Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1892-10-01
NO CONTRACT AWARDED.
Heavy Taxpayers Opposed so the Propose'
City Hall Patchwork


The City Hall Commission had meet
ing yesterday afternoon ia the office OF
The City Engineer.
Mayor Carroll, after some inquiry, dis
covered where the meeting was to be held
and appeared before the commission. He
inquired II 1t was true that the contract
was to be let under the $4,000 appropria-
tion and that the heating, plumbing and
furnishing OF the new City Hall was not
intended to come within the $4,000 aa-
preparation.
The Mayor was informed by some OF
the members that that was the intention
OF the Commission, and Committeeman
Halliday openly asserted that he did not
know Of any custom among contractors to
include the heating and plumbing Of a
building. This assertion caused an
audible smile from the rest of the Com
missioners.
The Mayor told the Commission In
were opposed to the project OF revamp-
ing the old City Hall and said that every
person he had spoken to In connection
with the matter was opposed to the
scheme, because the site was not fitted
for City Hall either in size, shape or
location.
He called the attention of the Commits
sion to the fact that when North. Provi-
dence was united nearly twenty years ago,
the wall OF the present City Hall was
insecure. He claimed that the old build
ing could not be put in proper condition
with an expenditure of $4,000, and that
the expenditure would be a wilful waste
OF the taxpayers money.
He told them that nearly every heavy
taxpayer of the city objected to the patch
ing up Of the old City Hall and that they
advocated the building of new City Hall,
and that the only differerence of opinion
which exists is in relation to its location.
He also said that he believed that the ap-
pointment OF the commission was illegal
and hoped they would not attempt to do
anything with the matter.
Some of the commission suggested that
they were appointed for the purpose OF
remodelling the present City Hall and
that therefore they could not decide upon
any new site or any further expenditure,
but the Mayor said that Notwithstanding
this all that was necessary for them to do
was to report the inadvisability Of the
matter and ask tie City Council for
furt her powers.
Ex-City Treasurer George w. Newell,
Governor Darling, General Olney Arnold
and others also appeared before the COM
mission and strongly objected to the pro-
posed method OF revamping the City Hall
Mr.. Newell objected on account of Its
illegality, and Governor Darling said he
could bring thirty or forty Of the heaviest
taxpayers Of the city whom he knew to be
opposed to the scheme.
General Arnold was opposed to it be-
cause he did not believe in patching up
old buildings on an insecure foundation
and small lot of land.
Several other taxpayers were seen on
the street and they heartily condemned
the proposed action OF the commission
and hoped that some way would be de-
vised to put stop to their proposed ac-
tion. During the discussion Mr.. Halliday
and Others said that they had not heard
OF any opposition, but they were remin-
ded that the public were not invited to
consult with them, and Mr.. Halliday's at
tention was called to the fact that objec-
tions were published in nearly all Of the
newspapers published in this city.
The parties then withdrew. The
commission held short private session
but did not award the contract as they
had previously intended doing.