The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-09-26
Electricity Now Used for Turning the
Draw Of Central Bridge.
BELIEVES IN A PENSION FUND
Chief Child's Views on an Interesting
subject-would Give Pensions to Men
who Serve for Twenty-Five Years
An Irste Member OF tho Council.

III is not generally known that Provi-
dence has bridge, the draw OF which Is
operated nv electricity. let such is tie
fact. The draw OF the Central or, as IL
is popularity known, the Red Bridge. is
worked by an electric motor which
wa, recently installed MIR. Bullock
OF the city engineers Office said this
NOR ling that the motor since il was put
In has done very salisfs ctory work.
Tae other drawbridges und r city con-
troll are the Washington ever the See
konk and the Point street over the Prov.
idence river. The Washington draw is
operated by combination of steam and
cable. 1t has never worked setisfac-
torily, the chief difficulty being that
when the machinery becomes disabled
the draw cannot be worked by hand. AT
Point street the draw is worked by
| steam engine.
The use OF electricity for this purpose
Is to some extent an experiment but 1t
has proved a very satisfactory one and 1t
Is not at all improbable that it may be
used It the other bridg's in time. This
result will be likely To follow, II 1t is
found that electricity is cheaper than
steam power.
| Police Pensions.
Chief of Police Child is one of the very
many who believe the city should es.
tablish pension fund for d lice and
hremen. He would not have it limited
simply to those who are disabled while
Ia the performance OF duty but would
extend 1t to those who have served in
either department for twenty-five years.
Speaking OF the matter this morning
he said: when this subject OF pensions
was agitated some time ago bill was
fram'd d which embodied our ideas. 1t
not ony provided for men injured ia
the service, but also allowed those
who had served twenty-five years to re-
tire on pension amounting to half the
| pay they were receiving at the time OF
their retirement. When the bill reached
the legislature, however. this service pen
sion feature was stricken out. much to
| cur surprise not to say chagrin.
Now believe man who has served
% years faithfully is entitled to some CON
sideration. Indeed think he is as much
entitled to pension as the man who is
unfortunate enough to be disa lied
in the performances Of his duty II we
had service pension have not the
slightest doubt 1t would have tendency
to raise the standard Of the force"
The Cost Not Great.
"Would the $500 proposed annual ap
preparation be sufficient"
Il think 1t would be ample. More than
that have an idea that after the city
had given US start we could
c,me vsry near keeping up the fund with
out calling on the city for any additional
appropriations Wecould do his by max
ing rule that MEL receivi z pay for extra
duty at dances, fairs, theatres. etc, should
turn it into the fund. The same could
be done with the witness fees received by
them. More than that we could on alter
ate ye RS devote the profit of our annual
ball TO sw elline the fund.
You eau see from this that so far as
the police department is concerned it can
thke care OF the fund once IL Is ere ated.n
How many men are there now on the
force who, in case service pension is es-
tablished. can retire under itP''
81 do not think there are more
than ten and some Of thoss would not
avail themselves of it so long as they
were able TO I'll their duties accept
ably"
VIII Keep 1t Up.
An irate member of the com mon coun.
ell declared this morning that the lover
branch would continue to s,nd invita-
tions to the board to meet IL in joint con-
We ition at every session until an Inspector
of plumbing is elected.
"If Mr.. West and his friends" he con-
thu d, want to continue this chiId's
play hey can do il, but we viii take
pretty good care To let the people know
where the rep visibility rests
"Wbat they hope TO gain by delay Pm
sure 1 can't make out. Tnev can
not repeal the or nance and sooner
or later an election viii take plac,.
and when it does you may depend
on it that any candidate known to
be blckel by Mr.. West or any of the
members Of his combine will be s owed
under. Yes, sir. Mr. West can have ali
the fun he can get out of his obstruction
ist tactics but we will l~si IN last"
Notes About The Hall.
Yesterday through typ graphical
error Capt. Pettis was announced
to have been elected a director
OF New England. The captain isn't
member Of any such society. The
honor con erred upon him was his elec.
tion to the directorate OF Society Of Cali
forpia Pioneers OF New England.
Tororrow afternoon at 3 o'clock the
COMMITTEES in pending suits will hold, Ga
meeting in committee-room III.
The iorce In the assessors Office Is busy
preparing the list Of registry voters.
The Police Beneficial association has
paid out $4,000 thus far this year TO
the families OF deceas, d members OF the
department.
PROVIDENCE NEEDS IT.