Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 9.djvu/455

 THE FIRST GERMAN MUNICIPAL EXPOSITION 439

lation, are furthered by bridges. Most bridges are now of iron construction, though many cities are trying cement with strong steel wires laid through it. This latter gives, perhaps, a more imposing effect, more in keeping with the character of the build- ings at either end of the bridge. Miinchen has probably erected in the past two years, and planned for immediate erection, more expensive bridges than any other city, in Germany at least. The Reichenbach bridge, 1902-3, cost 760,000 marks; the Prinzre- genten bridge, 1901, 600,000 marks; the Max Josef bridge, 1902, 750,000 marks; the Isar bridge, to be built 1904, 500,000 marks; the Cornelius bridge, 1902-3, 730,000 marks ; the Wit- telsbacher bridge, to be built 1904, 770,000 marks; the Maxi- milian bridge, to be built 1903-4, i,000,OOO marks.

Harbors. Railways, rivers, canals, harbors, quays, elevators all aid in the transaction of business and consequent promotion of municipal well-being. Railways are in the hands of the state, so do not appear in the exposition. As for the rest, however, inasmuch as they are so vitally bound up with the welfare of the municipality, they are considered as proper municipal undertak- ings. The correction of streams and the building of retaining embankments come first. Liibeck has spent 47,500,000 marks for the correction and dredging of the Trave. In harbor- building Hamburg, of course, offers the classical example; and Bremen and Bremerhaven are also well known. Breslau opened in 1901 harbors which had cost her 5,750,000 marks. Crefeld, though some distance from the Rhine, has undertaken the building of large harbors and of a canal to connect them with the Rhine. This undertaking is to cost 11,000,000 marks, and will be ready in 1905. A still greater project is a connec- tion by a canal between these new harbors and Antwerp. This attempt of an inland city to reach out after commerce is certainly a remarkable one. Mannheim between 1897 and 1903 built, at the cost of 6,900,000 marks, the first harbors intended exclu- sively for industrial purposes. Duisburg presents comparisons between its harbor and other large harbors which will surprise most Americans :