The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-10-12


the public should command our respectful
consideration of thi. statement, and 1t
should be recognized as having been made
IN all honesty, and with a view to the
public interests, as we'll as TO the inter
ests OF the trolley company.
What is the record of the trolley com.
pany in its relation to its patrons and
masters, the citizens of Providence? II
may be stated as fact beyond any ques-
tion that never in the history of the muni-
cipality has public enterprise been un-
dertaken and pushed with SO much spirit,
with so much liberality, with SO broad a
sense of public duty, as has been the
setting-up OF the splendid trolley system
in the City OF Providence. We venture
to say that the record has not been
equaled, surely not surpassed, In any
city in the land. Within two short
years, this tremendous plant with
established. Money has teen expended
lavishly. From one end of the city
to the other old material has been rooted
out, thrown away, and new material set
up to last for a generation. Far out into
the suburbs the rails have been extended,
anticipating public demand. The
real estate values have been promoted;
comfort and convenience to the public
secured. A model electric railroad is
in operation, and the work has been ac-
complished with SO amazing rspidity that
we can hardly appreciate the transition
from the trundlipg horse car. And before
the trolley company can catch it's breath
we are calling for wondering why
We do not get transfer tickets!
We need not go into any detail. All we
ask of our two gentle readers is to 60
back two years and attempt to recall the
"rapid" transit situation then. Then look
at 1t today-54 per cent. increase in car
mileage. SO per cent. increase in daily seat
ing capacity, over Al per cent. increase in
track mileage, nearly 80 per cent. increase
In trips run, over four and a half mil
lions OF car miles run as against less
than three millions, two years ago-and
the receipts per car mile less than they
were two years ago!-a tremendous revo-
luton In system and new plant and
equipment throughout-a model urban
and suburba n railroad all set up within
two short yearsi
And yet our two gentle readers want
to condemn ell this, because we have not
yet got transfers---general transfers.
And they want to condemn this news
paper because 1t is honest enough
to contend that the trolley COM
pany does deserve some considera-
tion at the hands of the intelligent citi-
zenship OF Providence. There is all the
demonstration necessary that the trolley
company has spared nothing to serve the
citizens OF Providence, as 1t should have
done, and must do for its own interests.
There is nothing to show that it has me-
elected the public interests, or sought to
override them.
We have never heard that the trolley
company stockholders have ever received
q dividend. We don't see how there can
have been any dividends, or how there can
be in the in mediate future. Money and
interest have gone into the plant have
been devoted to serving the public. We
have understood that the management,
the directors, or whatever they may be
called, receive no salsries-do not even get
travelling expenses. And we guess 1t will
be some time before any of them get rich
from their holdings. We hope they will,
some day, for their enterprise and invest
ment deserve to return them profit.
On College Hill, just at this time, we
are presented with demonst ration OF
the trolley company's methods that
ought to speak for itself to our two gentle
readers. The trolley company paid 1870
for the cable line stock. That little bit
OF a line cost the trolley company not
less than s4Oo. 900, as we recall the trans
action. Now what has been done with
the property they bought? They have
thrown it all awsyl Absolutely ell that
is left OF the property for which $780,
600 was paid has gone, or will go, into
the Junk shop! The right OF way is left,
o. course, and to bring this up to the
standard OF the rest of the equipment the
trolley company Is putting in q new