Arizona republican., 1909-05-16
BRIDGE SENTIMENT
THE BRIDGE SHOULD BE
 FOR THE MOST PEOPLE
One at Center Street Could Be Used by All.

To the editor of The Republican:
 Sir:-Concerning the bridge ques- ton. I notice that many articles have been written and published concern ing a bridge over Salt River, where it would do the most good to the most people l presume that the masses want a bridge where It would benefit the most people, only one bridge is to be constructed across the river. l am heartily III sympathy with that principle.
 In the first place, let us consider what the Center street bridge Will do for the people of the county. There is a point about two miles rom Phoenix on the south side of the river where a road runs directly to the town of Mesa, and only one-half mile south of Tempe. Could not this road accommodate both the people of Mesa and vicinity and Tempe, ana would not the same accommodate the people in Phoenix and vicinity equally as we'll as a bridge at Tempe?
 Ii would accommodate all and give both the settlers and the Indians on the south side a show to get into Phoenix with some sort of ease and
 
 safety at all times.
 The question is asked whether the people will vote for a bridge to bene- fit the tax payers; this, of course, involves the question of cost, also public convenience. Those questions can only be settled by careful study of the situation.
 maintain that a bridge at the foot
 n vastly more farmers and business men, This opens up a little discus sion involving four points:
 First-Whether Tempe is the proper site to build a bridge. The Tempe committee asserted that because the Southern Pacific constructed it's bridge at that point, it was the only suita- bIe location for a bridge on the Salt river. The Southern Pacific railroad company made it's first survey from the old Maricopa station directly to Center street crossing, where it pro- posed to construct it's bridge, but the Tempe citizens raised such row, and threatened that if the survey was not changed so as to cross the river at that town, that it would defeat the S2O0 900 subsidy in support of the building of the Maricopa railroad; these threats had their effect. and the surveys were changed so as to include the Tempe crossing. That Is why the railroad bridge was con- structed at Tempe.
 Second-That failures have been made in constructing two railroad bridges at Tempe, and only after the Danffin rai1rnah had expended an enormous amount of money to construct a bridge did they get a bridge that would stand.
 Third-It is not true that Tempe is the only place that anyone ever thought of building a bridge over Salt river. It is a fact, however, that the people of the county have for twenty years contemplated the construction of a bridge at the foot of Center street, and that, too, without any sordid motive, but for the accommo- dation of all the people at the least expense.
 Fourth-WOuld not a route across the river at the foot of Center street result in the greatest benefit to he tax payers of he county? Would not that route accommodate all the pio- neers of the valley? Besides, it would open for settlement some thirty thousand acres of land that individual settlers have been loath to take up on account of the difficulty of reach ing Phoenix for several months in the year on account of high water. That there is much land south of the river that is above the gravity ditcfn is untrue, for almost every acre of that land can be utilized.
 It is said by one writer, signed. Tempe Bridge Committee" that it is proposed to ruin Tempe if possible, that speculators may make a few dollars off the settlers who are coming to this valley looking for homes. There is a great opportunity for the taking of homes on the south side of the river independent of the land owned by the Bartlett Heard Cattle company. But it is well known that the Bartlett Heard ranch will be subdivided and an opportunity for hundreds of homes given at prices that people can afford to pay. All this will add to the taxable property of the county, the only way that taxes can be legitimately increased. Besides, the most of these lands are as close to Tempe as they are to Phoenix; this benefits Tempe as much as Phoenix
 Of course a great hue and cry is made over the fact that the Bart lett-Heard company has purchased a largo raDpb Sntttb ne