Arizona republican., 1909-05-07
VIEWS OF A. [. BARTLETT
Campaign Reviewed and Plans Made--Center Street Bridge Will Be Built Is the . General Opinion of Mem bers of Committee.

Of all the bridge meetings that have
 last night by the executive committed
 to the business men of the city was
 without doubt the most enthusiastic
 and the most likely to bring about re-
 suits. Every man who attended il
 came away with the unalterable idea
 that a bridge must be built at the foot
 of Center street. Whether or not an
 additional bridge should be built at
 Tempe was a matter of secondary i'm
 portafce
 The dinner, which was held at the
 Hotel Adams, was presided over by B.
 A. Fowler, who has charge of the
 propaganda. Among the speakers was
 A c, Bartlett of Chicago. It is the first time that MT. Bartlett has given
 his views on the subject of the Center street bridge. He said, "I advise the people of Phoenix to build that bridge where it will be of the greatest bene- fit to the greatest number. without reference to the corporation whose in terest lie on the south side of the river"
 He said that it is a difficult matter for a man to draw the line between personal interests and public welfare and added that he thought the Bart lett Heard company would make some money out of the sale of the land in case the bridge was built at Center street but he had no definite idea how much. When the ranch was pur- chased there was no idea of subdi- vision. It was then the intention of making it one of the finest ranches in the United States. The idea of sub division came later and was suggested to him by Mfr. Hill. We are willing to pay our full share said MT. Bartlett, and more than our share toward building this bridge, and we will pay it whether We decide later to subdivide or not. I want to impress on your minds that the building of the bridge will not decide whether we subdivide or not It we divide this ranch into 40 and 20 acres tracts. with the new homes that will be built on it, there will be created on the south side q new domain which will add largely to the tax receipts of the country. Gen tlemen, you will have that bridge. for it is not possible that a city the size of Phoenix, the capitol of the terri tory, with that large section of the finest lands of tbe valley lying idle for the lack of it, will not build a bridge to develop that part of the country and to add to its own busi- ness"
 Dr. John w. Foss hit the spike on the head when he said. There are all the elements of a comic opera in this holdup of community. that pays 65 per cent of the county taxes. by little town like Tempe. In that domain south of the city we can build two Tempes and have room to spare I can see no grounds for argument in the case at all. It is a plot for a comedy with a stage setting of cactus"
 J. C. Adams said in part, T see no room for feeling between the south l side and the north side. To me it is | nothing but a cold blooded business | proposition. If the bridge is located | at Tempe I do not believe that one | additional load of merchandise or farm l product will come by it to Phoenix | The farmer can get exactly the same | price for his goods in Tempe that he | can in Phoenix and he won't haul his | load nine miles farther for sentiment We lose the business. With the bridge at Center street the land south of the river will be settled and the additional business belongs to Phoenix The bridge should be located where it will be the greatest benefit to the majority of taxpayers"
 The walls of the room were covered with maps showing the amount of land on the south side that will be opened for settlement by the Center street bridge. Drawings of the bridge were also exhibited. These were explained in detail by Dwight B. Heard and the maps by Roy Goodrich. The latter spoke of the fine orange and fruit lands that will be cultivated at once when access to the base of supplies can be reached by the bridge. He said that there were 34.O0O acres of ex-