The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-01-02

| duty TO impress upon you the advisable
| ity of being extremely careful I'm the
| matter OF granting privileges to this
| company, and OF duly considering the
accessibility, i'm fact, the probability that
they. when granted. VIII be perpetual.
i have lately vetoed a resolution au-
| thorizing a contract between the Union
! Railroad Company and the city OF
| Providence comforting upon the Rail-
road Company the privilege OF laying
! rails i'm Canal street. South Water
| street Dyer street and Eddy street,
1 largely upon the ground that / did not
/ dare grant To this company perpetual
| and exclusive rights 1 could not tell
| whether those privileges which now
may seem small and of little value
| might not become in Iuture years of
| the greatest Importance. n IL i~ neces-
| sary for cars to be drawn over these
! streets, as il certainly is, / would adj
| wise that the city obtain from the
General Assembly as soon as possible
| the privilege OF laying tracks i'm these
| streets itself and then grant 60 the
| Union Railroad Company for a suff-
1 cient consideration of the priVi-
| lege of drawing car, over them
, taking care TO SO contract with
! the company as 10 exclude this privi
= lege from the provisions Of the above
( mentioned act. This is a most serious
matter, gentlemen, and cannot be too
! carefully considered by you.
The necessity of burying all OF the
\ wires in our streets was shown To be
| necessary by the severe storm in Feb
( ruary last. a committee was appointed
\ TO look into the matter and at it's own
! expense went TO New York and Wash
! ington for the purpose of investiga
| tion. The result of the investigation
| was a conviction that all aerial wires
/ which could bC put under ground with
out irreparable injury TO the company
| owning them should be removed and
! buried as soon as possible. The Mar
| ragansett Electric Lighting company
has complied with the request OF the
committee. and under its new contract.
| which has materially Increased the
| citys income and will soon reduce the
| cost of light, is at work burying its
| wires
Owing to a hitch ia the negotiations
! with the Providence Telephone COM
| pany by means of which il was hoped
| that all low tension wires might be
| buried the most important part of the
| work has been delayed. lt Is hoped
| however. that satisfactory arrange
| inents may yet be accomplished. AT "A
| meeting held December 20, between
! the representatives of the telephone
| company and the committee on UNDER
! ground wires. suggestions were made
| which seemed satisfactory TO both par
| ties and viii probably lead 10 an early
! conclusion of this matter. The advis-
ability OF burying the trolley and feed
wires OF the Union Railroad company
! has not yet received the definite de-
| cision of the committee. rs report
thereon will probably be soon Commu-
| nicated 10 you.
The New York, New Haven and
| Hartford Railroad company has COM
| pleted the train sheds In accordance
| with the plans demanded by the city
| of Providence and their usefulness has
been duly confirmed. Some further inn
| provemerts must OF course. be made
| by way of protecting the subways. and.
| perhaps by way OF closing i'm the north
| side of the sheds bur the railroad COM
pany seems willing To do whatever ex-
| perince may show 10 be proper and nee
| essary.
! FINANCES.
The financial condition of our city Is
| no worse at present than IL was a year
| ago. i'm fact. in a measure, IL is better.
| Roth branches OF the city COuncii have.
| I'm the last year recognized the exact
| condition of our affairs. and have On
4 deaVored To exercise most stringent
| economy in all matters. Whatever has
| been able to wait has been postponed,
| and only those things which have been
| absolutely necessary have been indulged
L
| amount than FOR several wears. not
4 withstanding the increase that was un-
| svoidable on account OF the annexation
| OF a part ~ the town of Johnston. and
| our income from public corporations
| has been materially increased. The tax
| assessors. too. have found new property
| both real and personal. for assessment,
| and these resources have added consid-
| erGble 10 our income.
our interest and sinking fund ac-
| counts. have however increased this
| year. necessarily. 80 that our net in
| come a. not so very much greater than
| IL was last year. II is indeed. far be-
low our needs. and u Is stu necessary
for us 90 exercise the most careful
economy I'm the matter Of our expendi-
| lures
| know. gentlemen that economy is
never especially agreeable. either 10 the
individual or 20 the municipality. bur
| liz is generally sslptsry In It's effec Z
upon both. AT all events " is absolute
| ly necessary for the city OF Providence.
ar the present time, 20 continue It's
practice. The plain. unvarnished truth
~ that even with strict ccunrnN. Won
4 IL. u. 4.