The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-02-16
PETITIONS
Will Be Circulated
Today.
R. C. TAYLOR LEADS
The Opposition to Elevated
Tracks.

The petitions demonstrating against
any elevation OF the tracks as a solu-
ton of the grade crossing question will
be started today.
About six will be sent to various por-
tons of the city by the steering COM
mittee of the citizens movement, for
signatures. The decision to start the
petitions today was made yesterday at
a consultation of prominent citizens
who are interested in the movement
against elevated tracks.
When r. c. Taylor, who was one of
the leaders in the opposition to ele-
waited tracks, was injured Saturday by
being thrown from his sleigh, it was
decided to hold back the petitions I'M
til his recovery. That will not be for
several days yet, as Mr.. Taylor was
severely shaken up and ligaments of
his back ruptured. Out of Difference
to him, the other citizens concluded to
hold back the petitions. But they got
| together yesterday and concluded to
send out several petitions to make a
start. Mr.. Taylor will have charge of
the principal petition for whose re-
ception he made overtures before his
! injury. 1t will be circulated by Mr..
Taylor himself among prominent busi-
ness men, and large property owners,
the other petitions being secondary to
that Mr. Taylor will be about next
week, and the first thing he will do Is
| TO get that petition going.
| When it is going, the permanent or
ganization will be effected. Plans for
the organization and the work which
it will do have been mapped out, but
only in general The details will not
be made until the petitions are under
way and being signed. The organiza-
ton will be the head of the citizens
movement against the elevation OF the
! tracks. Citizens are eagerly awaiting
| the petitions to show their apprecla-
| ton of the work of the men who called
a halt in the proceedings of the city
council and prevented precipltate ac-
ton in the legislature. Such eagerness
has been manifest that the petitions
will not be circulated, as was hrst
planned. by the steering committee.
The original intention was to place the
petitions in public places for the sig
natures of those who had business
there. but since that intention was an
nounced over a score of citizens IN
t tereSlGQ III ltlb movement NeiliNb Va
members of the steering committee
and volunteered TO circulate the petit
lions. The committee concluded that
Isuch a desire on the part of others
showed that it's movement has strong
hold on popular favor, and decided TO
allow the circulation OF the peutlohh
by men interested to such an extent
that they offered their services unso-
lUcited The first start will be made IN
this city. Maybe the committee VIII
decide to place other petitions in pub
lie places for additional signatures.
Public hearings are what the people
want from the new commission or en-
Sineers, and the chances are greatly III
favor of that desire being gratihed
1t is vet too early for the commission
TO co. sder whether it will give public
hearings or not, but city fathers who
are interested in the Investigations, Ia
vor public hearings.
Alderman Thomas J. Barrett has
made up his mind to draft an order to
be presented at the meeting OF the city
council Monday, ceiling for public hear
ings If any citizens desired them, but he
was practically assured that such hear
ings will be given, and he did not draw
up the order before he left the city yes
terday for his trip to Cuba.
The commission has been too busy
with lie preliminary steps to take into
consideration anything that may hap
pen several weeks hence, 50 the ques-
ton Of public hearings has not been
called to it's attention. The understand
ing of DR.. Barrett and other members
of the opposition to elevated tracks,
when they introduced the compromise
order for the appointment of the new
commission, was that 1T should give
public hearings If the citizens demanded
them: otherwise they would not have
agreed to support the report OF the COM
mission as they did.
Although nothing has been said in the
new commission relative to public hear
ings, it can be stated for q certainty
that the commission will give such
hearings when it considers it has reach
ed that point.
The commission ceased work yester-
day for this week. 1t has labored al
most necessarily from Monday morning
until yesterday morning On the first
two days it worked until after O'Clock
in the evening Yesterday about an
hour was spent on the plans in the office
of the city engineer, and the out-of-
town engineers left for their respective
homes. Desmond Fitzgerald went to
Boston at noon and Rudolph Herring
went to New York on the noon train.
The commissioners have viewed plans
and prohles which are in the Office of
the city engineer. Smaller profiles have
been prepared that the engineers may
take them in at glance and hasten
their labors. The plans of the Allen
Locke commission, the plans Of the cit
liens grade crossing commission, and
all views and plans made of the streets
and railroad5 have been gone over by
the engineers.
Nearly all the preliminary work has
been done. The commission will resume
it's investigation Tuesday. The visit
ing engineers will reach this city Mon
day afternoon or evening.
After the engineers had gone yester-
day City Engineer Mcclure gave Hor-
ace Tompklns & Son list Of locations
for borings which are to be made as
soon as possible The territory includ-
ed in the locations extend from Cam
bridge street north to Garden street
These borings are intended to be pre-
limnary only.
They will give a general idea Of the
character of the subsoi and more will
be ordered later to bring out the de-
tails The number Of borings to be or
dered in the future will depend some
waht upon the discoveries made by the
preliminary ones
The commission has decided to know
as near as can be ascertained Just what
is the foundation under Worcester. OF
that part of IL affected by the abolition
Of crossings.
The preliminary borings will be
rushed this week, and II Is hoped that
some information will have been gained
nv tho time tho commission comes 10.