Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 21, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 January 1896 — Wooden vs. Steel Bridges. [ARTICLE]

Wooden vs. Steel Bridges.

"Tommy McCoy, he drew the horse. He got the highest num- _ ber. w ■ . The exports of Anreriean pro* ducts and.'manufactures, from the port of New York, amounted to in 1894 and only $351, 196,606 in 1895. These was a decrease of $9,580,000 last year, not a very satisfactory showing for the Empire city to make in capturing the markets of the world. But last year's imports at New York were $83,200,000 greater than in J 895, and the other fellows are do--6 markets. i The report circulated some timer "back that Hon. W. D. Owen, present Secretary of State, was a candidate for Governor has been/ Bet at rest by Mr. Owen’* own ! - authorative slalriik-ut. He is not a candidate for the Governors office, btit will ask a renbmin'ation for the office he-now holds.- And will doubtless- receive it, without opposition.

What an object lesson we hate, as to the beauties pf the Wilson Tariff in the repoits from Washington of the imports anti exports for the first ninemonths of the present year. There was a falling Off in cxpoits' of more than sl'B.000,000, and an mports of more than $97,000 000 below the sales of tlie sme period last —yeaT, although we were promised that the Democratic Tariff would .work directly the other way. It is true that the Wilson Tariff' has opened np tire markets of the world, but we are on the wrong side of the world to get the benefit. What Increased Revenue Will Do.* The first step of the Republicans will be to increase the revenues of the Government sot hat its incone “shall be greater than its expenditures. No government and no people can piosper when the outgoes continually exceed the income. Increased revenue will strengthen the credit of the national Government. Increased revenue will fortify the Treasury, stop excessive gold exports and give stability to the currency. the Government to resume the reduction of its bonded indebtedness. That policy always sustained, and will again sustain, the credit of the Government and increase the demand for its securities Increased revenue and its direct effects upon the national currency will impart confidence to capital, leading to business investments, the revival of—our industries, the increased employment of labor and a new inspiration for all American intei/ests.

A. writer in the Lowell signing himself Taxpayer, gives some new ideas regarding bridge building and some of his suggestions might be acted upon to good advantage. 1 Here is what he has to say on the subject: “The question of bridges like that of roads, is onp that interests about every citizen in a Community' andphould receive careful study and attentions We have always doubted ihacconorny of building steel bridges of less length than 32 feet. Bridges oftgiis length can be built sufficiently good and strong at much less cost than the same length bridge of stepl can be built. It is true that a wooden bridge will not last as Jong as one built of steel

. . . i .... ■■ ... ' «• * JantTheqflestionisd<j?Kthe difference in the MfC of the steel bridge, which we believe is put down at 20 eqnal^the-difference iii coarti? We think not A 32 foot steel bridge, if we. arex«>rrectiy iiiforu&ed., costs the interest on SXj ; O) for twenty years, the of the steel bridge is $1 tZDO; mak. iing the cost of the steel bridge $2,200. A good wooden bridge 22 feet long and 16 feet wide with . stone abutments of ordinary length can be built for S3OO if built of pine, and if of oak $350; while fur | $450 a bridge of the above d i mension could built of oak covered and ■ painted all complete. If built in thia manner it would last 20 years. The interest on $450 is $540, making the whole cost of such a wooden gridge $990. If we add SIOO ' for keeping the wood work' well painted and SIOO more for repairs during the 20 years we still . a balance of $l,OlO in favor of the wooden bridges. This is a matter that should claim the attention of those who have to pay the bills/’ ZZMeagrsGi Faris and Markjndale. pay we won’t feel the weight of a SIOO,OOO court house. N<? w let us see about it. If I understand the situation, Grover and Sec. Cailisle are- going to put out SIOO,000/’W of bonds. *What a kick! How much is Jasper county’s •dm re ? Perhaps $l5O. A SIOO,-. 000 debt, for Jasper county be twice As Iftrge in proportion as the war debt was for the United States. The above choice gem is from the latest fulmination of the chief organizer and mouthpiece of the movement against a new court house. It is a fair specimen of all bis utterances, less the scandalous personal abuse which characterizes much of them. “Now let us see about it,” to use his own elegant expression. He says that .1 asper cmui ty’s share of Cleve-

land’s $100,000,000 bond issue would be “perhaps” $l5O. Now jthe .population of this country is 05,( h X),(X>O. A bond issue of SIOO,i 000,000 would be $1.55 for every person in the country. Now as Jasper county has a population of 14.500, at a low estimate, .its actual “Share” of Cleveland’s new debt is not “perhaps $150” as the Hon. O. lUsays, but actually over '?22’,UUo*,’ancl P.’s figures are more than 99| per cent, false. And “Now let us see about it,’’ a little further. A SIOO,OOO debt for Jasper county, he says, will be twice as large in proportion as the war debt was for the United States. The war debt as shown by the official figures was, on August 31, 1805, $2,845,000,000. As our population was then 34,000,000, the war debt was $83.67 per head of our people. Now a SIOO,OOO court house debt for Jasper county, to be twice as large in proportion as the war debt, as O. P. says it will be, would have to average twice $83.67 or be $167.34 per head of our population; But the actual per head average of a SIOO,OOO debt for our 14,500 county population, instead of being $167.40 would be only the comparatively trifling sum of $6.90. Hon. O. P. is only

95 per cent away from the truth in this last debt comparison. But the 5 per cent, of truth in this instance and the half of one per dent, in the former, is a [good deal more than there is of truth in the assertion that somebody is “putting out money” in Remington, to hire some scalawags to sign papers and “work for” a new court house. Such' assertions as that suggest the need of a commission of-lun-acy to inquire into the mental conJition of an eminent citizen of Remington.