The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1912-07-02

a change.
Nothing SO far has been done. But
$4,000 must be taken into account
on the 10th day of August 1917, when
the contract expires, if the city
elects to take over the plant under
the following provision in the con-
tract, as follows: AT the expiration
of the term of thirty years, for
which this franchise is granted, the
city, if it shall so elect, shall have
the right to purchase said works.
The purchase price shall be deter
mined by appralSement in the fol
lowing manner: Each party to the
contract shall choose a competent
engineer, and the two chosen shall
choose a third, and the three so
chosen shall determine under oath
the value Of The property. and the
verdict so found shall be binding
upon both parties Adopted August
IL, 1886, when the works were com
pletcd.
The Council met on July 90, 1887,
and adopted an ordinance accepting
the plant, and in section of same
declares: THAT the time for the
commencement of the public rental
of the said system of works, as pro-
Vided for by the aforesaid ordi-
nance, is hereby fixed at and shall
be the 10th day of August in the
year 1887"
Employing an Expert.
The commissioners by employing
a supposed expert to make an ex
parte One-sided valuation of the
property certainly acted hastily and
uselessly: only causing an impress
ion to go out that the property ex-
ceeded something around a million
dollars in valuation. Their purpose
in this action can not be fathomed.
They should move at the earliest
moment to secure title to the 1900
acres of Cross Lake basin, and have
a complete Typographical contour
survey made by reputable engi-
neer who makes specially of such
work, and obtain estimates for its
general conservation and protection.
The Free Bridge.
Touching their action to secure a
free bridge that has been clamOred
for, it seems they have blindly wan
dered into a morass. The ordinance
of May 10, 1882, which authorized
the alliance for its construction be-
tween the city and Police Jury of
Bossier Parish and Otto Plock, then
president of the " S. q P. Railway,
but succeeded by John Scott who
closed the contract and gave the
city one-seventh interest for $4,000
payable out of the tolls at per cent
until liquidated, contains the follow
ing provision:
Sec. 5. That the tolls shall be col
lected and be received by said party
of the first party (city and PARISH
and it shall be obligatory upon said
first party that the revenues arising
from the collection of tolls shall,
after all deductions properly
chargeable thereto, be applied
to reduction of ferry tolls for the
ensuing year, and that said reduc-
ton shall be at the rate of 10 per
cent from existing rates, and 10 per
cent for each succeeding year"
It is further agreed that the sur
plus revenues accruing under this
agreement shall not be applied to
any other purpose than the reduc
ton Of the ferry tolls and the ex
tinguishment of the debt for the
construction of said bridge.
The sum of $4,000 principal and
interest was paid out of the tolls, in
a fraction over two years, and the
debt eXtinguished.
The tolls proved greater than ex-
pectations and were reduced so per
cent on the first cut, and school
children passed free. Then other re
auctions followed until a change in
the city and parish administrators
reversed the policy and stopped the
movement toyards a free bridge.
This was afterwards made worse by
pudding headed legislator who OBJ
tanned the passage of an act requir
ing the tolls to be placed in sink
ing fund. The latter at the instillaI
ton of our present administrators
had grown to something approx
mating $4,000. Then the sapient adj
ministrators of public affairs sold
our valuable interest in the bridge
for one-fourth of its actual value
and one-twentieth of its intrinsic
value. The piers of the present
bridge were widened and increased
in solidity to accommodate the deck
for the right and left wagonways,
and the top chords Of the structure
were adequately strengthened to-
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