The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-01-31

this matter. made at my request by the
agent of State Charities and Correc-
tiOns, will be found among the appen-
dices OF this message, ana Is Wen
worthy of your consideration.
HIGHWAYS.
There is an ever increasing necessity
for good roads, every interest In the
state calling for them. This matter has
passed the experimental stage, and the
sample half mile has not been success.
The question is now praclcal one
how the several towns, out OF the ap-
propriations and material available,
can construct and maintain good roads.
n year ago the greatest interest IN
this subject was manifested all over the
state. An act. carefully drawn and
modelled after the Massachusetts law.
was presented 10 the legislature ana
hearings upon IL held. Expert road en-
gineers came from outside the state 10
assist the friends of the measure ~
carrying il through. but II failed TO be-
come "A law.
Through the courtesy of the chair
man of the highway Improvement COM
mittee, l.. a. W., inquiries were mace
in relation TO the amounts appropria-
ted by the cities and towns FOR ordl-
nary and regular repairs upon roads,
and also for extraordinary repairs,
such as rebuilding and macadamizing
existing roads; and what amount, II
any, had been appropriated FOR new
roads during the year 1898. This infor-
nation, i'm "A tabulated form, VIII ne
! found among the appendices of the mes
| sage. SO much has been done by the cit
les and towns themselves that Ii seems
| to me il is unnecessary 10 continue in
| operation Chapter 13 of the General
| Laws; and If we are to have highway
/ commission, and one which Will, in my
| opinion, accomplish what is desired or
| il | respectfully suggest that this chap
! ter be repealed. and that we start
! again, untrammeled, from the begin
ming.
RAILROADS
The number of railroad corporations
| In the state both steam and street. is
I 25 Capital stock of steam roads. $sS,-
/ $50. 215; OF street roads, Sl0.9l20O0. The
| total receipts of steam roads were S3s, =
! 60i, $3.50: of the street roads, $2,02s.-
| 60309. The net earnings of the steam
| roads were 81, ,S02 ,026.1i; of the street
| roads. $50, 0,361.56 The total indebted
ness Of the steam roads was $10,l64.-
| 503 Al of the street roads, 81, 312, 2l9. SO.
/ The total property and assets of the
| steam roads was $lS2, ,695,99I1; of the
street roads. $l2, $50, 10i.12 This item
I does not include the Sea View II. r..
I the Newport & Fall River X. II. or the
| Cumberland Street X. r.. which make
no report OF property. The number of
! passengers carried by the steam roads
! was As, SS3, 752. a decrease from previous
| year of 1880. by the street roads. ~,
9l9, ,695. an increase of 1.21O.21. Both
! the steam and street roads show q
! gratifying increase i'm net earnings
| There are sos miles of steam road IN
| this state reckoned as single tracks
/ and 1870 miles of street track. The bus
mess of all the roads has improved, es-
pecially during the latter part of the
year: the amount of freight transported
| being nearly one million tons more
than i'm previous year The number OF
accidents reported is little larger thal
last year.
The delicate and somewhat difficult
duties of the state railroad commits
sioner are performed i'm an intelligent
and impartial manner by the present
incumbent. who has gained both the
confidence of the people and the sup
port of the railroad officials. He Is
: however, very badly handicapped, IN
that the state supplies him with no OF
flee, no clerical assistance. and makes
no provision whatsoever for the proper
transaction of the increasing business
of his office 1t is too important an of
flee TO have no abiding place and M
assistance. and | cheerfully recon-
mend i'm the interests Of the state, the
passage of an act providing for q
proper office and proper clerical assist
ance, and, as is the custom in othel
states a salary for the commissioner
commensurate to the duties and re
sponsibilities of the position, the ex
penses of the same to be assessed
equitably upon the different railroads
i'm proportion to their mileage in th'
state.
HARBOR COMMISSIONERS
In reply To a request to be furnished
with certain data in relation to th'
public waters of the state, i have re
ceived the following communicated
from the chairman of the harbor com
mission, j. Herbert Shedd, Esq, and Il
which / ask your attention.:
''In response to your invitation e
! the harbor commissioners to sugges
matters deserving attention i'm relation
to the public waters Of the state. tn
following is respectfully submitted
II Is believed TO be matter of imme
date Importance that some commits
sion or other body representing tn
state government be charged with tn
duty of examining into and reportin,
| to the General Assembly upon the de
velopment of that section OF the harbo
front i'm this city which lies betweel
the wharf of the city of Providence am
Sassafras Point, so as to give tn
greatest practicable accommodation L
the shipping and to the railroads, Il
their mutual relations. and in thei
relation to the local business interests
Providence lies at the northeri'
limit of what may be fairly called saf
coastwise navigation, and IL is increas
ingly important that the traffic OF tn
coast be saved from the dangerou
currents and shifting shoals. and tn
fogs off the easterly shore of Cape COO
result ffem-the- meeting of1h
waters of the Gulf Stream with TN
Arctic currents i'm that region. diff
ference in the range of ordinary tide
of over nine feet mt Provincetown, an
of only four feet at Chatham 80 mile
south. could only result i'm the ope
sea i'm strong and uncertain currents
and the mingling of the cool air. com
down over the Arctic currents. with IN
warm air from over the Gulf Stream
could only result i'm fogs, often OF con
siderable density. The conditions ar
thus full of danger To shipping. and So
rious efforts have therefore been mad
for many years to establish cans
across Cape cod 10 avoid the resutin
lossses and delays.
AZ has been estimated that II Woul
he profitable To spend many millions o
a canal. but IL may he questio