The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-01-05
DUTIES OF THE COMMUNITY.

I have spoken OF the duties of rail-
road company to the community. What
are the reciprocal duties of the comn1u-
nifty To n railroad company Your nrst
and foremost duty H. to assure your
selves that it's management Is trying 10
perform Its duties to the public and
toward you.
II you are satisfied that such is the
case you should then assist I'm every way
in your power TO promote the joint pros
perity OF the railroad company and OF the
community. IL YOU are not SO SATISFIED
you should point out specifically In what
respects you believe that duty is not per
formed.
IL Is your further duty to disregard
criticisms which obviously distort facts
and which are apparently made for polit-
ical or other effect.
II an individual were so attacked. ana
you believed him honest you would rally
to his support. Why should not corpor-
alton receive the same treatment II you
believe it's management is just?
Where you find that such critisism pro
ceeds from a source which uniformly
condemns In one corporation that which
IL favors I'm another corporation, whose
duties are similar. you may well suspect
that the motives back of the criticism
are not sincere.
You may flirt..er suspect that they
spring from personal or political reasons.
If this be so it is your duty TO see that
such corporations are protected ana
given fair play Ii is your duty to do this
because fair play is Characteristic oi
our country and OF Rhode Island.
AN HONEST ADMINISTRATIONS.
The n. y, n. H. and H. r, r. com
pany has never been stock exchange
company. Its shares have never been
football to be kicked about I'm Wall street
and the companies which IL has acquired
have, when acquired. been removed from
the speculative market. Its administra-
tion has been honest: no one can deny
that.
II has steadily been bringing It's road
bed and equipment up 10 the highest
standard I'm the world. and while IL may
have refused 10 adopt every temporoy Y
expedient suggested for so-called i.n-
provement of the service, IL IL proceeding
as rapidly as its finances will permit TO
adopt permanent improvements of a char
acter adopted by the best railroads.
To Providence It has given the best
operating station on it's line the best
freight yards between New York and
Boston and the most approved appliances
for handling the freight and passenger
business All this has been done at an
enormous expense.
1 repeat that there can be no issue be-
tween the railroad company and the COM
munity, NJ each performs the duties 10
the other which rest upon IL, each viii
help the other 10 a greater prosperity
than has yet been experienced.
The ties which bind us 60 each other
must be close, proceeding as they DO
from commercial interests.
IL TO this We can add closer ties OF
confidence aud sympathy we shall
achieve for each other a future OF greater
development than even the past has Wit
messed.
We OF the railroad company will well
come the day when Providence shall take
among the cities OF this country the place
10 which ~ is Justly entitled and become
At the conclusion of his address. MIR.
Buckland answered several questions.
suggested by his remarks. among those
President A, u. McCrillis OF the associa-
ton, Vice President G. &, Nichols, Geo.
4. Littleiield, ESD. and Gen. charles a.
the prospects for connecting the centre OF
the city with the company's lines at In
dia Point by elevated road or subway;
Mr. Buckland said that the matter had
not been considered. one thing Is sure.
that such connection should be made In
some wsy in the interest OF the city.
Along the east shore is splendid ter
ritory not half developed. and this was
largely due TO the difficulty OF getting In
TO the city. IL was hoped the electric
cars would assist In this matter. but eN-
perience had shown that cars could not
be run through the city streets obstruct-
cd BY the traffic which necessarily and
Justly has the right OF way as 10
make connections ss are necessary in
connection with steam roads. With the
improvements in switches to meet the re.
nothing 20 prevent the Union Railroad
company from hauling the cars. The
whole diflculty was owing 10 the street
traff1c. making II next 60 impossible 10
make the l5-minute time between East
Providence terminal and the Union sta
tion.
a, The close " The meeting Mr. Buck-