The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-05-07

fers In the city OF Providence ana ior
other purposes" that passed the House
yesterday by a good majority viii go
through the Senate with equal success,
the joint special committee Of tho City
Council which has been after politics
rather than transfers will 6nd itself exact
ly where II was shortly after 1t undertook
negotiations with the Union Railroad
Company, only the club that 1t chose to
use instead OF talking business will be
taken from it. 1t can no more threaten
the Union Railroad Company or pose be-
fore the public as martyrs to the public
interest. 1t is compelled by the act TO do
business or take the responsibility.
The Union Railroad Company has never
declined TO listen to any demand from
whatever source made upon it and to re-
spond thereto in accordance with the
practicability of the situation and its own
responsibility TO the public interests in
divers ways, the business features to be
considered and it's own rights as well as
duties in the premises. Because the idea
that certain gentlemen had of what they
wanted in the way OF transfers was thor
oughly impractica ble,a quintette OF Goo
Goo and Democratic Councilmen were
elected from the Second Ward to displace
a Republican delegation and in several
other wards this transfer ticket idea was
factor that helped to make Democratic
success And when the Council got set
tied in its seat, a joint special commit
road on the subject.
The history OF the negotiations that
followed has been told ana repeated. The
same answer was given to this committee
that had been given to a committee of
the previous Council, tc wit, that trans
fer system OF the kind proposed was i'm
practicable, would not conserve the pub
lie interests aud would work injury to
the corporation. The joint Council COM
mittee hae nothing to propose except
their vague demand for universal trans.
fers," which was accompanied by threats
to be made good in case the demand was
not acceded to. So the trolley company
made proposition. 1t was a pretty
good proposition. But W hen the trolley
company told the joint special committee
that compensation would be expected
from the municipal corporation, the COM
mitee vociferiously declined to propose
any compensation or TO consider further
the proposition advanced by the trolley
company. Instead, they went to the
General Assembly with a ridiculous, not
to say outrageous appeal for the Assembly
to abrogate ali the rights of the trolley
corporation, impose their kind of
transfers upon 1t, and leave 1T to become
as 1t was before the franchises, the tool
of politics and the plaything of any
crazy-headed politicians who chose to
fool with it or blackmail it. 1t was he
lieved that the franchises protected the
semi-public corporations and the public
from this sort Of guerrilla attack but,
whether or not, the action OF the
judiciary committee on the proposition OF
the City Council committee probably
clinches tho franchises for all time and
preserves the integrity OF the State, while
the passage OF the substitute transfer bill
re-opens the way to the Council commit
tee to meet the trolley company in fair
spirit, and places upon the former duty
to the public that quashes any political
plans they may have entertained. As the
judiciary committee stated in it's report
recommending the substitute bill: "The
act has been drawn With care to clearly
define mutual rights-and- obligations.
The committee think it to be iust to both
the city and the railroad company in
order that in the future during the term
of the railroads franchise there should
be no further vexatious disputes"
Now, as it appears, this bill provides
for just such system Of transfers as the
Union Railroad Company proposed in
good faith to the joint committee OF the
Council-and which, in bad faith, that
committee rejected. Moreover, it fixes
compensation on the part of the city to
make up for the expense OF establishing
and operating transfers-an idea that the
Council committee scoffed at. Finally,
the act.does not compel the trolley COM
pany to establish such transfer system
.Nrt .,ts -. "A a