The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-01-07
MAYOR OLNEY's INAUGURAL.

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The second inaugural address of His
Honor, FRANK FULLER OLNIY. Mayor
OF the city of Providence, is brief and
business like document that will amply
repay the brief time required to read I
in full.
In it's digest of the reports from The
different departments engaged in the
conduct of the municipal business, the ad-
dress affords comprehensive idea OF the
condition of municipal affairs with which
every citizen should consider 1t duty
to acquaint himself Most of these re-
ports will offer to the general reader
the suggestions and recommendations
which impress the Mayor in reviewing
them. His recommendation Of contin-
ned improvement in highways, for in
stance, will meet with general response
of approval for il is a lesson drawn
from experience that .'clean and well
built streets do more TO enhance
the value and prosperity of this city
than can be accomplished by the same
expense in any other direction" So,
too, the force of his recommendation
that the police department beso far in
creased as to afford the city real and
active, rather than a nominal, police
strength of at least ESQ men, will be
readily recognized from the fact that
the hours of extra duty performed by
the department the past year amount to
72 days for each man n-an unwarranted
demand on the department that is not
calculated to contribute to the efficiency
of the force.
The Mayor, deservedly, says good
word for the fire department, whose
record for the past year is, if anything,
beyond the high standard which this
department has ever successfully main
tained. But five fires in the year where
the loss has exceeded $4,000. and total
loss Of less than S29O, 1000, is certainly a
creditable showing. For the greater
efficiency of this department recommen-
dation for an increase in apparatus and
for isolating the fire alarm telegraph
from the mass of wires devoted to other
services will certainly meet with general
approval.
A recommendation for greater school
facilities is so obviously important that
it need be no more than referred to.
We have made great advancement the
past year in this direction, but there
should be no pause in building and
opening school rooms up to the last
limit of tho demand. Ample capacity,
in well lighted and we'll ventilated school
buildings Is simply necessity that
should require no argument to secure it..
AS the work of broad minded and
progressive citizen of the city of which
he is the chief executive, Mayor OLNEY's
address carries with 1t an atmosphere Of
wholesome civic inspiration and enthu-
siasm for the developement of the
city of Providence. Something
of this pervades nearly every page OF
the document from its opening words
where is pointed out that sat no time
ia the history of Providence has there
been such general awakening to the
needs and requirements OF the city as
exists today" TO certain specific head
ings under which suggestion is
made for grasping the opportunities
presented by the tide of activity and
expansion which has now set
in with mighty force that promises an
era of substantial growth and material
prosperity SURPRISING all preceding
years"
The city of Providence has for the
past five years unquestionably en-
joyed a most healthful boom.
Imposing building operations have
been rewarded with paying tenantry.
Industry and enterprise have found the
city a place of profitable investment.
Opportunities long neglected have been
appreciated and turned to value. With
out branching out extravagantly, the city
has found that within itself are latent
resources Tor development and Improve
ment that repay big interest ~and
many of these have been taken
advantage of. And. while the limit is
not yet reached, intelligent citizens are
aroused to the advantage of still further
opening up our resources, of still further
providing for our development beyond
the possibilities of present conditions.
Important in the work yet to be done
to continue to augment the wealth,
prosperity and population Of the city,
harbor improvement distinctly COM
mands our earliest attention. Our
railroad facilities are now we'll on the
way to that permanent improve
ment for lack of which the city
has so long suffered. and it is
accordingly most timely to give atten-
tion to our harbor--a harbor, which de-
spite its present limitations, offers op-
portunities for incalculable advantages