The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-02-13
MUST LIMIT
new BRIDGE
EXPENDITURE
TO $185,0O0
South Side Bridge Plans May
be Halted Unless Structure
Can be Erected Within That
Amount.
FURTHER FUND ILLEGAL

A definite check was Thursday ad.
ministered to the advocates Of the
South Side bridge when they discov.
cred that because Of the state law COW
ering additional county appropriations
1t may be impossible for the county
council to make the $4,000 additional
appropriation until next fall.
The law says that unless an emer-
gency exists, there shall be no addi-
tional appropriations made by the
county council except at a regular
meeting. Tho next regular meeting
of the council will come early In Sep.
tember of this year.
While case Of this kind has never
been tested in the courts there has
been no new development in the South
Side bridge case since the appropria-
tion was made for its building. ana
new development Of some kind is
necessary for an emergency, accord
Ing to lawyers opposed to the bridge.
Doubt Council Action
At least one member of the county
commissioners Thursday said that he
would vote against the appropriation
being recommended to the council be-
cause of the very great probability
that issues of bonds for the extra sum
would be illegal and in any case could
not be made until the case had been
thrashed out in the courts.
Opinion of several members of the
county council interviewed Wednesday
and Thursday was that the additional
appropriation probably would not be
approved by the council even II the
commissioners asked 1t, because Of the
possible illegality of the proceeding.
Advocates of the bridge said Thurs
day that II necessary the law would
be tested. Any such action will tie
up the bond issue until the matter is
settled, perhaps many months or a
year.
Bridge advocates have also ex-
pressed their determination to go
ahead and build a narrow structure
on the original appropriation Of 1885,
900, II they cannot get the additional
money.
May Marrow Structure.
They propose to do this by leaving
off the paving and letting property
owners In the affected district pay for
1t. by narrowing the bridge from AZ to
36 feet and by using gravel instead OF
crushed stone in the concrete.
The bridge as originally planned
would cost about $225,000, according
to their estimates. By leaving off the
paving. $4,000 Of this. the cost Of paw
ing. would be transferred from the
bridge to the owners Of the nearby
lots.
Another $25,OOO would be sheared
of by narrowing the bridge to 36 feet.
The new plans provide for only one
street car track, in place of two in
the old, and the rest of the structure
to remain the same. 1t is pointed
out by the bridge people as the
most likely street car plan for
the south and southwest sides is a
belt plan, one track is all that will
probably be needed.
Might Use Gravel.
Still another $4,000 could probably
be sheared of by the use of gravel
instead of crushed stone or concrete.
Crushed stone Is by far the best
material of the two, they admit, but
claim the gravel will do very well.
Besides. the savings the committee
hopes to do the filling work at the
same time the proposed connecting
streets are built, and to utilize the dirt
removed in the street construction
in the fills, thus cutting down the
cost on that part of the building.
The committee believes it possible
to build the bridge under the new cost
figure, $1S7,OO0, and is planning to
attempt to force the construction for
that figure, in case 1t Is not possible
to get an additional appropriation.