The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-12-20
CRANSTON DISTURBED.
Thew Don't Like the City's Methods
of Retaliation.
SOME MEASUREMENTS MADE.
The Cost Of the Plant Not So Great as the
Town Authorities Claim Gould be Re-
, built for Little More than one-ha
what IL Is Annually valued At.

The announcement that the City Coun-
All had decided TO raise the water rates
tor the takers in the town of Crauston
caused considerable stir in that town, as
it had not previously been supposed that
the city of Providence would adopt TINS
method OF retaliation for the excessive
tax imposed on the water works, which
are located there.
There Is no doubt that the taxpayers
are kicking over the increased rates ana
the town authorities are giving every
possIble reason aud explanation for the
present taxation of the citv's prop rty'
'rhe statement Is made that the whole
plant in Cranston originally cost s4og
600. aud that the city has refused an oner
that a valuation of $3.50, 400 does
not seem excessive. As matter
Of fact the whole plant In Cranston: ln-
cluding Sockanosset reservoir, englnes'
pumping apparatus, Pettacon,ett staIiQn
aud all the water mains ana pipes a. y" sse see
town of Crauston, originally cost 81, ,oso,'
292 62. and the officials or Cranston
know this perfectly well. as an oihcial
statement from the city TO the Town oi
Cranston has been made some tihe ago.
Furthermore, Commissioners OF Puoilc
Works Robert Il. Smith states that the
plant can be duplicated, water pipes ana
all, for s59O,0OO to-day, as the cost OF
material Is so much less than 1T was Al
the time the plant was bull. ,.
As AN instance of the difference in cost
of various items. the water pipe ma -.
instanced Iron pipe at the time there
was laid in the town OF Cranston cost
about $40 per ton, while the clty's con-
tracts now In operation call for the same
quality of pipe at s24 per ton ana tne city
can secure any amount AZ Inls prlce.
m hnr rit iaQ N
that they do not tax all the water pipe,
but ONLY the leading mains from the
river and the force mains TO the city are
taxed, while the supply mains are hot
taxed at all. This is very plausible, out
the fact is that the valuation on the pipes
taxel is AS much as IL would cost TO put
in every foot of the pipe now In the town
of Cranston. The supply mains whlcn
are not taxed are very small
part OF the whole, and the city
claims that it Is not Just 10 taA taA
water pipes at all AS they are under
ground and of no detrimeut TO anybody.
The statement thai tue city VIII mol
allow the maius on Reservoir avenue 70
be tapped is misleading, as every resi-
dent who has d, sired To be supplied Win
wa,er has b en- accommodated. ih'
force mains OF course are not appeu ou'
supply mains are run alo lgslue these
from which the supply Is taken
The statement is also male that tn
rates always we're hlgher IN Sransloi
than in Providence. They were exactl!
the same till few years ago when the.
were reduced in Providence, aud on ac
count of the heavy taxation were not re
duced in Cranston. The tax payers o
Providence have paid Increased take
ever since the water works were putt o.
account of the necessary SINKING luno
while the consumers OF Cransto
have not borne any part of this expense
ne claim that the city mas proke
filth with the town OF Cranston is no
substantiated by fact. There never w a
any agreement whatever between IN
cify ana town and now that the. rat G
II ave been advanced the price paid iC
J. assured supply is no greater thah Una
paid bv nearly every town an TINS vlclnIt
SO tnat the cry Of previous high rates Ia
no foundation. .
The figure of s4.O00.O00 which it
claimed was the original cost OF the plaI
in Cranstou. was the original cost OF III
entire water works of the city OF Prov
dence, aud the offer of 81, 800, 900 by priva
parties was for the whole water works
with the stipulation that the city shou
take the supply from purchasers, ana
is not to be wondered at that the city r.
fused the offer.
The remedy for the trouble lies in tt
hands OF the authorities of Cranston, an
whenever they see tit to adj ust the tax
A right aud fair manner the price
water will be lowered To the origin
rates, aud IL retaliation, in the way
higher taxes is "a tempted, the case I'M
be tested to find whetuer the town
Cranston has the right To tax the proper
of the city OF Providence exec sively.