Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-10-13

easterly location at an expense of $4,000 for filling
and masonry; the buildings TO be taken for the
westerly location would cost Sl99,000 the cost of
the land over the cost of that east of Grafton street
is Sl4S39, making in all an expense the other
location of Si22Sl6. Nov, let us look at the eN-
penses attending the adoption of the other location:
the cost TO the Norwich road for additional grading
will be S35,000 to the Providence road $4,000 the
malleabe iron works, necessary for bridging
Grafton street, will cost $4,000, and the cost OF
grading and filling on the eastery side of the eost
ery location will be $4,000, making in all S162,OO0
deduct that from the additional cost of the wester
y location, as given, and II is reduced to S260,Sl6
the viaduct, which must be built in either case,
VIII cost S5VUyg me grading and filling
for the same, S54O0O-Sl44,000 in all; this
Will form portion of the depot ii the westerly
location is adopted, so It may also be deducted,
leaving the actual cost of the westerly depot over
the easterly but Sll6Sl6 He regarded the taking of
the houses as of triling consequence, since they
were gradually giving way to business interests
even now spoke of the streets to be taken unim-
portant alleys, discussed the Importance of the diff
heulty presented by the detection from straight
course through the city, to which the north aud
south roads would be subjected by the adoption of
the easery location and closed by denying that the
interests of the Boston, Barre and Gardner road
were with the Boston and Albany, asserting that
MIR, Goulding, although present by vote of the di-
rectOrs, was acting in accordance with the prefer
ence OF the president of the road and not in accord
ance with any preference expressed by vote of the
directors MIR Goulding asked if il were not so in
regard to his connection with the Norwich road,
and an explanation did not show that the directors
of the Norwich road had voted preference)
Mr.. Aldrich, for the Providence and Worcester
road, began by saying that the whole agitation OF
the matter which mas led to the appointment Of
commission to decide on the location for union
passenger depot, grew out of desire to get the
railroad tracks off the common, coupled with a
project of the Boston and Albany road to erect a
union passenger depot at Washington square.
He then discussed the various movements
which have been before the people Mt diff
ferent times. He considered that the ten
dency in public accommodation was to have
railroads terminate on the outskirts of cities
as they grew larger, and not TO rush to grand
depot at the centre He then spoke directly the
question as affecting the Providence and
Worcester railroad That road has not participated
so actively in the contest as some of the
other roads, but it is not true that the road does not
desire union with the Others if it is desirable and
necessary to the public good. 1t has the same in
terestS to promote which the public have He then
described the local nature of the business of the
Providence road, ana said he considered that the
main object ought not to be to provide for the |
through business but for the local business looking
secondly to the accommodation of the through |
business. Ultimately, wherever the union depot |
goes, there will the passenger depot of the Proyi-
dence road go; 100000 human beings annually go |
to and come from the Green street depot now, and |
the location OF the depot at Washington square will
incommode that number by compelling them to go |
quarter of mile farther. If the depot is located
between Green and Grafton streets the inconyen. |
fence will be inconsiderabe to the Providence road:
he thought the other roads would be affected in the
same way; 1t is ON the line of the Boston and AL
bany road in either case and he did not propose to
discuss the matter rs it affected that road. He did
not propose to discuss the motives prompting the
Inherent parties. lie did not propose to over
the ground already touched upon and to be dis
eussed by the gentlemen to follow him. but asked
the commission toremember and consider what had
been said by MIR. Hilton in his testimony.
ARGUMENT ON HON. GEO F. HoAR.
Mr.. Hoar said the arguments of his friend, Mr. |
Rice, had been clearly pressed that he needed to
do little more than go the general grounds and
sum up the points made previously affecting the
case for the good of the public. The Boston and |
mOnweath the spine and ribs, he said and ex- |
planned the vast power it welded as affecting people
and towns in the state The struggle to-day is |
struggle between foreign commerce and American |
interests; another struggle is to bring every other
railroad within the power of the Boston and Albany
TOad-tO make these four railroads do their business
in its back yard, that is what these able LAWYERS |
are here for and nothing more, He reviewed the |
effect of high local rates on the Boston and Albany |
road as compared TO the through rates, and again |
reverted to the question owhether not these four
roads shall be compelled to do bust |
and Albany road; he maintained that it |
would be destructive to the Boston, Barre and Gard
ner road to hold the connection with the Boston |
and Albany road its president seeks. We are met, |
he said, with three considerations by the OppOsi-
ton counsel. The first is the opinion of the mayor
and aldermen; we are told their opinion is entitled
to great weight; he denied it, and did not recog-
nize it as the opinion of the citizens; the mayor
and aldermen have been admitted as competent
parties to the suit, for the reason, undoubtedly |
that they have control of laying out ways and
streets; they stand at best they would before the
county COMMISSIONERS in case of an appeal from
their action 1t Is suggested that the yaduct, if 1t
is brought to the rails of the Boston and Albany
road at point east of Green street, renders impo;
Sble one of the terms of the act-the first of the
alternatives; he submitted that the commission
had nothing to do with the construction of
the act, the legislature empowered the commits
sion to decide, and intended to make no law
which should prevent the adoption of either
lie claimed that the clear purpose of the was to
allow the commission to decide which of the lOca-
tions was desirable for the public good and the act
cannot be construed to destroy the power He
maintained that if in the face of the facts presented
the commission reported in favor of the easterly
location, the court should set aside the report as
calling for something that cannot be done without |
the vote of the city government allowing the on.
