The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-05-17
Strong Feeling Against the
Proposed Water Contract
With East Providence.
City Council Overlooked This
Feature In Adopting the
Committees Report.
THE CITY'S INTEREST IGNORED.
How the Matter Appears When Looked Upon
From Business tandpolnt-Arguments
Presented Today BY Prominent
Citizens and Taxpayers.

1t is unfortunate that the citizens of
Pawtucket were debarred by the City
Council OF public hearing on the advisa-
bility of entering into a contract for @
term Of thirteen years for water supply
for the Watchemoket Fire District of the
town of East Providence.
The eagerness of majority of the men,
bers Of the City Council to adopt the rec
ommendation Of the joint standing Com
mittee on Water relative to entering into
contract with the East Providence people
and authorizing the execution of the same
was rather strange, to say the least.
At the meeting hast Wednesday evening
the Democratic members urged delay, 30
that the wishes of the taxpayers relative
to the matter might be consulted, but
their efforts were futile and the making of
the contract was authorized.
Several members of the City Council ex-
pressed the belief that there was no oppo-
sition to an execution of contract, in fact
it was good thing for the city, but In this
belief, as subsequent events show, they
were entirely mistaken, for there is a
strong feeling against binding the city to
any such contract as Is now proposed.
Mayor Davis was at his Office today from
II TO o'clock for the purpose of hearing
arguments for or against the proposed
water contract with the East Providence
people. The hearing, II II might be termed
that, was very informal.
Four citizens appeared, some Of them In
person and some by proxy, to object to
the contract being signed, and two citi-
zens who spoke In favor of it.
Olney Arnold sent the following COM
munication to Mayor Davis:
To His Honor John W. Davis, Mayor of Paw
tucket:
Dear Sir-The great interest that / have.
taken in the Pawtucket water works from
their inception in 1876 IL the present time Is
the only warrant or excuse that have I'm
asking you to disapprove the contract, now
under consideration, with the town of East
Providence. As President of the Town
Council of Pawtucket appointed the first
committee to procure water supply for the
town, and was by the Council made Chair
man of that committee. This committee and
the commissioners who succeeded il, after
surmounting all the difficulties that attended
its introduction, gave the city of Pawtucket
"
by any in the country. The water Is of ex.
cellent quality, and the supply IL equal To
our requirements for some years to come.
When municipality like ours has secured
such system and has taken all the risks of
failure attending il, it should be entitled to
all the advantages that success has given
And it is right and just that neghboring
towns, who do not care To go into costly ex-
periments To furnish themselves with good
water, should pay more than the city charges
its own citizens Tor the same service. II il
true that IL was good policy when IL was
known that we had an abundant supply of
water, for ourselves and the ncighboring
towns, to sell our surplus water To them at
such prices ms we were able 10 get ut that
time. But that time has long since expired,
and today If we have water to sell we can
make our own terms. When In 1890 East
Providence asked for an extension OF their
contract for ten years the commissioners
hesitated for long time before granting it,
And when IL was finally granted the East
Providence people were notified thai we
could not at any price furnish them with
water after the year 1900, a. the commission
crs and superintendent were unanip nous in
the opinion that we should not at that date
be able To supply them I'm addition Ia our
own requirements and provide for Lincoln
and Cumberland, without incurring II large
expense To this city. have heard no reason
given why that opinion, based ~ II was on
careful estimates, should be changed, and
was surprised NJ hearing, "a few days ago.
that special meeting of the Council had
been called for "Wednesday evening last
To approve contract that had been
determined upon to supply East Provi-
dence with water. and without any In.
crease In price until A. ID. 1910, Ohir.
teen years from now. Such haste on
the part OF those Interested To have this con.
tract extended three years before II cx.
pired, and the hurried and irregular manner
I'm which IL was forced through both branches
of the City Council. showed ON It's face an In.
tention to have the contract com plctcd be.
fore the citizens were aware of what was
being done. IL IL well understood In East
Providence that they arc DESTROYS of having
the Abbot Run water AMI that they intend to
have ~ In preference To- any other. Now II
We have water to sell after the year 1900, ns
very much doubt, you can by withholding
your signature to the contract save the city
$4,000 or $4,000 rebate to be given them
under the contract before you. ann not SUR.
priscd that the committee on the part of
East Providence were here early Thursday
morning to hurry up the preparation of the
contract for your signature. but I am SUR.
prissd that our own people, some Of them NJ
least, are doing NIL they can to aid them In
this matter. They have had seven years
notice, ans cannot complain II we look upon
the matter upon business basis.
Respectfully yours,
oLSIr AnSoip.
Pawtucket, May rs, 1897.
The above letter bore the endorsement OF
Hezekiah Conant and William II. Has
kell.
IAvvsv w w pic~,~.xt was ,rsssct ana