The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-06-30
THE CONGRESS SIT. BRIDGE.

The opening of the Congress street bridge to foot traffic is a boon for which the citizens will be duly grate- ful, and yet, because the opening is long over due. and because the bridge is not yet ready for full traffic, their pleasure will be tempered with sober thought.
 Whenever 1t is proposed that the community shall increase the circle of it's collective activities, by operating, for instance, it's own public utilities, as water. gas and electric light, there arises. from a certain group of citizens. the noisy cry that the people are in competent, that they cannot do their own business for themselves because of their exceeding foolishness incapac- ity and lack of judgment
 And it must be confessed that in the transaction of public business things from time to time appear that give color to these aspersions. For in- stance, in the construction of this very bridge see what has occurred. The right to construct it was denied to the lowest bidder. although this bidder was a local firm, to whom the preference should have been given
 The contract was let to the higher bidder upon the claim that they would finish the bridge on time
 The dominant idea in the minds of the bridge commission was. as we are bound to believe. to get the bridge fin- ished on time. And for this purpose the job was given to a foreign com pany. instead of to a local company, and to higher instead of to the low est bidder
 It was promised that the bridge should be completed in November. 1909 But it wasn't and seven long months have since elapsed. and the structure is, ready for only partial use
 A reading of the contract made by the commission with the builders dis closes that the commission entirely neglected to provide a forfeit in case the work should not be completed on time
 Could anything be more utterly ridiculous, laundering. costly and in- competent than this omission?
 The same indifference. lack of fore sight and failure to do promptly things necessary for the convenience of the public has permeated the Congress street bridge enterprise since its in- ception.
 The footbridge was not constructed until the business men had suffered severe losses.
 Matters connected with the ap- breaches to the bridge. that should have been foreseen and attended to, have been put off until the eleventh hour. whether to conceal the delay in doing the work, or from sheer careless ness, does not appear.
 It is such things as these that give the impression that the people cannot do their own business successfully Indeed, if we are not mistaken. the commission numbers gentlemen who believe that the citizenship is not in telligent enough to run its own public utilities. but must keep themselves subject to the tender mercies of pri- yate agencies who furnish indifferent service and take large profits.
 But the fault is not with the peo- pie, at least not much. They have only made the mistake of selecting, too frequently. to be their servants men who entertain the ideals under which private business is transacted, and who are sadly unfamiliar with the higher motives under which public business is done.
 The distinguishing line between public and private business is that the former is done for service and the latter, for profit.