The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-07-22
An Adjourned Meeting Of
the Board Of Aldermen
Held Last Evening.
Mayor 0ottschalk Refused to
Sanction the Purchase OF
the BalcOm Estate.
ALDERMAN MCCARTNEY EXPLAINS
High Street Matter Continued to the Next
Meeting Central Falls Council. z. S. q. +,
Held a Pleasant Meetlng-Local Notes.

An adjourned meeting OF the Board OF
Aldermen was held last evening. All the
members were present and the records
being correct they were approved.
President Eastwood calling for commu-
nications from the Mayor, the following
message was read by the clerk:
To the Honorable the City Council:
Gentlemen-Permit me to p,int out to
your honorable body that am and always
have been, in favor OF continuing street to
Washington street, and have called your
attention TO this street In my inaugural mes
sage, recommending that the Balcom estate
be purchased, the street Strengthened and
made continuous to Washington street.
But i did not anticipate that the amount
required for such purchase was to be taken
direct from the city treasury. ! believed
then, and believe now, that the improve
ment should be made under the betterment
act, AS IL is unjust to tax the many for the
benefit of the few.
This matter of & street is an old story,
familiar TO the taxpayers Of the city, and
like the Summit street improvement will be
an expensive one. The Town Council OF the
town OF Lincoln OF which Hon. John
Thompson was president, absolutely re-
fused to accept street until an outlet into
Illinois street had been made.
Later the Town Council, of which Hon.
James ii. Andrews was president, accepted
the street without requiring any such pro-
vision. The Summit street Improvement,
ordered by the Town Council, cost the town
of Lincoln about $1,000 The extension OF &
street, when completed, will cost the city be-
tween $4,000 and $4,000, the city paying this
sum for improvements which should have
been done by others before the street should
have been accepted
agree with your honorable body that the
Improvement should be made at once; but
do not believe that the city should, or Is
financially i'm condition to purchase and
donate the land needed for that purpose.
The betterment act provides just and
equitable way of meeting the proposed
changes and provides for an easy adjustment
of the necessary expense in proportion to
the Improvement acquired in consequence
by abutters.
Iwould call your attention to Chapter II,
sections 33 TO 81, inclusive, of the Public
Laws of Rhode Island, wherein is shown the
details for accomplishing such improve
ments without placing any additional bur
den rs a whole upon the taxpayers OF the
city The amount saved under the better
ment act could be expended with advantage
npon the streets in other sections Of the city
that have long waited for Improvement.
Again, our finances at this time do not
warrant the proposed expenditure and am
somewhat surprised at the haste shown IN
the passage of the resolution by both
branches of the City Council, while con
servative and economical spirit has been
shown in passing upon other financial meas
ures involving much smaller amounts.
Even with strict economy in our necessary
expenditures we shall be unable to keep
within our present income, and appropria-
tions like this must of necessity call for an
increased tax rate, which Is something the
taxpayers of the city are not anxiously look
ing for.
Gentlemen, 1 return the resolution appro
priating the sum of $500 for the purchase of
the estate of Charles /. Balcom, without my
approval, for reasons aforesaid, but at the
same time desire to assure you that should
this matter come before me upon the lines
.have suggested ! shall not hesitate to give it
my unqualified approval.
WILLIAM Won GOTTsCHALK, Mayor.
Before taking action upon the message
Alderman Mccartney addressed the Board
as follows: "Before this matter has been
disposed of ! desire to make an explana-
tion of the proposed purchase of this es-
tate as / believe the citizens and taxpayers
do not realize and are not acquainted with
the circumstances Of the case. In his
inaugural the Mayor recommended this
measure and the Board was simply carry
ing out this idea when II was voted to
purchase the property.
According to the communication
which was submitted to the Board the
option on the property holds until July
% which Is now near at hand. While the
sum may seem large for the improvement
still there is a good deal which can be
done with the property after 1t had been
secured by the city outside of what will be
used for highway purposes. The members
of the Board are acquainted with the fact
that the city Is at present paying s.
rent for land on which the voting booth
for the Third Ward stands. BY placing
the booth on this land II will be equive-
liant to the interest on $500. Then there Is
some land left which will not be needed
for highway purposes. j can state author
atively that there are gentleman ready to
purchase the buildings and they will
bring back to the city at least $500.
Reckonening 800 which will be saved for
voting booth rents, the city will receive
in rebate at least $500. There Is also a
strip of land which will remain i'm the
southerly side which ought to command
something. At the highest | cannot see
where the improvement will cost the city
more than 5000 or s2lO0. This ! consider
very small amount for the benefits
which will be received"
Under the rules the communication
then went over TO the next meeting.
The resolution to appropriate the sum
OF S75 for the purchase OF framed picture
OF the Mayor was passed In concurrence.
. An ordinance In amendment Of chapter