The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-01-07
LAYOUT OF
EXCHANGE PL.
Subject Discussed Before Bust.
ness Mems Association.
PLAN OF Mr.. ALFRED STONE.
Believed II Should Be Maintained as al
Open Space and BeautIfled.
SEVERAL OTHER VIEWS PRESENTED.
Ex-Governor Brown Expressed Opinion That Space
Should Be Devoted 10 Business Purposes.
Committee 10 Appear Before Council.

The regular meeting Of the Rhode
Island Business Mems association,
which was held at No. 2l4 Industrial
Trust building, last evening. was made
particularly interesting from the fact
that the subject discussed was the
Consideration of Plan for Laying
Exchange Place" and the principal ad-
dress was made by Mr.. Alfred Stone.
The substance of Mr.. Stones address
was: I'VE have assembled TO consider
a plan for laying out Exchange place,
and l have willingly consented TO ad-
dress you this evening, because ! feel
SO deeply impressed with the impor-
tance to the city of a right solution of
the problem and am 50 firmly con-
vinced OF its far reaching influence for
good i'm the future. II properly inn
proved today we shall hardly feel its
cost, and shall, as years lapse, more
and more value it's worth. Should we
miss this opportunity. we might put a
small sum Of money into the city treas
ury without appreciably tightening our
present burdens, and would deprive
those coming after us-when the city
has grown to twice or thrice its pres
ent size. of "A spot which. l venture
To predict, will be one of the most high
Iy priced OF any i'm the city, without
giving them any equivalent therefor"
Mr. Stones plan is TO maintain Ex-
change place az an open space and To
properly beautify IL.
Following the ren1urks of Mr.. Stone
several members OF the association ex-
pressed their views upon the subject.
and ex-Gov. ID. Russell Brown stated
that he was not in favor of keeping
Exchange place open. He was OF the
opinion that city was place i'm which
to transact business upon business
principles, and he had held these views
ever since he came to the city from
the country as boy. He stated that
since the railroad station had been re-
moved not one-third the number of per-
sons had come TO Butler Exchange,
and he was also OF the opinion that
narrow streets were better than wide
ones for business purposes. He Ger,
tainly did not approve of the idea OF
having people sitting I'm front OF ms
store and under the proposed plan such
state of things would be brought
about ii an open space was LETT III 'front.'
of his place Of business. Providence,
he said. was growing and more busi-
ness land was becoming necessary in
the centre of the city.
Mr. Henry G.. Bangs, second vice
president of the association, said that
he believed that trade would be better
for him and the firm with which he
was connected II blocks were built up
i'm front OF Butler Exchange.
After some further discussion the as
sociation voted to appoint committee
of five TO appear before the committee
of the city council which has charge
of the laying out of Exchange place, In
order To advocate some plan which VIII
meet the views OF business men. Ex-
Gov. Brown was made chairman of this
committee, the other members being
George w. Williams, President Lean
der G. Belcher and III. {. Bangs.
Mr.. n. a. Briggs was appointed n
committee 10 make q suitable reply To
the communication OF the San Fran
cisco board Of trade, giving extensive
information about the Nicaragua canal,
after which the meeting adjourned.