The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-06-24
OLNEYVILLE.
City Charter Meeting Well Attended
LIST Evening.
Addresses Were Made by Hon. e. l.. Free
man, Sc ator B. ID Others Notes.


house on Plainfold street, the charter
would undoubtedly have been adopted,
for the gathering was largely in favor of
che proposed change IN the towns gov
ernnient, but mixed through the assem-
blage there was "a sprinkling Of anti-char-
terites from Manton village ana the
farming section further north.
When the meeting was called to order
by Representative j. 4. Kenyon all the
available space was taken. Mr. Kenyon
briefly referred 10 The origin OF the pres
ent movement for change In the form
of the towns government ana then IN
troduced Senator George L. Beane as the
chairman of the meeting
Chairman Beane made u short address.
He said the present agitation for change
was provoked by the conduct OF a certain
portion of the citizens at the recent nnah-
cial tow meeting
That meeting, he said. was unsatisfac..
tory To many in its results and out OF
that dissati sfaction developed the scheme
for change that would make IL impossl-
BILE to hold any moro such town meetings.
Senator Il. il. Freeman of Central FAILS
was then introduced. In his opening re-
marks Mr. Freeman stated that It was
rot his lntention to give the people OF
Johnston advice. nor did he wish To ad-
yocate the adoption OF tho city charter.
nor tell them how to vote on tie question.
He did not know OF his own knowledge
whether they should vote for 10 or not
All he wished to do was TO explain some
of the advantages Of a city form OF gov
ernment over that of the town and TO give
some of the experiences of his own city,
Central Falls. In the old times when tho
towns were small and with but small
population the town form made an ideal
form of government and il is still SO for
small towns, but when there Is large
population like in this town, with yot-
ing population of $500 and about 1000
taxpayers, tho old fashioned government
must bo abandoned as impracticable.
When the town affairs used TO be run by
40 or 90 citiZens rs used TO DO the case
when he was young man, II was well
enough, but with several hundred persons
Attending the town meetings. these gath
orings cannot be properly conducted.
The business of "a large town for whole
year. cannot be properly transacted at
mob town meeting The speaker SAID he
would rather place his business in the
hands of any ten men i'm the audience
before him than TO trust IL to mob town
meeting.
Mr.. Freeman exposed some Of tho
schemes resorted Co under the town form
Of government, where one village or Sec
tion OF the town combined with another,
TO gain their object and TO secure the pas
sage of such resolutions and appropria-
tions as they might desire. In this way the
combination controlled the town and ran
IL to suit themselves. He referred TO the
last meeting held in Lincoln, before Cen
tral Falls became a city, and the picture
he drew was not at all supplementary 10
that portion Of the commonwealth.
Mr. Freeman presented some statistics
To show how much moro economical
town may be run with a city form OF gov
ernment In Central Falls. under the
old form, the public debt was Increased
from S25, 600 in 1889 to S423, 000 in 1895.
This enormous increase IN the debt, he
said was due TO mob town meetings.
MIR Freeman then proceeded TO explain
the modus operandi of conducting busi-
ness under city form OF government.
Everything is done with due considera-
tion. The question CT appropriations are
calmly considered by the aldermen and
counclmen before action Is taken on
them. II they have not been fully con
sIdered they are continued till the next
meeting and they are never acted On In
haste How different is the way the
financial affairs are managed by town
meeting. where evcryCuy Is excited ana
tho measures are rushed through or de-
feated "a they happen to suit the whim
or caprice of the mob.
The registry voter has nothing TO fear
from the adoption of the city charter,
although IL is claimed, and truly so, that
he will not lie able To vote for mem bers OF
the Council and Board of Aldermen.
How much worse off will he beg The
registry voter cannot now participate in
the financial town meeting, and the busi-
ness of those meetings will be attended
TO by the counsilmen and aldermen. so
how much difference will IL make 20 this
class Of voters after allg This constitu-
tonal restriction OH registry voters, Mr.
Freeman declared, would soon bo wiped
out
The old idea was, ho said. that only tax
PAYERS should vote on matters involving
the expenditure of public funds. but II is
now recognized that not only the land
lords and the holders of bonds but the
laborers who occupy small tenements and
the shopkeepers are all taxpayers MIR.
Freeman predicted that il would be but
n short time tefore such change would
he made in the laws as TO enable every
citiZon TO vote ON every question.
In closing Mr. Freeman made n few
statements In regard To the expense Of
CITY government.
Central Fails he said, had paid off
Sl6 600 of the debt since the city charter
was adopted and an equal sum Is 10 be
paid each year till the debt is liquidatcd.
Under the town form when the debt
kept increasing the tax was about the
saire rs IL is today. He never know of q
city that wanted To return to the old town
form Of government after once having
in Central Falls.
Town Cerk Cough was the next speaker
presented. He spoke on the present
financial predicameut Of the town giving
facts and figures 90 show what an en-.
harrass)ng position tho town was put into
nv tho last town mneting when more than
SO. 000 was Appropriated in excess OF the
total income
Mr. Cough said he didn't see how they
could get through the year. lie felt that
10 would I've necessary tn cut down all the
appropriations even the enc made for the
schools In order to get along. "Wo may
hold another town meeting. lie said, but
even If we do we cant raise any moro
money as tho sax has been fixed for tho
year and cannot be- changed.
Mr.. George Farnell was the Boxt speaker.
He drew very dark picture of tho condi-
tiun tho town will lie forced into aftor
July !. whcn there will I've no police and
no street lights. He predicted TINT the
town would become tho dumping ground
of New England. for criminals and other
undcsirA BILE persons. and that 10 VIII bo
unsafe for women and children To bo on
tho street after dark