croachment upon the old burial ground The third
point was, that we don't want the location between
Green and Grafton streets, but contend for it in
order to kill the project by getting the Boston and
Albany road mad that it will not submit to the
jurisdiction of the commission, and will institute
new Legislation, which shall set aside all that has
been done. He claimed that the greatest benefit
the Legislature looked to in the act was the better
accommodation of the through travel and now the
counsel for the Boston and ALBANY road wish TO |
show thai the through travel consideration Is nm
unimpOrant one, because the roads north and south
have never run through cars until this season, and
now only one. He then mentioned as propositions
for the consideration of the commission several
considerations OF vital Importance in deciding be.
tween the locations First he inquired if in bring
ing about junction of two roads running one to
the north and south and the other east and west il
would not be considered as of great importance to
cross at point where neither road would be COM
PEELED to diverge from its direct course; ID if II was
desirable to select location nearest the center in
stead of departing to the outside of pOnuation as
the commission was asked to do by the Boston and
Albany road; he considered that the eastery loca-
ton if adopted, would be great nuisance as is
the Springfield depot, with no better means of ac-
cess and five tracks running through instead
of three; thought the location should be
selected ss,L a. as near as possible in line of
BILE at the confluence of the largest streets in that
spot where the existing state of things is disturbed
as little as possible and where there would be the
least outlay in the construction of tracks, and where
no interference would be made with the competition
of roads; proceeded to support the westerly Ioca
md hon fbof,r hat |
ever was done by the commission, they would not |
place four roads and they the weakest, within the
power of the fifth, the Boston and Albany road
with power which cannot be helped at best but |
hoped that in deciding the location the real adyan-
tages would be considered for all that. He said
that H. IN the place of all the reasons produced the
commission decided in favor of the eastern location
It would be simply complying with the demands of
the Boston and Albany road and admitting that |
there was not skill enough among the Yankee engi-
neers to build depot on the other location; it was
simply snare and deuson, this talk about en-
cheering difficulties. He claimed that the Boston |
and Albany railroad made large profit, wherever |
the depot was located, and it was not struggling to
save expense, but to make a still larger profit He
closed by calling attention anew to the vital impor.
tance of deciding for the best interests Of the ma
Jorlty OF those concerned
ARGUMENT OF HON. E. r. HoAR.
AS in the case of the other arguments we give
only brief abstract of Judge Hoar's remarks,
touching the leading points only and omitting |
many matters of detail and legal technicalities.
lie SAID the question was upon which of the two |
locations was best for the pnblic need; if upon a
careful consideration of the plans the business in
terests and the many other important questions con-
nected with the matter he could pass over the SUBJ
ect by saying that he guessed Yankee ingenuity
could find way to put depot in the most imprlc-
ticable that was the proper mode perhaps it
would be better to repeat the eOquence Of the gem
tleman who had preceded him, and then give the
case up. 1t might be, he said, that all the virtue
and thrift had retired to the Nashua
road its officers, agents and attorneys but he still
had faith in the desire of his clients of the Boston
and Albany road to serve the public welfare in Local
ling the Union depot, and would proceed with that
conviction. In the first place, the legislature had
settled the fact that the present plan Of little depots
for each road all about the city should be given up
and those depots discontinued it was transparent
that in all the arguments of the opposition they
were looking back at the question over their shout
iers towards thesold Foster street depot; perhaps
hey would like to have the commission provide one
ike it, indeed, he would not wonder if they would
De glad and happy could it be moved down bodily
md put IN some three-cornered place near Green
'treet But he was confident that the commission
would approach the question a much
arger scale; there were those, he said S
who chung to the old Foster street sta. q
ion, but the time had come for more lib .,
raj provisions to meet more general and EXTEND
I'd demand; there were also those who could re-