The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-01-05
Commission Makes It's
AppOrtiOnment.
THE CITY OF PROVIDENCE
And Town Of East Providence Are
Especially Benefited,
THEY MUST BEAR THE EXPENSE.

Warren O'Arnold, William p Sheffield,
missioners appointed tby the appellate
court under the provisions Of Chapter
1882 of the Public Laws passed May A.
ID. 1894, TO determine, decree and name
what cities ana towns, IL any, are spec
tally benefited by the new bridge across
the Seekonk river on the site of the old
" Red Bridge" SO called, and to deter
mine, award and name the proportion OF
the expense thereof which each city and
town shall pay, today presented its re-
port 10 the court The report is as fol-
lows:
After notice to all parties interested by
publication Of the same in the Providence
JouInai, the Evening bulletin, the Prov
idence Evening Telegram ana the Proyi-
deDce News for seven consecutive days
prior to the dato set for the nearing, and
by registered letter TO the mayors OF the
cities OF Providence and Pawtucket and
TO the presidents Of the town councils OF
East Providence harrington, Warren and
Bristol, the receipt Of which was duly
acknc wledged as Will be ssen by the com
munications from these different parties
herewith submitted, your commissioners
gave hearing to the representatives OF
the aforesaid cities ana towns In the cilice
of the Board of state House Commits
sioners room SOS Industrial Trust Com
pany building, Providence. II. L., July Z,
1897, at IL O'Clock n. m. and subsequently
adjourned meetings, due notice of
which was given, were held at the same
place at 10 o'clock a III. on the 18th day
of Septemb ber, the 9th dav OF October,
the ID and the 10th days OF November and
the 9th day OF December, besides the COM
Dissioners met mum ber OF other times.
which meetings were postponed by
reason or the various engagements of
counsel, who appeared for the different
cities and towns.
THE matters involved we're presented
ut considerable length and very thorough
ly, as will De seen by reference To the tes-
timony and the arguments OF counsel all
of which was reported stenographically
and Is appended hereto.
''It is apparent that much of the tcsti-
mony which was submitted without on.
lection has no direct bearing OH the ques.
tion at issue, but, in order 10 determine
the more judiclouslv what cities and
towns are specially benefited, your COM
missioners have heard all the parties in
tcrested, have endeayorcd to comply with
the requests OF counsel representing the
different cities ard towns as tn the date
of the hearings and the postponements
thereof and have carefully considered all
the evidence which has been submitted.
"In order to facilitate matters, by ar
raugeuent with the counsel representing
the different cities and towns. statistics
Dearing on the subject were prepared by
the clerk Of the commissioners for the
use of all parties in crested.
"In the Judgment of the commissioners
it ives shown ut these hearings that the
towns Of Bsrri apton, Warren and Bristol,
pnt SnanialIv hannfifgn hV ihp n
of this bridge by reason of remoteness
thereirom. 1t was further shown by ac-
tual count, that what little travel comes
from these towns into the city of Proyi-
dence does not 90 over the Seekonk river
by way of this bridge.
I'VE do not find that tho CITY of Paw
tucket is specially benefited bv this new
bridge The fact was established Dy the
testimony presented before the commits
sioners that the former bridge answered
all the requiem ents that Pawtucket had
for bridge at this point and that the re-
building of the old bridge has not resulted
in any apparent Increase OF travel from
Or any benefit 10 Pawtuoket. The only
special benefit which the city of Paw
tucket has resolved from this new bridge
is due to the deepening Of the channel of
the river at..Gnd under the bridge, which
has resulted in facilitating navigation to
and from Iawtucket on ths Seekonk
river. This however we found was due
TO the expense of the United states gov
eTnmont by the use of n contingent fund
under the direction of the local engineer
ing department, and although the work
was done simultaneously with the re
building of the Red Bridge, we do not
think that il has any bearing on the
subject of special benefits that may be de
rived from tho rebuilding Of the said
bridge.
"The whole cost Of the new bridge,
after deductiug what was paid bv the
state therefore, falls on the city OF Prov
idencs and the town OF Last Providence.
as it Is apparent that they are the only
city and town specially benefited by the
rebuilding OF this bridge
We therefore determine, decree and
name that the city Of Providence and tho
town Of East Providence are especially
benefited by the SAID bridge, and award
that OF the cost Of building the bridge,
amounting March Is 1897 To S63, 0lG. 10,
as appears iy the report OF the eXpendi-
lures filed by the city OF Providence in
accordance with the provisions Of cnap-
ter 1882 acts Of May. 1894. In the Office
OF the clerk of the appellate division OF
the Supreme Court IN Providence county,
March Is A. u. 1891 with all subsequent
costs and expenses and accumulated in
terest, together with the expenses and
fees of tho comm ission, shall bo appor-
toned between them az follows
"The city of Providence shall paw rs
its proportion there flfths, go one hun
dredths Of the said expenses. The town
Of East Providence shall paw It's proper.
tiOn wo-bftas, 40 one-hundredths of the
said expense.