The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1917-08-10
COM'L CLUB IN
DEADLOCK ON
ROAD BRIDGES
Construction of Bridges Dis
cussed Several Hours With
out Result.
ONLY FEW TAKE PART
LONG DISCUSSION
Senator Oliver and Son Oppose
County Officials in Verbal
Wrangle.

The discussion of the proposed inn
provement of the Rock Levee road
and of the providing for a fund for
the erection of a permanent bridge
across this highway in Cape County
after the Little River Drainage Dis
trict has cut the road, resulted in
verbal wrangle between Senator
Oliver and his son, Burnett Oliver,
the legal representatives of the con-
Germ, and Prosecuting Attorney Caru-
theirs and County Highway Engineer
Dennis Scivally, as representatives OF
the county. The arguments consumed
several hours during which those who
had come to the meeting gradually
drifted from the Commercial Club
rooms.
No definite conclusion was reached
during the discussion. Upon sugges-
ton of w. w. Hinchey, committee
headed by President Leming will be
appointed by the latter to take up the
matter with the County Court and the
representatives of the Little River
Drainage Disthet, to determine
whether anything can be done to pro
vide for a fund for the construction
of permanent bridge.
After reading the recTds preceding
and udring the litigation of the county
authorities with the Little River
Drainage District, Burnett Oliver
made the assertion that the opposition
offered by Cape Girardeau County to
the proposal made by the Little River
Drainage District, providing money
for the construction of permanent
bridges over the diversion channels
had set back prosperity and the de-
velopment of land in Cape Girardeau
County for a number of years.
While Mr.. Oliver was permitted to
consume more than an hour in ex-
planning the stand the Little River
Drainage District took in this matter,
Prosecuting Attorney Caruthers was
forced to cut his answer in reply to
the remarks made by Mr.. Oliver as
briefly as possible. President Leming
approved the assertion made by Mr.
Oliver that the Little River Drainage
District had offered the county author
tiles acceptable and very. reasonable
terms to settle the question as to who
should defray the expenses of build
ing the permanent bridges across the
drainage channels. His desire to have
some relief suggested met with no
success.
Mr.. Oliver asserted that the drain
age concern had offered to advance
the money while the suit was pend
ing. and had attempted to contract
with the county authorities that the
money should be returned in install
mnets by the county, if the suit was
decided against the county. He read
voluminous communications passed be-
tween the attorneys for the county and
those of the drainage corporation in
an effort to show that the drainage
concern had made every permissible
concession in order to avoid a litiga-
ton and even settle the difference
after the suit had been filed.
President Leming denounced the
County Court of that period as being
"short-sighted' for not accepting what
he held a reasonable and fair offer,
thereby eliciting from Prosecuting At
torney Caluthers and County High
way Engineer Scivally bitter words of
protest. In answering the remarks
made by Mr.. Oliver, the prosecuting
attorney retorted that he had not "aI
So been prepared for a speech and
had not EARNED" himself with the rec
ords of the case in order to bear out
his statements and to effect the argu-
ments of the opposing side.
As the arguments continued it be-
came plainly a controversy reviewing
the case that has been settled in the
Supreme Court to the effect that the
the expenses of erecting permanent
bridges across the drainage channels.
President Leming, Senator Oliver.
Burnett Oliver, Prosecuting Attorney
Caruthers and County Highway En-
glneer Scivally taking sole part in the
verbal battle, while the other mem
bers eventually Slipped" out of the
room.
Senator Oliver suggested that the
County Court pay the costs of build
ing these bridges from the county
road fund, which he said he had found
to be the richest source of revenue of
the county. according to the records
read by him several days ago. County
Highway Engineer Scivally opposed
this proposition, because the money