The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1904-12-13
SESSION OF FAIRlAWN
IMPROVEMENT SOCIETY

on Friday night Of last week the Inn
provement society OF Pawtucket met and
discussed the proposition OF the gas com
pany 10 lower the price OF gas and last
evening the Farlawn section met to fur
ther discuss the plans.
The matter that had been agitating the
minds of all the society for some time
past was considered after the routine
business was disposed OF
The proposition OF the gas company Is
that for a l5-year franchise II will lower
the rate per 1000 feet from the present
price of Si.40 20 81 reducing II At Ave
year intervals.
President .Freemount Rounds and Jo-
seph Cooper thought that IL was best TO
agitate the matter and refuse the pres
ent offer while paying the present price,
while Mr.. Walter Crocker and David =.
White spoke In favor OF the proposition.
Those who pay for gas at the present
time feel that IL is better to have a cut
in the prices now and then agitate for
lower ones than TO continue to pay the
present rate and still gain nothing by
In speaking OF the subject Mr.. White
spoke i'm part as follows:
The Merchants association OF Paw
tucket Is an organization composed OF the
representative business men OF our city.
Ii is always a safe idea in all matters 10
follow the lead Of successful -nen.- These
men are large consumers, paying hun
dreds OF dollars a year for gas.
1T Is the cry OF petty political agita-
tors that this company is foreign cor
poratlon. that II Is owned by financial
manipulators outside the state Let us
inquire iHto these things Let us see
whom the men arc who control this COM
pany. They are Albert NJ. Coats. +. A.
Sayles stephen A. jerks. jonathan
Chace, T. w Easton, Darius l.. Con- and
John A Arnold We know these men;
We know what they have done for Paw
tucket We know what they have done
for us all
THE vast manufacturing interests CON
trolled by these men pay into the city an
/ uually IN taxes over 10000.
But what Is OF moro Importance than
/ cverythlng-the bone and sinew. the life
blood of ms Az the industries managed by
these men employ nearly 1900 wage earn
/ ors. Can We get along without these
men? ! think not.
The proposition ~ the gas company
! is n plain, straightforward offer. They
want assurances for the future in order
/ that they may give us assurances for
/ the future
The gas company w,ll paw the city
about Nn.Ooo for this franchise. which
! think Il a pretty liberal offer. You may
| say that ! am talking In the interests Of
/ n corporation.
Il am. and ] am also talking against the
/ sway and prevalence OF the ward poli,l-
/ cian. who Is over alert FOR the opportunity
4 TO ssndhag and choke money out ~ the
I Quasi-corporation. when a. goes about
peacefully trorsacting its legitimate bust
] ness
III 90 we're not for corporstions Paw
\ tucket would be today struggling VII
i lage instead of the splendid manufactur-
INK centre that IL has become. Whenever
4 meet the man who employs laoor and
builds mill ! want 20 lake OF my hat
| 10 him.
"A word ss to the popular cry for
municipal ownership The beet minds OF
this country and OF Europe have given
this subject the most complete and com
prebensive study. and their conclusions
are worth our consideration II we desire
60 Judge these questions intelligently."
Considerable discussion followed the
presentation Of arguments on both sides.
but no action was taken.