Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1912-02-22


3besn collected in the last six months
which warranted The State III proceed;
ing not only against the bridge trust,
but II large number of county Ulcers,
who, the Governor declared, we're III /
5collusion with the agents Of the bridge 1
companies and particip ated Lii che
graft money Inulched from the ceun-
ties. we have the evidence against
these officials and We are going To
bring custer proceeding against them
right away, 7, 81 the Governor aeelared.
Supervisor Gearhart declared that
as the result Of his investig cation. he
was certain Kansas was being robbed
Of not less than 81 900, 900 by the trust
and county officials who were In on
the graft
We have an ntiquated bridge law
in this state which aids just that sort
of thing he declared.
rust Agents Busy
Every time we have tried to amend!
that bridge law or to pass a better one,
cur efforts have been defeated by the
activity of gents of the bridge trust;
and county officials.
.The people of Kansas are not the
only ones who are being robbed B, de-.
clared T. H, Med Donald, State Highway
Engineer of Iowa. Every state In the
Union is contributing. but the states
west of the Mississippi River are being
robbed worst of all. Iowais fighting
the bridge trust just as Kansas is fight.
ing it. It is costing our state millions
OF dollars every year. 1t is intrenchedS
in just as many courthouses In Iowa
as in Kansas; 1t is intrenched In Mis-
souri,, in Oklahoma, Illinois Mime
sofa and the Dakotas. NY obserya I
| tons lead me to believe that Nebraska
is in a worse fix than any of the other
states. Up there the conditions are
simply frightful. Kansas, Iowa and
Illinois are fighting the bridge combine
and Missouri and Nebraska and Min
nesota ought to get In the game with
7 u.s."
According to the state engineers,
the activities of the Tin bridge com.
bine" are not confined to tin (iron)
bridges. They will contract for con-
crete as quickly as for iron and steel.
but woe to the county that is caught;
by that game. Donald told Of con
lscrete bridge in Iowa which he inves,5
itigated. He drilled a hole III one of;
the piers after the bridge had been
completed and found the interior Of
the pie still in a liquid state, SO thin
| that IT ran out Of the drill hole. He
showed a large number of pictures OF
detective bridges built BY the trust.
/ Alleged Rivals Make Straw Bids. n
According to the state engineers,
each state is divided into districts, In
which one company is given almost a
monopoly, the other companies max
ling straw bids only for the sake Of
appearances. This results In high
prices. Independent bidders are froz-
en- out Collision with county officials
permits inferior work, with the result
that the people not only are Eaddled
with excessive first cost, but a huge
annual bill for repairs out OF which
1.-THE bridge companies reap further pro-
| fits. g s5
| The state engineers proposed as a
remedy for this-the proposal being
Endorsed by the convention law re-
quiring that all bridges be built under
the supervision of the state engineers
| So far as Kansas is concerned, the.
Good Roads Association will publish
the names of those county officers
who now refuse to call in the state
lengneers for consultation, as the law
provides that they may. The engi-s
neers favored also the building of
stone and concrete bridges wherever
Possipie, Holuln5 lildI WINE atHe 2iiTSI
cost might be higher, the ultimate
saving in repairs would save the cost
Of the bridge.
HERE is A BARGAIN FOR YOUR.
| LIFE
An absolutely new modern 6 room
cottage only two blocks from the post
office. The lot alone is worth $l500
as it is a corner lot and faces east on
Oak street. The house is all finished
in oak with maple floors ana is equip
red with a splendid heating plant
and the very best of plumbing. Full
basement with good stone foundation
The owner Of this property refused