The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1891-12-15
FRANCHISE HEARING.
Several Members Of the Advance
Club Tell What They Think.
THEY WANT SOME CHANGES.
Messrs. Thompson. Howard, Miller and
Others Talk and Make Comparisons--
what Mr.. Lonsstreet Says Of Roads
In Canada In Comparison.

The special committee of the City Coun-
Gil appointed to consider the matter of
granting the so-called "long term" fran
chises continued the public hearing yes
terday afternoon until 4:45 o'clock, when
il adjourned until this afternoon at 2
o'clock
Mr.. Charles A. Wilson of the Advance
Club said:
"I do not come here to oppose any one
of the corporations. II was one of them
/ should make contract under this act
as quick as / could. But on the other
hand the interests OF the citizens demand
that these exclusive franchises should not
be granted under this act. There is no
reason to find fault with the services of
these corporations; that fact cuts no fig
ure i'm this case. The service should be
good; the citizens pay far the best"
Joseph A. Miller, also OF the Advance
who was to be benefited by these exclu-
sive franchises, certainly not the citizens
of Providence. as competition is the life of
trade IL is not to foster infant organiza-
tions that these franchises are proposed,
because all of the corporations which ask
for them are already Established anu pay
ing good dividends.
Hiram Howard came next. His dis
course was on the line of municipal con-
troll of electric lighting, and he quoted
from letter which he received from the
mayor of the town of Mitchell, Canada, a
few miles from Montreal. His Informant
stated that since the town had controlled
the electric lighting the commercial trade
had paid for all expenses of the plant with
the exception of about $3.50, which was
charged TO the street lighting, making the
cost per light year about SIG, as against
$3.50 light per year which the city OF
Providence pays. He told, also, of the
contracts which the city of Toronto had
with the corporations there, and the con-
tracts which it is proposed To make with
the local companies to show what small
per cent of the earnings of the corpora
tions it is proposed To make these compa-
nies pay in comparison with the amount
paid by the corporations in Toronto and
other cities.
Mr. Longstreet, formerly manager of
the Union Street Railway Company, stat
ed that there was no comparison to be
made between the street railroads OF Tor
onto and this city, as nearly all the cars
used there were one horse affairs; that the
cost of labor there is very much less than
here: that the cost OF building road was
much less than here, as lumber aud iron
were both cheaper; everything was cheaper
there, even the service rendered. and the
two cities should not be compared in any
way.
ID. NJ Thompson of the Advance Club
said that from the first notice of the pro
posed contracts the club had raised its
voice against it, The principal he
thought was wrong. 1t was an injustice
to the city TO make the proposed long
term contracts with these corporations.
He would not do thing to impose bur
den on any of these corporations. de be-
lieved that since this question come up a
commission should be appointed to look
into this matter carefully and find some
line which would be TO the interests OF
burdensome to the corporations.
Adjourned 10 = o'clock this afternoon.