The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1891-12-16
The HEARING FINISHED.
Mr.. Rathbone Gardner States the
Other Side Of the Question. "
A VERY fORClBLE SPEECH
The Discussion OF the Contracts OF Cor
porations Using the Streets was Quite
Lively and Interesting Yesterday After
noon-Time for Further Consideration.

Mr.. Gardner gave some estimates OF the
running expenses of the Union Railroad
Company, and also gave the tax OF the
earnings on the gross receipts AFTER setting
aside 8 per cent. dividend
AT this point Mr.. Vaughn retired, and
President Watson Of the City Council
acted as chairman.
Rathbone Gardner appeared as counsel
for the Narragansett Electric Lighting
Company. The company, he said does
not ask nor agitate the making or terms
of any contract II has given respectful
attention TO the question before the COM
mittee. Certain persons have seen ut to
make charges against the compa ny and to
assert that it has acted unfairly and un-
justly against the city of Providence, and
to refute these statements is the reason
why the company is represented here.
think that every citizen OF Providence is
under a debt to President Andrews for his
statement of yesterday.
President Andrews stated plain
fact that this act would not have
been passed IL the people did not want it
and sweeps away the statements that the
act was made and drawn by the agents of
the corporations and that they and they
alone would be benefited.
President Andrews, however, labors
under the difficulty of not having been
a:legislator and only by theory does he
know of the difficulties which he thinks
we should avoid by not making the con
tracts rather than encountering and over
coming them. If competition Is invited
the corporations already In the field will
be Obliged either to sell or buy and the
citdsens will have to pay for IL all. The
city has the power TO compel the corpora
tio9 to make terms 4 they are obdurate
deprive itself of.
But every voice from the Advance Club,
with one or two exceptions, says wait, that
thing which has been for so many years
and which puts Providence to-day in the
second class of cities when she should be
in the first,
Mr. Wilson, who read DIR. Andrews
sentiments, commenced his own speech by
contradicting vital part of Dr. Andrews
theory.
Mr.. Mills said that the West End Rail-
road Of Boston had largely increased its
business the past year, and went on to
prove that IL corporations so increased
their profits the same tax for the benefit
of the city would not be fair two or three
years from now which would be rightful
one now. According to this theory we
must wait till the businc of these COM
panies il at a standstill and Is possible to
advance no further.
Mr.. Howard has mentioned several cities
whose alleged cost OF maintaining electric
lights Is much less than that Of Provi-
dence and IL is also stated that in only
two cities in the country Is the rate for
electric lighting so high rs in Providence.
These cities do not use the san system of
calculations Is does Providence, therefore,
there Is no way Of learning how near cor
rect as compared with the figures OF our
company, their figures are. Mr.. Thompson
has said he does not know anything about
the figures presented by the Advance
Club, aud he cannot vouch for them,
which Is a fair statement OF fact.
Mr.. Gardner then made a statement for
the Narragansett Electric Light Company
of its method of service, its expenses; com
pared with the incomplete service which
was given to Providence when the system
was first attempted, the new poles, mast
arms, the plant which had been erected,
and compared IL all with the service of
other cities, showing that even If we did
pay more than other cities we received
much better service than any other city.
Everything in the system here is more ex-
pense and better than elsewhere. The re-
marks of the gentlemen are misleading, he
SAID !; not Intentionally, but recklessly so,
as IL they must defeat the granting of con-
tracts at whatever cost.
ID. +. Lingane there spoke on the enor-
nous prOUts Wulcn ne sAlu tne Union
Railroad com pany and Narragansett Elec-
trio Light company had made and asked
several questions Of Mr.. Jackson and Mr..
Perry trying to show that out of the earn
ings of the corporations their capital had
been increased to many times its original
amount. The answers, however, were in
direct contradiction of what he desired to
prove and showed that in each of the two
companies mentioned the increase in capi-
tai stock had been in the shape Of stock
paid for in cash.
Mr.. ID. M. Thompson then made few
remarks, stating his position AS member
of the Advance Club and that he was not
opposed to the theory Of DIR. Andrews,
but he thought 1t ought to be understood
that the public sentiment was not in favor
of granting these contracts till it was cer-
tain that all was done that could be done
for the benefit Of the city.
President Watson of the committee said
that If the committee advised granting the
contracts they would be before the City
Council and thus before the public for
two weeks, so that anyone could become
acquainted with them who so desired.
The hearing was then adjourned.
------
A Christmas Present