The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-06-23
D. Newell Son. PARIS HOUSE. l. D. Newell & Son.

method OF furnishing transfers at all
functional points.
z. We believe that the system, which
alone is proposed by the company, il
otherwise Objectionable for the following
reasons:
The central station will occupy n space
over the river which should be left open
to secure the circulation of air through
that part of the city.
At least one hundred and twenty
cars per hour will cross the public side
walk on Market square in front OF the
present station, 60 in each direction,
with a distance on the sidewalk of only
90 feet between the ingoing and outcom-
ing tracks. This we believe TO be danger
Gus to pedestrians using that sidewalk.
With, say, rs lines of cars running
! through the Central station even at the
rate OF 90 cars per hour. or one per min
ute, ii will tie impossible TO run tue
cars of each line at sufficientlyFshort in
tervals to prevent great delays in trans
ferring passengers from one line 10 an
other.
The first item OF expense to the city
upon the adoption Of this system Is the
loss of $500 per annum rental for the site
of the present Union railroad siation In
Market square.
More important than this, however, are
the loss and expens Sc accruing to the city
from the exemption OF the company for
| five wears from the necessity and cost OF
paving or repaving the streets as provided
in the act of the Gene al Assembly. 10
maintain our streets in a proper ana safe
condition this v ork must be done in the
| future as in the past, aud, IL not al the
expense of the company, then ot that Of
the city. The average annual cost of
that WORK for the next five years is stated
| in the report presented by our colleagues
~ "a 1fyni ttaa fa ha aefi i'm tod bx,f ha
commissioner of public works at from
5000 to $40, 900, but from what expert
ence or data that estimate Is based ii is
impossibie TO conceive. since for the IL
years from 1885 to 1895 inclusive the aver
age cost OF that work was fl4,7e4 per an
mum, and for the live years from 1891 to
1895 inclusive the average cost was tvs, $50
per aDnum. which was borne by the COM
pany, but which would have been borne
by the city If the late legislation and the
proposed system OF transfers had neen in
operation during that period. The aver
age cost for the last five years Is obviously
much greater than that for the last IL.
While neither period or its average cost
per annum presents reliable or infallible
criterion for the future, the last five years
certainly contain more nearly the prob
able features and conditions OF the next
five years, which would cover the period
of exemption, were this system estab-
lished at once.
The question then Is, are the taxpayers
great and small ready to purchase trans
fers at the following price, viz; Fifteen
hundred dollars per annum In cash at
once forever. or as long as the franchise
of the company endures, $500 per anpum
more, certainly, for the same period in
rental value, $500 per annum more, prob
ably, in a short time for further rental
value, and for i've years the annual loss
or cost to the city for the paving and re-
paving OF anywhere from Sl4, 7o4 The aver
age OF tine past IL years, to s2s,S20 the
average OF the past five years. all OF which
figures We believe we have taken copser-
vatively.
While ii is apparent that the recent act
of the General Assembly neither contem-
plates nor prescribes any kvstem other
than that now offered by the Union Rail-
road Company, it does nevert heless leave
in our power the determination of
whether or not we shall acot pt suoh sys-
TEN, and 1t is for the City Council alone
to say whether with ali.its merjlssand de-
merits this system OF transfers cnly shall
be furnished TO the peopleaby this com
pany.
Ia consideration OF the foregoing and
further especially OF the fact that, from
the hearing held as above stated and from
frequent conversati ions with many citi-
zens we are satisfied neither that the sys-
TEN itself Is the most desirable nor that
the tax payers oil the city OF Providence,
upon whom alone must fall the burden
and cost of the 'esta blishment and main
tenance of the system PROPOSED under the
legislation pertaining 10 the same, gener-
ally desire its adoption, We would express
our disapproval of the acceptance of the
system by the City Council and recon-
mend the postponement OF the whole
matter until a system more adequate to
the demands OF the situation and less ex-
pensive 90 the taxpayers of the city OF
Providence shall be presented, or until at
least 1t shall De more apparent that II is
the general desire of our citizens that
this system, irrespective OF cost, should
be accepted and adopted.
The Discussion.
Chairman West opened the discussion
with an attack on the second report. lie
said that its signers had practically de-
clared against any system OF transfers be-
cause the system witch they object TO is
the Only one possible under the law.
There Is no other system to be consid-
cred, said Mr. Meet, but the only ques-
tion Is. "Are transfers worth the price
asked ty tho railroad company.
1he substance of the argument OF the
gentleman from Ward 10 was that trans
fers are worth the price and he pointed
out toe advantages Of tne proposed system
and claimed that toe station would be a
benefit ana protection I'm stormy
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