The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-01-13
Rev. Mr.. Haskell BOOmS
the CranStOn Idea.
Neither Separate District Nor
Annexation Fills Bill.
Large Congregation Listens to Pas
tor of Peoples Church.

IN spite OF tue lucscinShSy VI INV
weather last evening large congrega-
tion greeted the pastor OF the Peoples
Church TO listen TO the third lecture OF
the series OF illustrated sermons.
In his prelude, MIR. haskell discussed
the matter OF the "Cranston Problem"
and said in substance;
ssIt is evident even TO the most casual
observer that the town of Cranston has
reached an important perod in the de-
velopment of her social, industrial and
political life. Strong and robust, she
needs the refining and restraining in
fuence OF municiT al law TO develop her
latent power. AS AIR. Hall OF Edgewood
recently said, "A community covering so
much territory and so populous as Grams
ton cannot Intelligently administer its
financial affairs at an unwieldy gathering
Of freeme EN- once a year. Our town has
outgrown the system of government In
vogue ffly years ago. One hundred or
one hundred and twenty-five Thousand
dollars is too much TO be appropriated at
an old-fashioned town meeting. We need
a representative government.
ssIt is not a commercial transaction nor
q political deal which confronts the citizen
of Cranston, but social problem. Poll
tical ana economical considerations must
be secondary and subordinate.
The object OF this prelude is to keep
the ball rolling; to promote agitation; to
arouse, IL possible, more lively interest
in the absorbing question OF the hour, so
that, when this question is finally settled
at the polls, vox populi may indeed be
vox del. A change.in our municipal gov
ernment IL inevitable. The question is:
What shall IL be-annexation, separate
districts, or a city charter
"Annexation Is attractive at first sight,
but the more we study the situation.
the more thoroughly we are convinced
that an aexation is not our salvation. IL is
my opinion that our citizens who favor an
nexation do il theoretically rather than
IN the light OF facts. We have a growing
population ,ot particularly interested in
the town of Crsnston. They live here for
convenience sake; room, air, iod.s.gs
and the like; and OF course these people,
influenced by the force of circumstances,
incline toward Providence, while our
heavy taxpayers and most prominent
citizens oppose the absorption theory.
"Another plan is the separate district
idea. Edgewood and Auburn have already
appointed committee to petition the
Legislature for charter similar to that
of the district Of Nsrragansett. 1t is
hardly credible that Edgewood was seri-
GUS In her petition. Evidently there
were conditions back of 1t, of which you
have already been advised through the
press. Auburn made her request in self
defence. Her citizens are opposed to the
yeparate district idea, but she says II the
General Assem- bly, should for any reason
grant cnarter to Edgewood, then Au-
burn must be counted in, since otherwise
as ex- Representative Joseph L. Saunders
said the other night, she would be be-
tween the devil and the deep sea- Just
wnat MIR. Saunders meant by this unique
expression is, 1 presume, understood by
the citizens OF. Auburn. Auburn repre-
sents the most important district in the
town OF .Cranston, is the.most 'populous,
has the largest territory, offers the best
manufacturing sites. The high school is
here and also the best grammar school
in the town, lot surpassed, educatlonally,
by any in Providence. We have public
library AMI a district hall; the largest
assessed valuation, while in growth OF
population she outstrips the whole town.
We are at the Junction OF the Consolidated
railroad. We have electric car seryice-rhe
best, and there is not better losality for
suburban homes anywhere in the town,
and what is better still, our citizensappre-
ciate as never before the advantages and
possibilities of Auburn. And so, while
we are opposed TO the separate district