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

messages, but il has received little or
no attention During the last year
events have transpired which have
brought home 10 my mind. with en-
phasis, the Importance OF a business
like consideration of the possibilities OF
our harbor. j have seen a large and
wealthy corporation, intending To es-
tabiish a line between this city and
southern ports at once. and willing To
extend its business 60 the West Indies
i'm the near future, checked in it's en-
terDrise because Of the difficulty Of OBJ
tanning suitable dockage. There are of
course, some docks which are not i'm ac-
tive service. but either they are not
suitable for the purposes OF this COM
pany, or are leased and controlled by
unknown parties- is suspectedH~for
the purpose Of keeping such enterprises
away from our city. | have been in
formed by part owner OF one OF our
largest and most available docks that
he does not know who is his lessee: that
a New York lawyer sends regularly the
rent, and that that is all he knows
about il. This state of affairs is eVi-
dently a positive detriment To our COM
mercial progress and growth. our city
possesses unusual natural advantages
as port OF entry and distribution, and
only our short sighted policy has al
lowed it's commerce To drift away. our
wharves are the gateway To our high
ways on land and sea, and with them
blocked or i'm the control of any cor
poration other than the city. Providence
might as wen be located in the Berk-
shire Hills as upon the shores OF Mar
ragansett Bay. l urge upon you, gem
tlemen, thorough investigation of this
subject i believe that our city should
obtain absolute. control oi our water
front and should start at once upon
system of building docks. and that
bill should be introduced into the Gen
eral Assembly, giving 10 the city this
power. We certainly should build docks
on the west side OF the river and con-
meet them with the New York. New
Haven d Hartford Railroad Company's
rails.
The United States government has, in
the last year. continuec It's work OF
dredging channel from our harbor 10
the mouth of the bay, twenty five feet
deep: ana "A petition has been circulated
and presented to Congress. asking that
our anchorage be improved by further
dredging But there is need of doing
something ourselves. OF what use is IL
to have sufficient draught for large sea-
going vessels TO come into our harborif
ii is impossible for them To reach our
docks? / recommend that the city sup
plement the work of the National Gov
ernment by dredging the upper river 10
an equal depth with that of the main
channel below. and am Informed that
this can be done at a very moderate
cost.
PUBLIC CORPORATIONS.
The Union Railroad Company during
the past year has continued 10 equip
it's cars with tenders in compliance
with the city ordinance. and their value
In saving life has been proved on more
than enc occasion. 1t has also yielded
fn tN d.-r'r" ~ fhe city that the max
inum rate OF five per cent be pa
,.--. sr.... l. re,urn Tor us franchise,
ana ion these two things deserves COM
meudation. BY means OF it's powerful
influence. is has secured the passage by
the General Assembly of an act evi-
IDENTIFY hostile To the interests of the
city OF Providence. / refer to the act
passed in June last entitled: An Act
Providing a Tax on Street Railways"
That Is the title by which the act was
finally passed. but IL was introduced
under an equally If not more deceptive
title OF: AN Act to Increase the ReVe-
nue. OF the State In the amendment to
the charter OF the Union Railroad Com-
pany. In 1892 which conferred an cX-
elusive franchise upon this company
FOR only twenty years. a degree OF con-
sideration was paid to the city OF Prov
idenCc.
Some OF the important privileges
granted I'm said act were made depend
emf upon the will OF the city Council.
and the city was permitted To retain
certain proper rights Of control over
! said corporation. but under the present
act. which is Intended to make that
franrhiae' perpetual. and which WAS
passed at the short session I'm Newport,
| without any advertisement of the hear
| ing or other warning TO the city. neith-
az The will of the city Council nor that
| of the people IL in any wise To be con-
| suited. and the above mentioned rights
| ~ control ON the part Of the city were
| taken from 90. WITH the relations be-
tween the Union Railroad Company
| aud the city of Providence friendly.act-
ing ingether under an act which when
pa -ed was satisfactorily 10 both parties.
! "a seems Go me Co have been the poorest
kind of policy for the Union Railroad
| Company 20 take such action az must
| necessarily cause those relations 10 be-
| come strained.
The CITY Of Providence cannot now
regard any request from the Union
Railroad Company with any other feel
! ing than that or suspicion because IL
does not know what advantage may
! hor"nfts" "" taken uf t. I feel it my