The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-01-31

responsibility for the enforcement OF the laws
relating 10 this subject upon the state sealer
and giving him a greater control over the
town and city sealers.
: The duties OF the town and city sealers
should be more thoroughly defined and they
should be required To make annual returns Of
the condition Of the property furnished by tho
state. In IA is report the state sealer says: The
town sealers in general ] found had not taken
the interest In their work they should from
the fact that most OF them did not really
know what was expected Of them"
During the past year our standard set OF
avoirdupoIs weights furnished by the govern
ment fifty years ago was sent TO the United
States treasury department 10 be tested. This
aud many other improvements recently made
by the state sealer has placed his department
i'm "A condition 10 render very e~ffectual service
in the direction Of protecting the public from
fraudulent weights and measures. His work
Is. however, hampered for want OF legislation
such as / have Icinted out.
soldiers Home.
The board Of soldiers relief has during tho
past few weeks been engaged In a careful and
thorough investigation OF certain charges
against the management OF the Soldiers
home AT Bristol. Two meetings have been
held at the home and each person DESTROYS of
stating his grievances or expressing his opin-
ion has been given ample opportunity 10 do SD.
The board will meet in "A few days TO consider
the evidence obtained aud 10 decide what
action shall DO taken. l am confident that the
members OF the board Will soc that the liberty
and privileges of our veteran soldiers who are
cared for AT the home arc not curtailed more
than Is ABSOLUTELY necessary for the good order,
comfort and happiness of the whole number.
Experience has demonstrated that a hospital
building, constructed expressly for that pur-
pose and properly equipped, Is greatly needed
at this institution. ask your favorable con-
as4.r.sann - N raanlnflnn Vyhtah uIll ~. Vp.-
sented providing for the erection of such a
building. To be paid for from money received
from the United States ~ aid 10 the Soldiers
home, and now on hand. The membership OF
the home on Dec. 81. 1892, was lj, showing an
increase OF l3 during the year. As required
by chapter 7B of the Public Laws. ! recon-
mend appropriations for the year 1888 as fol-
lows: For Soldiers Home fund, $4,000; for
the Soldiers Relief fund, SlJ,Un.
Railroad Commissioner.
The forthcoming report OF the Railroad
Commissioner will show that the past year
was an unusually prosperous one Tor the rail-
roads. In this State the most important Incl
dent In railroad circles was the lease of the
New York, Providence and Boston H.. r., by
the New York, New Haven aud Hartford Rail-
road company. There are sixteen railroad cor.
porations organized under the laws OF our
state, ten of which have leased their property
10 other companies who operate the road. The
total property and assets of these companies is
S9i. 45i, $3.50 or u, Isl. 6l7 80 more than the
amount of capital stock and all other indebted
ness. The number of passengers carried during
the past year was 1855. la5 an increase of 49,
+03, and the number of tons OF merchandise
was 9,2l5,77l, being an increase Of 34j.9tS tons.
The commissioner finds that the rolling
stock generally is in first class condition, and
that all OF the passenger train cars are
equipped with automatic brakes. SO far as
he has been able to learn there are no passen-
ger train cars in use in the state heated by
common stoves
lie recommends many changes in our laws
relating To railroads, the most important and
imperative OF which are in regard 10 grade
crossings. IL is suggested that a law be
passed which will provide for a practical way
in which a town or city may unite with the
railroad companies in doing away with grade
crossings and fix ing the proportion of the ex-
pense which they shall respectively pay. Such
laws have been enacted in Massac husetts and
some other states, and under their operation
many dangerous grade crossings hav &c been
abolished. Until they are entirely abolished,
think the railroad companies should be re-
quired 10 station "A Waterman at each one dur
ing the hours that trains are passing. Such a
provision will tend TO greatly reduce the loss
of life now caused by accidents at these dam
gerous points, and unless the value placed
upon human life il pure sentime TT, the ex-
pense of making such changes ought not 10 be
considered. The speed OF trains across grade
crossings in thickly settled places should also
be regulated by law. and trains should not be
permitted TO pass each other at stations and
crossings.
portion of the commissioner report de-
serving Of particular a ~ttention is that relating
TO the street railroads. So great has been the
development of this branch of transportation.
including the adoption of electricity as "a mo-
tive power, that further legislation will be
necessary upon the subject. Care should be
taken that such laws will encourage rather
than retard the acquisition of cheap and rapid
transit, which is desirable not only for the con-
venience OF the public but also as a strong re-
sctionary agent against the tendency of our
population to c~entralize in our larger cities.