Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1917-02-02
NO ACTION ON BRIDGE
POLK AWAITS RESULTS OF
WEST SALEM MEETING.
Salem Bridge Committee Is Consid-
ing Ferry; Thinks Polk County
Is Trying To Keep Business

about the inter-county bridge situa-
ton this week. Judge kirkpatrick
and Commissioners Mansion and
Beckett are waiting to see what will
be done at the West Salem mass
meeting tomorrow afternoon before
making any statements in reference
to their future action.
A pontoon bridge is the latest sug-
gestion for remedying the situation.
Paul H. Sroat, formerly resident
Of Salem, who makes that city on
business quite often, believes that
the most economical solution of the
problem of crossing the Willamette
river pending the construction Of the
highway bridge is a pontoon bridge.
Mr.. Shroat lived in Nebraska City,
on the west bank of the Missouri
river, when the people Of that vicinity
were facing the same problem that
confronts Marion and Polk counties.
He said: ~ have come in contact
with a number of Salem merchants
who complain of very noticeable
falling off in their trade from the
west side of the river. This could
be remedied by building pontoon
bridge across the Willamette. 1t
could be moored below the old
bridge, using its piers for anchor
age. 1t would require approximate
ly 1000 feet of roadway to reach
across and with sufficient scows on
pontoons to support it ought not to
cost more than two-thirds of the
cost of planking the railroad bridge
with the added advantage of having
the scows and timbers left for sale
after the new bridge is completed.
A small toll would pay for a man
to watch it and open the draw,
which is provided whenever boats de-
sired to go through.
The whole thing in nutshell from
the Salem viewpoint, is how to get
the most Polk county business for the
least outlay. Salem merchants
through the Salem papers have ac-
cused the Polk county court of hav-
ing ulterior motives in holding up
the building of the bridge. They
think Polk county is not anxious to
build bridge at all and thus keep
business from Salem, when as a mat
ter of fact, Polk county wants to
spend its one-third Of the cost on
bridge that will last for all time and
not need replacing every 26 years.
The attitude of Salem business men
nav be seen from the following ed
itorial, clipped from the Statesman,
yesterday: "The way to get a bridge
and the only way, is for Marion
county to proceed to build it. A steel
structure of the best type can be
built for $16S,000, so the engineers
say. Why haggle with the Polk eoun-
ty officials, who do not want to buiid
any kind of a bridge, over con-
crete structure that will cost not
less than half a million dollarsf Mar
ion county is able to build the steel
bridge without any assistance from
Polk county"
Although considering this phase OIL
the problem. the Marion county court
and the Salem Commercial club hesi-
tates to take any definite steps until
the meeting is held in West Salem,
tomorrow. The people of West Salem
are the most affected of any Polk
county citizens and both sides are
waiting to see if anything will deyel-
op out of the secession talk, when
the Salem papers made so much OIL
early in the week.
The Salem Commercial club is ser
iously considering a ferry as the
agent of temporary relief. The clubs
committee met Wednesday afternoon
and considered several offers for the
establishing Of ferry.
The bridge situation, devoid OF So
called "ulterior motives" and means
and methods to defeat them, seems
to line up about like this:
When the meeting last week Oh the
two county courts adjourned, there
. was no definite date set for another
conference between the two courts
The Polk county court is studying tn
, plans for a concrete bridge and tn
, Marion county court is satisfied tha
. the recommendations OF the star
. highway commission for high lew
. steel bridge is satisfactory 70 ., ;,
lem and Marion county. The sout'
' ern Pacific railway stands on its pro
= osition that even IL the bridge vi
= planked at an expense OF sl2'OOV
. more, Il could not be used until q
. two county courts had let contra
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