The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-04-27
The Judiciary Committee
Gives a Hearing.
Councilman Gardiner Argues
in Favor of the Bill.
He Says the City Wants That or
Nothing for the Present.

h pupilc nearing Wdb BrhHteu tulS III
ternoon by the judiciary committee OF
the House of Representatives to the joint
special committee Of the Providence City
Council on transfers.
All OF the mem bers OF the judiciary
committee were present with the excep-
tion of Mr.. Gray of Providence ana Mr..
Sheffield OF Newport.
All the members of the City Council
committee were present, and with them
Mayor McGufnness, Alderman Nichols,
City Solicitor Colwell and several other
mem bers of he State Legislature and City
Government.
President Nelson w. Aldrich OF the
Union Railroad Company was in the
cham Der OF the HOUSE and a number OF at
torneys.
City Solicitor Colwell opened the dis
cussion with q review of the proceedings
In this latest attempt TO secure transfer
tickets from the time the joint special
committee was appointed on February 26
up TO the day of this hearing.
The bill before the legislature which
was the subject matter OF the hearing is
as follows:
Section /. The Union Railroad Com
pany, on and after the day of
shall be required TO issue To every person
who pays cash fare on any OF the street
railway lines of said company, or upon
the lines of said Providence Cable Tram
way Company operated by said Union
Railroad Company within the city limits,
and who desires the same, transfer
ticket, which will entitie such person TO
continue his journey on any intersecting
Or connecting lines to any other point
within the city limits not in the same
general direction from which he came.
All and nf nfo In
consistent herewith are hereby repealed.
and this act shall take effect from and
after its passage.
Although Chairman West was pre- sent
Councilman Gardner, the second mem
Der OF the Council committee was the first
speaker after the solicitor.
He emphasized the..fact that he and his
associates were under instruction 10 sc-
cept the legislation asked for or nothing
and that il the bill could not be PASSED
as presented the city would prefer to wait
and suffer awhile longer rather than risk
the trial of something that might be or
dered by the Assembly unsolicited.
He then weot on to give technical ac-
count of all the railroad legislation in
volving the City Of Providence, with
special reference to the franchise acts of
1892 and 1893
Mr.. Gardner then referred to what he
called the physical conditions of the city,
which make transfer system desirable.
He said that for the most part the Union
Railroad Company furnished an excel
lent service. but that they have a system
which is peculiarly unjust 10 large class
OF people. A man may go four or i've
m les for single fare. providing he goes
In direction arbitrarily fixed by the
company, but II he wants TO go ia on
other direction for mile he must pay
two fares. And what the city wants,
Mr.. Garuner said, is that any person
may ride for reasonable distance In any
direction for one fare.
The effect OF the act may possibly be TO
very slightly reduce the maxium rate OF
fares, which the company may charge,
but that Is the only objection which the
corporation can possibly have.
The decrease of the railroad company's
receipts by ESQ, COO a year under a transfer
system which has been estimated MIR.
Gardner does not believe in, and ne said
at the hearing that such decrease would
mean that nine patrons out OF every ten
is TO demand a transfer ticket and he
doesn't believe that there would be so
many.
AS to the existence of contracts the
committeeman said that the act of 1892
and the amendatory act of 1893 constitute
all that may be considered as n contract
between the State and the Union Railroad
Company.
In conclusion Mr.. Gardner pleaded with
the committee not TO receive one bill
from the city which Is known and asked
for and then recommend the passage OF
another, the nature of which Is not
known and he also suggested that il the
railroad company has anything TO ask
for that they present bill which may be
printed ana considered publicly.
Mayor McGuinness said that he felt IL
to be his duty as the exective of the city
TO speak in favor OF the passage of the
bill The unanimous vote of the Council
in appointing. the committee, he thought,
was indicative OF the unanimous desire OF
the people in the matter OF transfers.
The city is not asking for anything,
said the Mayor, which corporation of
fair-mindcd men would not willingly
grant.
The Mayor IN answer TO the objections
raised by the Railroad Company for fear
OF fraud, said that scheme had been
suggested by the city engineer for divid-
ing the city into four districts for each
one of which there should be a transfer
ticket OF different color, and IL had
been admitted that there would be no
more opportunity for fraud under such
system than under the present system of
cash fares.
Councilman Knvansugh OF the commit
tee spoke from the standpoint of the lay
man and as he put II neither rs a lawyer
nor In bitterness. he claimed that IL was
nothing more than simple justice which
he and his associates had come to the
Legislature 10 ask for. He then went on
to explain what the railroad systems are
In the Eutorcan cities.