The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-05-13
THE ONLY PRACTICABLE PROPO-
SITION.

WaniS W Iuub vi w Viz laNeSaN y JSNNeNf
Of town government with its ridiculous
and ruinous method of handling the
finances, and the arbitrarily unequal
representation secured TO the different
sections in the town council.
Only a few persons out in Cranston
want to be annexed to Providence. That,
perhaps, is a misfortune to Cranston,
but we won't complain. The Cranston-
ians are at liberty to do as they think
best.
Nobody who has given even a superb
cial consideration of the matter would
agree to having the compact part of the
town set off as district.
We don't see how either part Of the
town can favorably regard town division
of any sort. The western portion with
its immense area and comparatively
small valuation certainly would not want
to be dropped and left to run itself, TO
keep its miles of roads in repair and to
maintain "A town government. The peo-
pie of the compact part OF the town,
looking to the future, would be strongly
disposed, we should say, to hang on to all
the territory of the town with view to
future development.
And yet something must be done, and,
we should say, that something is to adopt
a city charter such as will be afforded
by the adoption of the proposition to be
voted for tomorrow. Under it there
can be no increased burdens. while the
advantages of more equal represen-
tation, of n proper supervision of ex-
penditures, of facility and economy of
administration are so obvious as to
command support, we should say.
And fine city Cranston will make.
With its recently developed advantages
for all-the-year round residence, with
its beautiful sites for summer homes,
with its industries which comprise
jewelry factory, the big CoRLIss safe
works, the Consolidated's repair shops,
the pickle works and vinegar factory,
print works, two big breweries-the
sixth city will DO pretentious
municipal corporation at the start, and
its reorganized system of government
will, doubtless. tend TO rapidly increase
its business enterprises and fill up its
fair s-Meshanticut Park, Auburn
Plateau, Wayland Park, Eden Park, the
Sprague Homestead, and all the rest
with new homes. The sixth city will
make four, at least, OF its sisters hustle
to keep ahead of ii in the next 10 years.
Cranston people don't want to take
any backward step, and they evidently
want to adopt that city charter just as
soon as the law allows. Good govern
ment and future prosperity demand it
we should say. Cranston made one big
mistake once, and from what it cost her
then we may judge of what similar re-
fusal to grasp the opportunity tomorrow
may yet cost her. Some Of us can re-
member when the boundary of the
town of Cranston came down,
into what is now Providence,
Eddy street as far as Rhodes street and
down Broad street as far aas Grace
Church Cemetery and included In its
splendid territory all of South Provi-
dence and Elmwood. But when these
localities began to grow in population
and asked for Improvements such as
they needed and were entitled to, the
town of Cranston refused them, and
they promptly sought annexation
as the only method for getting what
they needed. If the town had been
wise, and held on to the territory which
was compelled to secede, Cranston
today would have been a city of over
$4,000 inhabitants with valuation of
nearly as many millions of dollars. The
compact part of the big town is today
in need of improvements and under
the proposed charter may secure them,
without placing any burden on the
parts of the town that don't need
them. And we guess the people Of
Cranston will quite generally agree to
make this possible, and neither
divide the town nor let any part get
away under any sort of plan. The
making of big fine city and the secur-
ing Of good government-thatis is the real
proposition to be voted on tomorrow.
And we have no doubt the new char
ter will be accepted with rejoicing and
by big vote.