The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-05-19
EAST GREENWICH.

Until four years ago East Greenwich
was the darkest village in Rhode Island.
Four oil lamps did the street service for
the town. At that time Mr.. Joseph Dews
conceived and executed the plan of put
ting electric lights into his mill and also
put I'm sufficient power and dynamo ca
pacity to light the streets. A few months
later he added an incandeseut dynomo
and began to sell lights.
After a struggle, vote was passed by
the town appropriating $3.50 for street
lights. The next year the amount was
lights was made larger. Last August the
appropriation was reduced to &, 900.
The resolution appropriating the
money did not specify what kind of light
should be supplied, and when the council
and the president of the Phoenix Electric
Light Company failed to come to an
understanding the council put in naptha
have been divided in opinion as to the
action Of the council.
Upon one point there is little difference
of opinion-all want electric lights. The
question is to obtain them. Oae part
wants the town to own and operate its
own plant, while Others believes that the
company already there should have the
preference. This latter view was well ex-
pressed by prominent citizen this morn
ing, when he said:
"As rule, / am in favor of procuring
goods where they can be bought cheapest,
but there are exceptions to this rule and
this electric light business is one of the
exceptions. Mr.. Dews put in first class
plant here when no one else would have
done it. But for his enterprise we should
still be in darkness, and, although / am n
friend to every member of the town coun-
Gil, l believe that Mr.. Dews is entitled to
the first consideration in this matter.
IL do not believe there was any necessity
for this trouble about lights in the first
place. Mr.. Dews has done more for this
village than any other man and he ought
to be encouraged in every possible way"
Another expressed the same sentiment
regarding future contracts for lights,
and added, "i do not believe the town
ought to 90 into the commercial lighting
business anv more than 1t should set up
in the grocery or dry goods business. IL
the taxpayers want to put i'm plant and
manufacture their own lights, and can do so
at any considerable saving why let them
do so, but even then they should not 90 be-
yond supplying themselves. am not in
favor OF giving any corporation monopoly
that viii work injury TO the people in
general, and neither am in favor of hav-
ing the town crush out business that is
owned by others.
ut is very poor encouragement for any
business enterprise to be started here liz
we are going TO try To swallow il up, be-
fore it has had time to complete its
plant"
Another prominent business man ex-
pressed himself i'm this way: aside
from the objections that have been so
often urged against this matter of put
ting in a plaut to be run by the town is
this one that to my mind Is the
greatest--it would add one more cog to
the wheel OF the political machine here,
and think everyone will admit that we
have enough already. So long as Mr..
Dews Is satisfied TO make n yearly con-
tract at reasonable prices, he should fur
nish our lights"
These are sample opinions Of the lead
ing people here, but there are those who
disagree with these views and who ur-
hold their opinions by many facts nnd
figures. Some of these will speak through
the columns of the NEWS tomorrow.
The prevalence Of typhoid here is hav-
ing at least one good result, and verites
the old saying, ut Is an Ill wind that
blows nobody any good"
The people are thoroughly aroused upon
the sewage, and plan Is now on foot
that looks as il IL might soon result in
something tangible in the way of "a first.
class system. Your reporter Is looking
the matter up to-day and will give par
ticulars tomorrow.
The action of the school district i'm de-
clining to provide another room for the
accommodation OF the overflow from the
primary department Is condemned by
nearly all the parents la the district This
action resulted from the misleading re-
port OF the. committee appointed Go i'm
vestigate the matter, and 1t Is by no