The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-04-04
Transfer Tickets Will Soon
Be a Memory.
Final conference of Railroad
Officials and Committee.
Report Presented by President Al
drich--NOthing From Committee.

Transfer tickets for the patrons OF the
Union Railrosd Company seem just as
far away today as ever, II not farther, for
the company has nothing TO offer, but a
transfer station at the great bridge, and
the committee has no other plan than
transfers at functional points-their first
and only proposition. Another conference
was held at the city ball this afternoon.
Messrs. Aldrich and Perry represented the
company, Lawyer Rocker being sick at
home, and OF the com mitiee Messrs.
Cavanaugh and Tanner were absent.
Mayor McGuinness was away with the
police committee on its annual tour of
inspection. The railroad. people submit
ted their nltimatum In perfectly polite,
but firm. manner. Ii was as follows:
In our conference with your committee
three weeks ago we endeavored to state
the considerations that had coptorlled our
opinion in the matter of transfers. We
gave the reasons that had led US TO ad-
here to the policy adopted by our pre-
decessors in their treatment of the SER
vice in Providence by running lines cor
responding to the natural currents OF
travel across the city in every direction,
and we rea.hrmed our belief that in the
end this policy II fully carried out, would
prove more satisfactory to the great
mass of our patrons than any other.
Notwithstanding this belief, we ex-
pressed willingness in Difference to
your wishes as representatives. OF the
city of Providence to consider general
system Of free transfers that would allow
person TO go from any part of the city
reached by our lines TO any o,her part on
the payment sof a single fare, provided
this could be carried out by some plan
hat xxnnfd al tffna ha
venient to the public and protect the
company form ruinous abuses, and pro-
vided further that the company should
receive some reaopablc satisfaction for re-
sulting costs and losses.
Our stipulation in regard to the use OF
a transfer station, or some other equally
well guarded plan, was not adopted hssty
or without the most careful study of all
the elements OF the problem here, and of
the experience of other cities, an exani-
nation made with a sincere desire TO Sc
cure the best possible solution. We are
of course aware that in some cities sys-
TENS more or less general In thsir char
acterf, of transfers by tickets are in
operation. But we believe there
is no anology between the condi-
tion existing here and many.
of those cities. We know of no commu-
nifty Of similar size and con6guyation to
ours, with a larPe number of long lines
intersectipg each other at one central and
OF Numerous othsr functions points,
where n general system of free transfers
by tickets on all lines and in all direc-
tions has been adopted. We believe that
one sucn can be adopted under these cir
cumstances, without runious consequences
TO the company or companies making the
experiment.
Ne do not intend, to take up your time
further this morning by enlarging upon
this particular phrase of the subject, or
by citing instances to prove the correct
ness OF our position, We have recurred to
il now, however, because we believe that
before we proceed further, for your con
venience, Gs well as our own, we should
have some specific statement OF your own
purposes in this connection. Up to this
meeting our conferences have been en-
tirely occur ed by the replies of our COM
pany.to Your questions, and We have re-
ceived no intimation of the views of your
committee ns TO the basis upon which
you will negotiate with us. We think
the time has now come when ii Ia proper
for us to inquire whether your committee
10 prepare to consider the question upon
the basis which we have indicated, viz.
The adoption of general system of trans
fers within the city limits, either throug h
q transfer station, or In some other way,
which will equally protect the company
against ruirous abuses, and also giving
the company, some reasonable compen-
sation or inuemnity against resulting ex-
renses and losses suggested i'm our lss {
question we now ask you, upon what
basis you are willing TO negotiate?
chairman West stated that the commit
tee at this stage of the game had no other
plan 10 offer than that which has been
stated. lie did not offer to pay for the
transfers even then, although il is under
stood that IL the company had been half
way considerate that might have follow
ed. As Ii IN the committee is satisfied,
mainly, that the company has considere d
nothing. They promised to consider
City Engineer Shedd's plan, which Alder
man Mccarthy thinks is better than the
"pen," but he is satisfied that they rever
gave it second thought.
AS yet the committee has taken no
other formal action than that suggested
and Mr.. Vests idea Of copartnership, as
well as Mr.. Gardner's notion OF appealing z
TO the General Assembly, will come up
with other propositions at special meet
ing Monday afternoon at 2 O'Clock. The
railroad officials will not be there. The
committee will then prepare their repor
for the Common Council meeting In tre
evening.