The Portland daily press., 1872-09-24

equipped road in the country, and there should
| be no necessity for the organization of cal
companies to furnish cars for their road. They
ought to own about 1000 cars, which is more
! than double the number per mile of the best
| roads in the United States.
The chief incubus on the road appears to be
the National Despatch Co., the chief stock
holders in which appear to be Gov. Gregory
Smith of Vermont, c. j. Bridges and Henry
Shackell of the Grand Trunk Railway, and
the chief officers of the leased roads. Freight
| companies agree to establish agencies in all
prominent cities, collect freight and ship it in
cars built at their own expense, through to
whatever destination it may have, allowing the
railroad company to collect and receive all the
| money received for conveyance; the railroad
company in return pay the freight company a
| specified sum for each mile run by each car
over their road In this way, the railroad is
relieved of the bother of running their local
freight cars over the tracks of other roads, and
the operation is generally paying one all
round. Their mileage has been uniformly estab-
lished at one and one-half cents and the ma
jority of roads claim that the arrangement is
beneficial one if properly managed. In the
case of the National Despatch Co., however,
which has not only bled its road one-half cent
per mile more than any of the others demand
ed, but has carried freight at such a low figure
that the railroad company had actually to pay
for the privilege of running the cars, the mat
ter appears in different light. Here is an il
lustration: ~
One day last year, the Cheshire r. R. Co.,
moved small:quantity OF flour from Bellows
Falls to Fitchburg a distance of 60 miles, and
their earnings for the freight were $7.35. The
next day the National Despatch Company pre-
sented bill of $3.50 for car service in moving
that freight, and the Cheshire Railroad people
were obliged to pay the difference. 1t cost
the road, therefore, one dollar and fifteen cents
for the privilege of conveying flour from one
place to another on its own line.
In regard to western freghts, the longest
rou ties have been selected and water rates ig-
nored, so that Car service has been increased
and the local roads have been obliged to pay
back out of their freights the difference be-
tween the transportion over the long and the
short route. The local business of the Yer
mont Central, which is the life-blood of a rail
road, has been destroyed also by the National
Despatch Co. having supreme control over the
road .r
Another institution for victimizing the stock
holders of the Vermont Central was the Ma
tional Despatch Co.'S. shops at st. Adams, at
which all the rolling stock and repairs of the
Vermont Central were got at exorbitant
charges; the price of car wheelss being 81 per
set above the price of ther concerns.
Another institution comes in here to explain
the condition of things not only on this road,
but to show how freightingis done on some other
lines The Vermont Iron and Car Co., was
chartered by the Vermont Legislature, author
lied to build and own cars and run them be-
tween Ogdensburg and the seaboard; and they
are run to Boston, New London, Providence
&C., at rate of two cents per mile, taking
preference of the ears of the company. AS an
evidence of the manner of transacting bust
ness, it is told that the General Superintendent
of freight on the Hartford s. New Haven road
refused to allow two cents per mile for the use
of these cars, but was overruled by the Presi-
dent of the company, and that subsequently
he was informed by Gen. Smith that if the
price was not paid, there would be a breakage
IF bulk with the freight for that road.
The equipment bonds of the Vermont Central
have somewhat got under the first mortgage
bonds and now hold the road, and it is intmat-
ed that few individuals know how it is done
and hold the securities. Phere is a fair pros
pect that things will soon be brought to crisis.
The paper of the National Despatch Co. for
considerable amount, went to protest in New
York on Saturday, and other paper is overdue
and held for non-payment