The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-11-08
The SPECIAL MEETING.
Charles and Canal Streets to be
Laid Out by the Betterment Plan.
OBJECTIONS TO THE PLAN.
The Opposition Claimed That the Conn
missioners Had Not Made Fair Awards
for Damages-The Betterment and
Highway Acts Compared.

session yesterday afternoon at o'clock
A communication came from His Honor
Mayor Potter stating that the council
had been called together for the purpose
of taking action on the report of the com
missloners on the layout Of Charles and
extension of Canal street under the bet
ter,nent act The Board of Aldermen had
already voted for the improvement and
the time for action by the council would
ypire Nov. 10, which was before the
council would again meet.
Mr.. Covell, chairman of the committee
on highways, gave tue figures of damages,
awards, appeals and petitions. both
against and for the proposed improve
ment.
Mr.. Clarke asked if the committee on
highways was ready To present an ordi-
nance To lay out the streets under the
betterment act.
Mr.. Covell said that that matter did
not come before them, as they had this
report of the commissioners to act upon
either favorably or adversely.
Mr.. Burdick did not believe that there
was man in PROVIDENCE who did not
see the need of this The city should
have a main street To the northern part
of the city. The question was, should
the city destroy the estates of poor men,
and give them mere nominal sum in
payment. causing great loss TO many o Z
them. He cited several instances of the
valuation of the commissioners as COM
pared to the actual cost of the properly.
claiming TO show that the apportionment
OF damages had not been equally or just
ly made. He did not oppose the improve
ment of the thoroughfares mentioned.
but hoped that it might be done SO that
no one would be wronged.
President Watson called y. r.. Kendrick
20 the chair.
Mr.. McGuy moved that the report of
the commission be printed and distrib
uted TO the members
Mr.. Aldrich hoped this would not be
done, as the time would expire for the
adoption or rejection of the report before
1t could be printed and distributed.
Mr.. Knight moved that the commits
sioners OF public works be called aud
asked To make a statement.
The statement was made that he COM
missioner WAS not In the building.
Mr.. knight then moved that the CITY
engineer be sent for and asked to explain
the situation.
The news was soon received that Mr..
Shed WAS not in the City HALL
Mr.. Barney said that as the report was
only half page of writing he saw no
reason for printing it,
Mr.. McGuy withdrew his motion to
print and distribute the report
Mr.. knight said he had good authority
for stating that it would cost the city
less to widen the street by the better
ment act If the lawsuits were all awarded
against the city.
j. III. kendrick asked to be enlightened
on the worth of certain OF the properties
affected by the proposed improvements.
Mr. BurGick answered that in the case
of Mr.. Greeley's property at the corner of
Charles and Orms streets, and of Mr.
Herman on Charles street, the property
would be practically valueless as far as
realizing from rentals is concerned
Commissioner Smith appeared and
gave an explanation of the two acts-the
betterment act and the highway act The
former act provides that the city shall
pay one-fourth OF cost, while the highway
act provides that the city shall pay all
the expense. The city has agreed TO paw
one-half under the betterment act and
the remaining one-half. or 5000, shall he
paid by. the persons and corporations in
terested.
Mr.. Barry spoke against the further
postponement of the matter.
Mr.. Burdick hoped the city council
would not vote to ruin any of his consti-
tuents.
Mr.. McGuy again shoke against the
bettcrment act.
Mr.. Clarke said that he thought il the
city voted TO layout these streets under
the highway act IL would not be possible
at any subsequent time to layout any
street under the betterment aet
After more debate the vote was taken
and the Improvement was ordered by
the following roll call
Ayes--Messrs. ANGEL. Aldrich, Bachel-
der, Burton. Barstow, Barney, Blanch-
ard, Bailey, Covell: Clark, Darling. Davis,
Hickie, Joseph III. Kendrick, Jonn ~
kcndrick, Knight, Pierce, Parkhurst.
Reynolds, Read, Remlinger. Ryan, Vose.
Nays-Councilmen Burdick, Gallagher.
Kelly, McGuy, Sellew, Vaughan, ira
Winsor, Whites
Absent and not voting-Presiden Wat
son aud Councilmen Duree, Darcy, Mil
lou, Mccarthy. McGann, Peck. Stone,
kdwin Winsor.-9.
th Miscellaneous Matters
Mr. Vaughan presented ordinances in
amendment OF the ordinance making an
preparations for the support OF the civ
government adding $1,000 To the amount
for dredging the harbor and transferring
the reserved fund To the appropriation
for contingencies. Both passed.
Mr.. Sellew presented n communication
from the harbor commissioners re alive
To the dredging of the Seekonk river.
The communication was as follows:
:. The harbor commissioners of the state of
RHODE ISLAND, etc, respectfully represent
that in 1875 the city applied 10 the board of
harbor commissioners for a license To fiji into
the seekonk river, near Gano street. In order
10 dispose OF earth from the Brook street dis
trict The plan for filling proposed by the
city engineer did not meet the approval of the
board. who were OF the opinion that the earth
would slide into the channel of the river To an |
objectionable extent. The city engineer urged
the matter. claiming that he could do the hil- |
ing 80 that IL would stay i'm place. His argu- |
ments did not convince the board. but after |
several hearings they, wishing To aid the city |
40 far as IL could properly be done, consented |
10 issue license. provided contract salts |
factory 10 the attorney general be entered into /
by the city, 70 remove from places To be desiV- |
mated by the board as much earth as might lie |
displaced by the filling
Such a contract was prepared and endorsed /
by the chairman of the committee on the
BROOK street district and by the city solicitor /
~ was executed by the mayor and approved /
by the attorney general. The contract pro-
vded Tor measurements by an engineer TO be /
agreed upon, and defined the method for /
making the measurements.
license was issued and the filling began.
~ also began 10 slide into the river and /
continued 70 do 20 until thousands of cubic /
wards had hlled into the channel some of the /
nlling ext Jding more than two hundred feet /
into tue river beyond the limits fixed by the i
harbor commissioners in the license.
After time the commissioners called upon /
representatives OF the city TO fulfill the con- |
tract They appointed the city engineer 10 /