The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-10-08

matter OF fact, the powers OF this commit
tee were very limited. / will ask your at
tention while ! read the resolution APP
pointing this committee.
The Resolution.
'REsoLvED, That Messrs. Joseph II.
Kendrick, Parkhurst, Durfee and Barney
OF the Common Council, and Aldermen
Harris, Lansing and Darcy, be and they
are hereby appointed a joint special COM
mittee for the purpose Of learning wheth-
er or not the Union Railroad Company
is willing to carry out the promises hith-
erto made in writing by the representa-
tives of said company in relation to cross
town lines and transfer tickets; also to
report what action. If any, is necessary on
the part OF the city OF Providence TO OBJ
tain the speedy construction OF a cross
town line of street railway and the estab-
Iishment OF proper system of transfer
tickets thereon, and TO report what, il any,
legislation or modification of existing
contracts Is necessary to carry said propo-
sitions into effect
"You will see, Mr.. President, that the
only thing that this committee was ap-
pointed to do was simply TO ascertain
whether the railroad company would
carry out an agreement which was made
by the president of the company before
1t fell into the hands of the present
owners. Looking this matter over, it will
be found that the relations of the city 10
the Union Railroad Company and the
Providence Cable Tramway Company were
governed by the provisions of an act en-
titled an act concerning the Union Rail-
road Company, passed at the January
session, 1894, and an act in amendment
thereof, passed at the January session of
the General Assembly, 1888; and under
he ed q
require the Union Railroad Company to
construct system of crosstown lines
and whenever, in the opinion OF the City
council, such systems were required for
the public convenenice. Before the City
Council had no power to regulate the
affairs on the lines OF the street railway
belonging TO the company, and TO require
the issue OF tranefer tickets thereon, and
to give, during the period OF 20 years, an
exclusive franchise. Now, Mr.. President,
II viii be seen here that, while the City
Council could compel the building oi
these crossstown lines,
1t Had No Authority Whatever
to demand OF the Union Railroad Com
pany that they should give free transfer
tickets. We are not suffering for cross
town lines, for the purpose of paying full
fare. What we want crosstown lines for
is that the people now who have no ac-
~ Ndh Dt hCCOID-
modated by being enabled to traverse
from their homes back again for simply
one fare. That was something that the
City. Council had no power to compel
the railroad company to do.
"Your committee reported 10 the City
Council the necessity of such legislation
TO enable them that would be binding on
the Union Railroad Company,
by resolution No. 160, approved April
B, 1895, your committee was directed to
apply for the required legislation. (See
page 20. In accordance Herewith,
your committee applied to the General
Assembly and obtained therefrom the
passage OF an act giving the city the au-
thority TO make new contracts with the
Union Railroad Company and the Provi-
dence Cable Tramway Company. A copy
of the said act is annexed hereto and
made part OF this report. (See page 80. }
"This act, as will be seen by an exami-
nation OF 1t, is purely permissive act,
and does not in any way bind the city
of Providence.
81 wish 10 call the attentio of this
Council TO this matter. We might
suppose, by what was said and printed,
said from the platform and printed in
the daily press, that this committee was
authorized TO bind the city 10 any such
action as they chose, and that this Leg
islative act was procured simply for the
purpose OF
Binding the City Hand and Foot
and turning II over to the Union Rail-
road Company. Now, Mr.. President,
there is nothing in the act which justifies
such an opinion, not the slightest. That
act was simply this: Ii gave back TO the
city the right to make its own contracts
with a.corporation which occupied its
streets, and which every city in this State
had, but which was taken away from he
city of Providence ia the act of 1892
which was passed by the Legislature, en-
titled, the Franchise Act Now, Mr.
President, wish TO state right here that
/ want this thing understood, that this
had no power but simply 20
look into and examine the matter. and
report to this Council; that this act OF
the Legislature, as have said, simply re-
turned TO the city the power il once
had. Now, that is n kind OF home rule
Mr.. President, that l agree with. think
the city OF Providence Is capa bic, through
its representatives in this Council, 10
mako such contracts with the railroad
or any other company. as will
be for the benefit OF the city OF Provi-
dence. / object most decidedly that the
city should be governed by outside in
fiuences. i do not believe that gentlemen
that live i'm the suburbs or in the country
towns know any better what the city OF
Providence wants than men whom the
taxpayers sent here to represent them.
We had conference with the railroad
people, as soon as we reorganized, in