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

is approached on the city side
through an alley and at a height
approximating the same as the
Spring street bridge, or at least as
high to give the same clearance over
The tracks the new viaduct must
have to the kerley landing.
This proposition when suggested
fell on deaf ears, hence we are more
remote from free bridge now than
in 1892 when the tolls were revived
The papers flattered the commits
siOners for their wisdom in acting
on the new scheme, and there you
are.
Every old contract that has been
tempered with has been a blunder-
ing retrOgressiOn.
How much nicer would it be to
have a handsome concrete and steel
bridge on Spring street, with a com
modious open viaduct to the bridge
extending to the Bossier side, an or
namental concrete and steel, the
bridge resting on substantial tested
piers that floods have failed to dis
turb, than crawling into town
through an alley and throwing away
money to do it.
The V. S. & P. railway would like
ly charge 100000 to revive the con-
tract, but that would be better than
any further consideration if the new
venture with it's hidden dangers and
Inconvenience. The BOssier ramp
approach was half way up, the new
one will be costly to raise. The draw
expense falls entirely on the tolls,
shared under contract with the rail
way.
The attendance, whether used or
not, the laws of navigation compels
their steady day and night service.
Street Paving Contracts.
The question of saving 100000 on
paving contracts is not now suscep-
tible of final estimates. Figures
around $4,000 have been published
by the retired commissioner that at
last should result, leaving a surplus.
The saving value, however, is ques-
toned by even nOn-expert women,
as the thickness of the foundations
and proportions of some materials
and the qualities of the binder, and
in some cases the widths of the
paved streets between curbs have
been lessened, which on Marshall
avenue, now double tracked, reduces
its capacity for vehicular traffic.
Such economy may plague the flu
ture about the cost of renewals An
experienced contractor and worker
in cement and concrete paving in
formed the writer that the asphalt
intermixed was insufficient at the
Anne it was placed on Market and
other streets, which was undoubt-
eddy correct, Judging from their
early decomposition and broken sur
faces, needing constant repairs, be-
coming very dangerous and destruc-
tive to vehicles.
The additions to salaries and en-
ployes fthe city staff it is estimat-
ed would maintain steady force of
thirty laborers repairing the streets,
but they absorb the funds impera-
t vc'y needed for the comfort of
travel over our thoroughfares. This
is another example of retrogression
that everybody complains about.
Commissioner of Public Safety.
The head of the Department of
Public Safety has gone back to the
practice of law in partnership with
a corporation attorney who has
opposing the city's safeguarding the
contractors interest in some paving
obligations. While no one thinks
such an association would affect his
allegiance to the city's interests, it
can not add much to his effective
attention to the forces of public
safety while otherwise engaged in
his legal diversions.
The commission form of govern
ment in the absence of any civil
service rules for examining candi-
dates for office and their expert
qualifications for fulfilling and sat
isfaetorily discharging the duties of
the respective departments, which
it really implies, excuses any lack of
such qualifications in our present or
future commissioners. The creating
act allows them, however, to employ
experts as substitutes, and some
nave awaited themselves of the priv
i!ege, reducing themselves to pen.
sionaires. So economy and blind
tigers are en- rapport. Others may
add 20 these reflections, but for the
pre- lent .enuF std."
A. Q. QUInNUNC.
The Shooting OF Murderers.
New York Times: Convicted muir