The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-01-07
Commission to Meet and
Possibly Adjourn,

The first meeting of the grade cross
ing commission of 1899 has been called
for this evening in room 80 city hail.
The object of the meeting, according
to a member of the commission, is to
organize and to take up the WORK
where the commission of last year left
off"
Just what that means is no. appar-
ent to anybody who has given more
than a cursory glance at the work of
the commission. If the members who
served last year know where they left
off, they know more than anybody else
does. 1t is not clear to those who are
interested in city hall matters that the
commission ever began.
The only thing it ever did as far as
anybody can learn, is to visit Brock
ton, Philadelphia, Baltimore, jersey
City and New York to see how the
problem has been solved in those Cit
les.
After a years opportunity to study
the problem both in Worcester ard
other cities where something has been
done, the commission reports that it
has done nothing. 1t does not say So
in that number of words, but the
meaning is the same. The commission
was appointed to make to the city
council some recommendation on the
great question. 1t never made any
recommendation.
The commission is raked fore and aft
by thinking men of Worcester for its
negligence. No excuse or pallia5ing cir
cumStanceS are suggested to let the
members down easy. They We're APP
pointed to do certain work ard given
carte blanche, and at the expiration of
the time allowed them could report
nothing. They had a year in which
to study the problem and took an ex-
pensive trip with suites of rooms at
S. day, and after spending nearly
$500 leave the question where they
took it up.
If ever commission should be able
TO make some recommendation, the
grade crossing commission of last year
should. 1t had every assistance which
could be given it. And the members
realized as well as anybody else that
the time allowed by the legislature is
rapidly approaching an end. This is
the opinion emphatically expressed by
many prominent citizens.
year from April next, the time lin
it will expire, and haste is necessary.
Everybody expected the commission
would have a report in order that
bill could be presented the legislature
at this session There are only
a few days left in which business can
be introduced, for after the last of the
month nothing new can be brought be-
fore the general court, except by sus-
pension of the rules. This requires a
fouf-fifths vote, which will not be
given Worcester again.
The report of the commission, which
was received by the city council Mon
day evening. was signed by w. Henry
Towne, clerk of the commission, for
the commission. The signature of the
clerk instead of the members, passes
unnoticed, but there is special reason
for it. 1t means that the plan was
adopted in order to save a quarrel.
There were members present at the
meeting of the commission which
adopted the report who would not have
affixed their names They regarded
the report as a farce, and did not hest
tate to say so. They announced they
would not sign any foolish document
like that. To keep the dissensions
from the public, the commission voted
that the clerk sign the report, and it is
thus Endorsed: wv. Henry Towne, for
the commission
A promise of secrecy was obtained
from every member at the first meet
ing last year, and that promise has not
been broken. There has been no oc-
casion to break it, the commission has
done nothing that could be given away.
Members have not dared express their.
opinions in the meetings. Not even
members of the commission can tell
what plans for the solution of the prob
lem have been entertained by other
members.
The commission absolutely feared to
take a firm hold of the problem and try
to reach a solution. The members
did not dare express their views OPEN
ly. When an expression was wanted
on any important question, the mem
bers took ballot in order that the
other members might not know where
they stood.
Every time the commission came
within sight of taking d stand. 's1ybat
the railroads will say was mentioned,
and it was all off then. Not a man
dared stand up and suggest that the
interests of the city were also at stake
The filing of report by the commits
sion is open to question according to
legal authority. Members of the com
mission feared they might be outside
the limit, as the city will be if some.
body doesn't take hold and City So
licitor Arthur p. Rugg was asked his
opinion. He informed the commission
that maybe it could be regarded as q
continuous body on account of the cit.
izen members. The city council mem.
bers, he said, retired to a certainty
Whether the citizen members SHOULD
retire or not, he did not say abso.
1utely. They took for themselves the
benefit of the doubt and regard them
selves as a continuous body.
Lawyers who have been asked to ex
press an opinion on that point say City
Solicitor Rugg will not give as his uI
innate decision if forced to, that thu
commission is a continuous body TIL
city hall commission is cited as a lik
one in which the membership changed
yearly by the addition of the mayor
The comparison is stretched. The cit,
hall commission was appointed to full
fill a certain work and held office unit
the work was done, and a proviso wa
made that the mayor be a member ex
officio. The grade crossing commission
Of 1898 was appointed to report to tn
city council of 1898. which 1t did not dc
and it is doubtful if the commissio,
has any existence in 1899.
STORY OF SLAVE.
l, hound hand md foot Co., 49,. 80.