The Worcester spy., 1899-06-30
WALLS BOMBSHELL.
He Throws One Into
the Board of
Aldermen.
CAST OFF THE HALTER. "
Wants Worcester to Buy
the Consolidated Street
Railway.
f" CAST OFF THE HALTER"

No more surprise would have been
occasioned had a bomb she'll dropped
in the midst of the aldermanic cham
ber, than was brought about by an or
der introduced last night by Alderman
George f. Wall, looking, toward the
municipal ownership of the Consol-
idated Street Railway Company's
plant.
The order is: THAT the city solicitor
be and he is hereby ordered and di-
rected to report to the board of alder
men at meeting of the board within
the next two weeks, whether the city
of Worcester has any right to acquire,
under existing law, charter or fran
chise, the property of the Consolidated
Street Railway Company and if not,
what steps would be necessary for the
city to take in order to acquire such
right"
In introducing the order, Alderman
| Wall expressed himself in forcible
| terms, saying that it was only neces-
| sary for him to look about the city and
see how this company is doing business
| to convince him that it was time to
1
| tightening about the necks of Worces-
ter citizens, a halter which cannot be
| cast off so long as the present statute
stands. He alluded to the manner in
which the company has done work in
this city, calling special attention TO
| the manner in which June and Pleasant
| streets were left after the recent eX-
tensions were put through. He be-
| lieVed the time had come when the
city should own it's own street railway
system. He thought the streets would
| be cared for much better, and that the
public would have better and more
satisfactory service generally He
claimed that the city has money enough
or at least can borrow it, and that the
| time has come to make a move. His
motion for adoption of the order was
seconded by Alderman O'Connell, and
| the order was adopted
After the meeting democratic and
republican members of the board both
| expressed the opinion that the city
| should own the street railway lines
while others had not given the matter
much consideration, and declined to
| express an opinion off hand.
The order looking to legislation in
the grade crossing matter according
to plans of the expert commission of
engineers, was adopted with an amend
ment offered by Alderman Barrett,
that a clear head room of not less than
16 feet shall exist under all bridges. The
final vote was taken by yeas and nays,
Aldermen Back, Barrett, Huot, Ken
dali, Wall, Vaughan and Carberry vot-
| ing in the affirmative, and Alderman
| O'Connell in the negative.
| When the motion for adoption was
made, Alderman O'Connell moved the
adoption of substitute order provid-
ing for the appointment of another
commission by the governor, to consist
| of three members, expert engineers or
| otherwise, as the chief executive might
deem best. The order was not second
ed.
| Alderman O'Connell claimed no ques-
| tion has come up in the history of
Worcester that will mean so much to
its future growth and prosperity
| He claimed that the present PROPOSE
tion is the best that has been submit
ted by any commission, but that if it
had not been for the work of the men
opposed to anything but depressed
| tracks, even the plan for complete ele
walton would have been lost sight of
and the streets would have been ruined
| by dark unsatisfactory tunnels He
| thought that reports of the various
| commissions had been largely in the
way of compromise, that they had not
taken firm, honorable stand, taking
what they thought they could get
rathsr than insisting on the best. He
| considered that the report Of the last
commission is poorly prepared, and
that the legislature is liable to get af-
| ter the weak points in it's makeup.
| Last nights session opened at 5
| o'clock in the afternoon, when mem
bers of the board assembled for the
purpose of viewing the location in Col
lnge street, where the Worcester and
| Webster Street Railway Company has
asked for franchise to lay it's tracks.
The board drove to the location and
We're greeted by large delegations of
! citizens who favor different routes.
The College street matter was laid
over until the next meeting.
| These petitions were referred to va
| rious committees: Herbert B. Belcher,
| trustee, for a fire alarm box at Odd
| Fellows home, to the committee on
/ fire department; c. d. Bascom and
| others for a gas light in May street, to
| the committee on street lighting;
| Thomas Allen, for a sewer in WacOnah
! road, to the committee on sewers; An
ma NJ. Wright, for a sidewalk Oh / ib-
| erty street to the committee on
| streets: B. w. Childs and others for
sidewalk on Westland street, to the
| committee on streets; c. c. Nation ard
| others for curbing on Westminster
| street to the committee on streets;
|
conan road to the committee on wa
Ter: the remonstrance of George G.
Howland and others against sidewalk
on Cutler street to the committee Oh
streets: Charles A. Bartlett, for water
in Millbury avenue, to the committee
on water.
The report of the committee on sew
ers upon the petition of James Keegan
for n sewer in Eastern avenue, recon-
mending the adoption of an accom-
| panying order, was accepted ard the
order adopted.
Reports of the committee on streets,
recommending inexpedient to act cn
the following petitions, were accepted:
q A. Kelley, for a sidewalk on Hap
| rison street; upon the order for con-
s+ruction of a sidewalk on Esther
street; upon the order authorizing the
| street commissioner to set cHrbstone on
/ both sides of Brown street; upon the
| orders directing the street commission
/ or to repair Southbridge street: and
/ ,ipon its report recommitted; upon the
| order authorizing the construction of
| a cross-walk on Ward and Seymour
| streets.
Reports of the street committe =, rec
| ommending leave to withdraw on the
! following petitions, were accepted;