on the Contrary are Proud of the Capital City and Be- lieve the Tempe Bridge Will Be to Its Best Inter- ests.
OVER BRIDGE CONTROVERSY
Tempe, Arizona, May IS, 1909.

An article appeared in this morn ing's Republican entitled "A Long Array of Arguments in Favor of the Center Street Bridge Location" After one has gone through the so-called arguments l think they are convinced it should be entitled, "A Long Array of Tirades, Abuses and Ridicule." It has often been said that when one runs out Of argument their last re- sort is to ridicule and abuse. It seems from many articles that have been published by the Center Street Publicity committee that they have attempted and are attempting to ar ray the citizens of Phoenix and Tempe against one another Now want to say for the citizens of Tempe that we have but the kindest of feel ings for the people of PhoeniX-that the people of Tempe are as proud of Phoenix as any of its citizens: Phoe- nix is our capital city; Phoenix is our county seat. When visitors come to visit us at Tempe. we take them to PhOenix-we show them the public buildings and many other things of interest. Phoenix is, and we believe will always be, the leading city of Arizona. Our merchants of Tempe spent with the wholesale men in Phoenix last year something like $175,000 Our merchants expect to spend that amount or more this year. Privately our citizens have spent in the last year double that amount of money and I expect that an amount equal to that or greater will be spent this year We have nothing to say of the shortcomings of Phoenix. That is why we are now and always have been in favor of a bridge at Tempe. If the towns of Tempe and Mesa can be connected (and We believe they will in a short time if the Tempe bridge is builD with an cleo tric line to Phoenix, the merchants of Phoenix will be the greatest bene- ficiaries. This electric line would connect up with Phoenix the citizens of Tempe and Mesa and surrounding country a population of perhaps 5000 people.
 Your Center Street bridge at the present time would connect up with Phoenix not more than twenty fami- lies. The Bartlett-Hear Land and Cattle company has, I understand. store on their ranch that not only supplies their tenants and workmen, but part of these twenty families. So l speak for the people of Tempe and community and say it is wrong for the Center Street Bridge committee to undertake to raise strife and con- tention between our two communities.
 In their article they say, Our Tempe friend, James c. Goodwin, who so pathetically portrays the burdens of the taxpayers and elucidates the impracticability of the Center Street bridge, is neither a civil engineer nor bridge builder by profession"
 I admit the charge that l am neith- CT a civil engineer nor bridge builder, but I will say to the taxpayers of Maricopa county that I have talked with some of the best civil engineers and bridge builders in MaricOpa county and I have never yet heard one express an opinion that he is in favor of the type of bridge pro- posed by the Center street people, but they advise a bridge of the type of the one last constructed by the Maricopa X Phoenix over Salt river q or Center street. This bridge is of a caisson tubular type of pier.
 As l understand it, our county en- gineer, MT. StreitZ, recommends a bridge something over 31O0 feet long, and I will say to the taxpayers he is your surveyor and advisor to the board of supervisors. The Center street people are only asking for 2100 feet, 1000 feet less than the bed of the river. They propose to build a bridge to this point then make a levee out of sand which they propose to call a cause-way As I said some time ago through your paper that all bridges that have been built on Salt or Gila rivers up to the present time with these causeways have washed out and become the bed of the river and have cost the taxpayers and the railroad companies more to repair than the first cost of the bridge.
 Another thing I want to say to the taxpayers is that I have never found an engineer that will recommend a bridge whose piers only go down twelve feet below the datum of the river will stand against high water. Even the gentleman who represents the bridge committee that proposed to build this bridge said in open meeting in Phoenix and also in Tempe that their company would guarantee the structural part of the bridge, but would not guarantee the bridge against being washed out by