The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-12-28

/ raised over the train shed question:, Dut
| just as soon the storm subsidies the in
significance OF the matter that has created
the storm will be very evident to think
ing citizens.
The first attack was made shortly af-
ter the Consolidated railroad announced
that it was all ready to open its new sta-
tion TO the public This announcement
was received with general acclaim. The
| Prov journal delivered a conorat- :
ulstory editorial on the subject. Every
booy was happy. Alas, for human peace
| and content. A pes tiferous city official
discovered that the new depot had 10
train sheds. Ho thought he had discov-
cred something new. SO he called atten-
| tion To it in "a very loud voice Just as a
child cries out at the first snow that IL
h0s ever seen fall. just as If no snow had
ever fallen before, in all the ages. AS
| this pcstiferous official was particular
| pet of the Providence journal, that hy
ster cal organ Of Its own opinions hol-
Tered, too. What no train sheds A
wicked railroad corporation trying To
steal march on the confiGing citizens of
use the new depot without train sheds
Down with Ill
And the crv was down with itr'
Councilman Sturges OF Ward /. IA partic-
ularly feverish councilman whose term
of Office expires on January !. and who Is
looking for n reelection to fill vacancy,
caused by death, introduced resolution
calling for an Injunction 10 prevent the
Consolidated from going into the new
! depot.
That was really an Injunction to pre-
vent the people OF Providence from max
ing use of the railroad facilities for which
| they have waited twenty. five years and
Nal fhntn IN.
winter in the dismantled quarters while
the business interests of the city were "a
| be taxed thousands Of dollars in the cost
/ OF handling their freight by the delay In
volveu In going all the way around the
new buildings 10 deliver and discharge
instead of being able to utilize the faciil'
| ties that awaited them.
! From the date OF that resolution the
! hue and cry has develobed into a perfect
storm that has assailed everything that
| had to do with the Consolidated road, The
| terminal facilities committee and all the
work, that has been duly approved from
| time to- time as 10 has gone forward dur
| ing tho past ten years.
| Nothing has been too evil to say OF, the
| terminal facilities committee which has
worked so long, so laboriously, so truth
! fully and so successfully. with no Other
| compen satiou than is afforded by the
! general public confidence and praise fol
J their endeavors. The members of the
! committee have been abused as no Other
/ mon in town ever were abused, except
/ perhaps Republican candidate for the
| mayoralty. Coupcilmeu who ven.ured
! to approach the subject in "A fair minded
! and business-liks way were assailed with
| equal yindictiveness and made To under
stand that their political future dc
| pended on their coming into line and
! joining the forces that held up the Con
! solidated railroad, its president and the
terminal facilities committee TO public
| opprobrium. IL was hot time. Or
| dinariIy, cool-headed and sensible meI
| seemed TO lose their heads and they joined
in the rush.
Even the new depot itself did not es
! cape the general assault which seemed t.
ba based on tho Uonny brook Fair idea o
hitting a head where you SEQ it. The ar
chitecture OF the depot was scolded abou
! at this late day, regard less OF the fact tina
! IL had be n approved by the oity govern
ment before brick was laid and ha
Teen presented in print and picture as ;
| fine adorpment of the town, the work o
firm OF Providence architects will
/ which no fault could ever be found.
But IL was fault-ilndiDg time. Th'
I thing was to scold. Every principle o
senss and consistency was abandoned L
4 the general scolding operation, oil be
cause forsootb, the new depot had M
train shed attachment!
Councilman Sturges resolution wa
referred TO the terminal facilities commit
| tee on Oct. T. That committee was or
! dered To report two days later. Its repor
! told what every body knew, that Is every
body except. perhaps, the unhappy Coun'
| Gilman Sturzes. that there was never any
! intention To hnve the train sheds ready
! for tho opening OF ;he new station, bu
| that thew should be left until trial O
the facilities developed an idea OF jusi
what would be best suitable. The Con
| solidated PROPOSED TO lot the people o.
| Providence agree upon what they wanted
| I'm the train shed line and, when they
| found out, train sheds would be set up.
The Providence journal knew all about
| this and was heartily in accord with the
plan, pointing out how changes had al'
| ready been made in the lay y-out so that
/ train sheu plaps :. n they had been adopted
/ along with,the plans for the main build
| inR. would already have TO be dis
| carded and new arrangements made.
But Councilman Sturges, In his fever
| lsh anxiety to tackle nh ImUortant public
question about which he knew very little.
dlshcd all this In "a night. And The
| Providence journal forgetting its re
corded opin ions, jumped I'm with him IN
"A fine it of rage because the Consolidated
had uiesum a TO override the will OF
the people IL Is safe to say that n,
such lack of Intelligence as that displayed
by Councilman Sturges ana the .Journs
could ever have been reckoned within
any carefully considered plan or policy
for railroad facilities or anything else OF
Importance.
WHAT THE JOURNAL SAID on
SEPT. ~.