The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-02-10
union LABOR
LEADERS ASK
SUPPORT OF
new BRIDGE
South Side Building Project
Will Give Employment to
Many Men, Argue Local
Organizers.
URGE CITY PLEDGE

III lA0 oOuIu VI oIl CCt
spoke strongly in favor of the project
at the joint meeting of the county
commissioners, the county council and
in the court house.
Organized labor was represented by
Lucius Harrison and Robert Graham,
the citizens committee by Will Rel
ler and E. M. Campfield, the South
Side by Mathew Won Pein, and the
city administration by Mayor Zim-
norman.
Lee B. Nusbaum, president of the
county council, said he wanted it un.
derstood that the council had no pow
er to act, that when the project was
presented to them in regular order
through the commissioners they might
act, but that the project might be talk
ed about all day and they could do
nothing.
Labor Wants Bridge.
Labor feels" said Harrison, "that
the more bridges there are, the bet
ter will be the city of Richmond. Lab.
or wants south side bridge. That
part of the city offers marvellous
opportunity to labor to own it's own
homes"
But that is not the main reason.
Right now there is surplus of all
labor here; my report to the bureau
of labor at Washington estimates that
there are 500 men unemployed here,
and by the first of May that will be
1000. We want employment for those
boys. Practically all working men
owning their own homes are willing
to pay the increase in taxes asked,
and they want complete bridge sys-
tenn for the city of Richmond"
Graham said that the working men
of the city owned their own homes in
very few instances, that the raise in
taxes would hardly affect them, but
that they we're anxious to own homes
and property and the propossd bridge
would open up district where they
could find splendid opportunities at a
low price
Besides, he said. now was the time
to employ labor. Many men are out
of work, to give them work is a near
necessity. and labor could now be had
cheaper than it perhaps will be soon.
Most Pressing Need
Campield. who presided, said in
opening the meeting that he was
pledged to promote improvements for
the city which former County Auditor
Bowman had worked for He said he
believed bridge as good as the Main
street bridge could be built for $780,
600 and that was the total sum asked
for. Other improvements were inn
portant, but he believed that the South
Side bridge was the most pressing.
He introduced Will Keller.
Keller argued that the bridge had
been pledged and that the county
should live up to it's pledge. He traced
the history of the two bridges and Of
the South Side bridge fund.
He argued this is the logical time
for the building of the bridge, that
besides giving labor employment.
the market is on the decline and CON
tractors would reflect that back in
their bids. He said that the county
was peculiarly favored in having Is
aac Smith, the builder of the Main
street bridge, on the ground, as he
believed that Smith could underbid
for the new bridge and save the coun-
ty all the overhead expense of
new contractor moving in.
Mayor Urges Improvement.
Arguments of the Palladium he be-
Titled, saying the paper was no wiser
than any one Rlan. and that no indi-
viduafs advice should rule
Mayor Zimmerman said briefly that
he believed a bridge was due the
South Side on account of the pledges
winch had been made, and that he,
the board of works and the admins
tration were heartily in favor of it.
Lee Nusbaum, president of the coun-
Gil, again intervened to protest
against the tone which had been TAX
en- by several speakers, assuming that
the council as a unit was in favor of
the bridge. They were there as pri-
vate citizens, he said. they had no
opinion as council and could have
none until the matter was put up to
them through the county commission
ers.
Presents Cost Figures.
II DO not on the other hand want
any body to accuse me of having any
hidden motives, he said, nor If not
being in favor of the bridge. AS pres
ident of the council l must protest
against the assumption that the cou1-
Gil is sitting as council
County Engineer Jack Mueller then
of the bridge, compared with the cost
of the Main street bridge
THE estimates were made at the
same time in the fall of 1916" said
Mueller. And the bridges were to
be built under the same conditions
The plan was to save overhead ex-
pense, amounting to about $4,000, by
having all material and organization
on hand for the building"
Forty per cent of the expense is lab
or, SO that would be the one big item.
he said. Labor now is as low as It
was in May, 1917, when the Main
street bridge was started, and may
go higher instead of lower before the
bridge could be built if 1t were de-
layed.
Steel is lower but the freight Is
higher SO that it can be bought now
practically for the same price as then.
(Continued On Page Eleven,