Norwich bulletin., 1920-02-11
WESTERLY

Representative Samuel H Davis, of Westerly. lawyer, politician and or dained clergyman. has definitely an- nounced his candidacy for speaker or the house of representatives to sue ceed Arthur P. Sumner, who goes to the superior court bench. The, other svzo candidates are Deputy Speaker Fred L.. Owen of Providence and Floor Leader William R. Fortin, of Pawtuck- ed. Mir. Davis was the last to enter the contest He said: My hat is in Che ring. have received such asslir- Rnce of support that 1 believe l have < fair chance of being nominated in the republican caucus.
 The announcement was not well re- cefved by the party managers, who had been confining their efforts to reuRite the conflicting ambitions of Owen and Forth, supposed to be the only can didates. There is no telling the result of this three cornered fight.
 Afr. Davis has been member of the house four years and has been more or less independent in his sup port of various measures, and was one of the four republicans outspolzen in opposition to the property qualification clause. He stands solid on the dryest blanks of prohibition and was a former officer and active worker in the Anti-Saloon League.
 He first became known in active politics in 1910 when he successfully led the campaign for the nomination and election of Former Governor George H. Utter as congressman from the Second District MT. Utter was not endorsed for the nomination by party leaders. and it was the first time in many years that there had been an ilsurgent tendency in a state re- publican convention. MT. Davis nom- mated the late MT. Utter and he was chosen in a three cornered contest on the first ballot.
 The next year Mir. Davis nominated Aram J. Pothier for governor in a ringing speech at the. convention. Since then Mfr. Davis has been somewhat active in party work. He made speeches for Senator Colt in the last campaign and was very much inter- ested in war activities. '
 Monday the receivers of the Rhode Island company asked the superior court to cancel the 999-year lease of the Narraga1sett Pier railroad. and the reversion of that corporation, valued a- approximately $500, 600, to the railroad company stockholders. Of ficials say that the Pier road, for sev- eral years one of the weak lines, f1nan- ciaiiy, in the Rhode Island company
 
 itself, or go to the junk heap
 The Narragansett Pier railroad runs direct to the pier, Q distance of nine miles starting from the Kingston sta- ton of the New Haven road and ae- comlnodating the stations at Goulds, Peace Dale and Wakefield. It is the only steam road operating to the pier. and the only public traaspoEta ton to the famous summer resort, except the Sea View electric road, which operates rom Providence and is controlled by The Rhode Island company.
 The Nara gansett Pier Railroad company was incorporated in 1868. The capital stock was fixed at S290. COG in 1911. President Mellen, of the New Haven, in his campaign to nionapolize transportation facilities in New Eng land, obtained a 999-year lease of the Pier road property, through the Rhode Island company, which the New Ha- ven had acquired three years before. Since then the Pier road has been op- erated as a part of the New Haven system.
 This road has been a losing propo- sition for several years The special state commission which exafninet1 the Rhode Island Cenpanyas affairs ss in 1918. it's report decIared that the Pier road had nothing in common with the rest Of the system and recommended that it be cut off as it was a financial incumbrance- te the Rhode Island com pany.
 Due to weather conditions there Ess small vote polled at the spe- cial state election Tuesday to act up- on two bond issues. The polls were opened at 9 o'clock and closed at 5, The election officials were: First dis trfct Ira B.. Crandail, moderator: John J. Dunn, clerk; James H. Hud- son, Howard Swan, republicans and Dwight J. Cornell, Antonio Toskas. democrats. election supervisors; Her bert P. Clark, officer Second dis trict-EugeHe B. Pendleton, moderat- or; Louis Stanton, clerk; Russell Dover Russell L. Slocum repcg5li- cans and Bernard J. Christie John T. LorinE democrats election supery4s- ors; Adam Archie officer The prop os1hons voted upon were:
 Soldiers Bonus Loan of 1920 Shall the general assembly be author ized and directed to provide for the ts7t1e of state bonds not to exceed the amount of two million fivA hundred thousand dollars the proceeds thereof to be expended in accordance with an act of the general assembly passed at the January session A. D. 1920. en- titled An act in recognition of the ratdouc services Of residents of the