The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-10-08
Munyon's Female Remedies.

act. We were given to understand
plainly enough that This act has been
framed by the Union Railroad Company
and this committee, and will probably be
passed by this Legislature. After il is
passed the City Council can accept ii or
they can take something worse. And, at
this time, gentlemen. do not forget that
the railroad company was owned and con-
troiied by the gentlemen who today
own and control The Providence. Journal.
Now, SO much has been said In regard
to this transfer ticket business that
wish to call the attention OF this Council
TO few lines in the report made by a
committee OF which John 4. Kendrick
was chairman, and william Covell and
Ambrose West were mem bers, report
which they presented TO the City Coun-
Gil. They said they conferred with the
railroad company in regard to transfer
tickets with this result: The president
stated to them, after a conference, that
There seems to be some misunderstand-
Ing in regard to the statemet made by
this company before your committee.
We desire TO correct that. We stated
that 1t would be impossible TO have a
system OF general transfers on all our
lines, and that we could not make par
tial system without doing injustice to
those lines on which transfers were not
given. The figures we gave you show
conclusively that general system
would result in an almost entire loss in
the profits of our business. That was
in 1892, and Mr.. Jesse Metcalf was pres
ident. Now, no onewill accuse Mr.. Met
leading statement. i presume that he
made that statement, and that it was
probably true. i don't think the COM
pany could afford to give transfer tick
cts at that time. Whether they can do
so today or not we do not know. Ger
tainly, they are in better condition to-
day to do it, with their lines extended
and their increased income. j merely
quote that to show the gentlemen the un-
reasonableness OF certain parties, who
claim that the Union Railroad Company
can afford TO give the citizens transfer
tickets. But 1900, 600 a year for the
franchise is wild talk, and does not
amount to anything. 1t does nobody
any good,
1t Does n Great Deal OF Harm,
ard it is entirely misleading.
NOW, Mr.. President, l have taken up
good deal OF the time OF this Council,
but felt as though some things con-
nected with this report. and what has
Council because OF the attack upon
this committee, which is
an attack upon the Council-should be
replied 10. / do claim, Mr.. Presi-
dent, TO be somewhat acquainted with
the members OF this Council for the last
SIX or seven years, personally, and know
ing largely the mem bers who have COM
posed this Council for the last % years,
that this continual fault-fnding, ana
these insinuations of corruption and cor
rupt control by any OF these organiza-
tlons Is wrong 10 the Council as individu-
ais. 1t is wrong to the community, and
1t reflects nothing but disa'edit upon
those who indulge in such criticisms.
"In the absence of proof, claim that no
a right to accuse the mem bers of this mu-
nicipality OF corruption, or dishonesty;
and i think, Mr.. President, that the
time Is coming when this Council has a
right, at least once, to express its opin-
ion in regard TO these matters. Mr.. Pres
ldeDt, L give way TO other members of
this Council, if they have anything to
say In regard TO this matter"
MIR. Barney lnterprets the Law in the
Matter.
Councilman Barney was the next speak
er. He said:
"It almost seems TO me, Mr.. President,
that l should apologize to the memb bers
OF this Council for taking up the time in
discussing this report. What you direct
ed us in the first place to do was that we
should make report on the questions
you submitted to US. You directed us to
proceed no further, unless we could OBJ
tain something which we had not been
directed TO inquire about in the first IN
stance. We could not obtain this, and
therefore ask to be discharged. That is
practically the effect of the report, and 1
should not, at this hour, ask
your attention, were it not that state
nents concerning what this COM
nittee had done, what it should have
done, and what il intended 10 do, had
been made, which are so absurd that,
when first. mentioned, 1 scarcely thought
anyone would give any credence to them,
but which have been repeated so persist
'ntly that / began to think that the writ
'r who made them has almost convinced
limself that there is some grain of truth
N them, and inasmuch as these state
nents have been made so widely and so
)ersistently, aud repeated SO many times,
( seems TO me. Mr.. President, that, in
Justice to my colleagues and myself, that |
few OF them should be retuted.
''It seemed a strange thing that a paper |
hat had approved of the taking away
rom the representatives OF the taxpayers |
my power to deal with a question of VIZ |
nj Importance to them, that had de- |
,rived the city of what is now claimed |
o be very great right, that had. as they
aid, robbed it OF an income that il |
hould receive, that such was approved |
$ a proper act, and that after several |
ears, when the City Council attempts |
a some way TO recover what the city has |
Dst and TO obtain more equitable ad- |
lsttment, that then, for the first time,
he action OF the City Council is assailed,
nd the mem bers who have acted on |
he pat OF the city are accused OF
eruption and all manner of offenses
gainst their caths and their fellow-citi-
Ems. The only explanation that can be
iven " the one which the member who
as preceded mo has given, that the own
rship OF this railroad has changed i'm
his time and instead OF the owners and
OF the Providence Daily
ournal controlling the railroad.
hey have coined the water which they
ave poured into the stock into hard