Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-01-02
COMMITTEE
DISCUSSES u, !.
MAIN BRIDGE
Many Polk County Farmers
at Meeting
Repairs Authorized.

A meeting Of the bridge:committee
OF the city council was held yester-
day attended by Mayor j. A.. Dinn1e,
George A. Bangs and by owners OF
number Qf farms in Minnesotassssvhui
use the Minnesota avenue bridgSs ex-
tensively, and the committee was
asked to make temporary repairs of
the bridge-whtch was closed some
time ago-until the farmers: could.
present their view OF the matter to,
the Polk, county commissioners and
ask them to cooperate with; the. om
missioners of Grand Forks county SO
that the bridge could be maintained.
The condition of the bridge is de-
manding serious attention Of residents
and farmers on the. Minnesota Point
as we'll as Of the Grand Forks city Of
ficials. The eastern approach liz so
weakened that the bridge is danger
Gus. to traffic. and about two weeks
ago it was closed by order OF the city
council o
Much Inconvenience Caused.
The closing of the bridge has caus-
farmers on the Point and those en-.
gagged in selling vegetables and poul-
try to their customers as well as.lthe
dealers in this city: there are many
truck farnlees on the Point who thus
dispose of practically the entire prod
uct of their farms and all Of the
farmers within a good many miles Of
the city are accustomedsto bring their
produce here for sale. asa
The advantages and demands of the
city market, 1t is said. have made
the farms on the Point of great value:
land in this neighborhood is worth
two or three times as much as in
many Of the other parts of the coun-
ty; this has increased the taxable
property in Polk county and has Civ,
Fen Polk county tens of thousands Of
Edollars Of additional tax revenue. s
POLK County Should Aid.
The other farmers throughout Polk
county have bridges built on the road
to their markets for them out of<the
general tax revenue and the farmers
of western Polk county feel that they
are entitled to the same consideration
as the other people throughout the
/. county generally; they feel that the
county should aid in the construction
of bridges needed to communicate
with their markets just Is readily as
for the construction of other bridges.
The city of Grand Forks has ex-
pended hundreds of thousands of dol
lars in the construction and MAIN
tenance of the Sc bridges but the bur-
den has become too heavy and there
IS a general feeling that Polk county
dAlu EdoS IOiho SllOulu LXA AZ
their upkeep. aIsgs
Committee Authorizes Repair*Ss
The bridge committee finally COM
cludeds tosr1ake temporary r~epairsato
the extent of $25, and the city efgi-
neer and street commissioner were
instructed to proceed Immediately to
expend that amount in making tenn
porary repairs sc that h bridge can
be used for a short time.
Signs will be erected waning the
people that the bridges are dangerous
and permanent repairs must be made
before the frost Is out of the ground
or it will be necessary to close the
bridges in the spring and during the
entire summer.
Mayor Dinnie and the bridge conf
mittee were very. much pleased at the
spirit of cooperation expressed by
the Minnesota people it was said aft
er the meeting. "
The Polk county commissioners
have power to aid in maintaining
bridges and it is believed by all that
when they understand that their own
people are deeply interested in the
matter the necessary cooperation
with the Grand Forks county cdmmis-
%sioners a be arranged.