The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-12-16
TRAIN SHED RESOLUTION
Presented 10 the Common Council
This Afternoon.
OTHER NEWS FROM CITY HALL.


noon. 1t was the regular meeting of the
Board OF Aldermen, but the assembling OF
Ia Common Coancil was due to special
call issed by tDe acting mayor, Alderman
Little, president OF the board. Previous
10 the neeting the special call was sub
iect of considerable discussion and IL was
alleged by several that tho call was un-
warranted by the matter prese nted.
1t was also openly asserted that the
whole business was a scneme TO carry out
n purpose that had really no business in
the council. A few days ago resolu-
tion was framed for presentation To the
council naming special committee TO
take In hand the matter OF train sheds,
and the council was called in special ses-
sion today TO act on the resolution. lhe
committee named in the resolution con
SITS OF Mnyor-elect William Z. Baker.
A derman Howard q Sturges, Mayor
MlGuinness, John Kendrick. president
of ths Common Council; President Is. IS.
Llttle of tne Board of Aldermen n. and Com
missioner of Public Works Robert r..
Smith.
The opposition to this scheme asserts
that the appointment OF this committee
will remove all power from the commit
tee on terminal facilities and that the ac-
tion is a direct slap in the face OF the
terminal committee. 1t also says as
much as that the terminal committee Is
blau cable Tor something. Those VINO
know anything about the railroad mud
| die are aware that no committee can
amount TO n great deal as n committee
pure and simple. All that the terminal
| committee, consisting or such well known
| aud respected citizens as William 4.
| Vaughn, :. IL. Manchester, j. III. Ken
| driok. A. III. Watson, IL. T.. Smith ana
! Charles ID. Rogers. could do at aay time
| was To prespn mt plans TO the council for It's
! approval. If the plans were not approved
| by the council the committee could not
| do anything except TO present other
| plans If they felt SO disposed or were
ordered TO do so by the council.
That is all any committee can do
| whether they be special, appointed at a
| special meeting, or regular, appointed
| at "a regular meeting. They have no
| authority nor can they have any unless
the council accepts plans. Mayor Nc
| Guinness never contemplgt ID the calling
OF u special meeting OF the council TO mp
| point "A committee Oh train sheds. When
satisfactory plan TO the council had
been accepted then IL would be proper
| enough To appoint special committee
10 carry out the wishes OF the council.
| That il the reason why there was
trou bio when the council began business
| at O'CLOCK tnlS AFTERNOON. lnpn again
| there was objection raised to the appoint
| ment Of outsiders on the committee. It
| was asserted that William T.. baker was
| not "A member Of the City Council, and
the opposition could see $40 reason lfor his
| nppointment on committee OF the ooun =
oil TO prepare something for consideration
| by the council
| The presant committee that has been
making suggestions and having train shed
| plans prepared suddenly woke up to the
| fact that they were without power, and
| that IL was labor as good as lost. It didn {
| make any ditfornce what they said or did,
| the result would be just the same. The
matter was In the hands of tho court and
| il was likely 60 stay there until some sem
sible way was seen out OF the muddIe
| Appointment OF committees had no
weight
Someone saw this and the fine scheme OF
/ t,king tho dilemma by the throat and
mittee was born a I'D thens nsAldermanLittle
acung under authority vested in the
| presidency OF that body called the special
meeting What it was for exactly, he
| could not tell definitely this morning.
Someone thought thar possibly some
thing would happen before the shades of
evening fell and that the railroad corpor-
alton would receive n prod that would
nustpfl tne splutloE vi lut IEoDtcIu.
railrond company has known all along
that tho COR mittee that was worrying
itself about train sheds did not really
amount 70 anything and what they did
was of little consequence. They knew
very we'll that the City Council WAS to
pass upon the plans To be finally accepted
and carried out and the engineers of the
road have been at work on such plans for
considerable time, and 10 Is probable
that they will be presented at the next
re xular meeting of the council
IL they don't suit, then perhaps plans
will be made until finally the council is
satisfied. lhe terminal committee could
do no more. Their limit of power rested
with the presentation of plans, and the
limit Of power of the special committee IL
il is appointed will be the presentation of
plans.
The railroad company knows this and
it will present It's own plans and make n
short cut to satisfactory conclusion VI tho
representatives Of tho city actually desire
the use of the new railroad station rs
soon as possible. For this reason the
latest print of plans will To offered at tho
next meeting of the Common Council
Among the principal things considered
hv the Board OF Aldermen this afternoon