Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-03-21
The vermont Central Troubles.


We have had occasion of late to publish
as items of news, notices of various suits
brought against the managers of the YER
mont Central and Vermont and CANADA
roads. with other indications that the war
fare against the present managers Is still
active. We know little or nothing more
about these things than we see in PRINT,
lint they evidently form part of the organiz-
ed raid upon the present management
and one obvious effect of them must be 10
DELAY the reorganization of the roads under
tie &c; Of 1872. We greatly regret this.
Nothing seems clearer to us than that the
existing condition of the concern, as ward
in chancery, with all the complications OF
trust debts, leases, mortgages, ETC., Is bad
for the property, for the managers, and for
the public. The property should be put as
soon as possible into the control of the men
who own it. 1t should have the usual form
of a corporation, be controlled in the usual
way, have the same powers and be under the
same liabilities as other similar corporations.
The act of 1872 affords plain and proper
way to effect such change, and the only
way that we can see of permanent relief
from the Vermont Central's troubles Yet
it is plain that some of the parties that
have howled the loudest over the peculiar
arrangement of great railroad run IN
definitely by a court of Chancery, are dong
their utmost to prevent any relief from that
condition. They evidently wish to keep
the road in hot water, and the hotter they
can make it the better.
We think we can regard this matter with
fair degree of impartiality. This paper,
rs our constant readers know, has never
occupied the position of a railroad organ. Ii
it were such, its opinion would be worth no
more in the case, than is that of the Boston
Trdreller, which is understood to be the
hired advocate of the parties who are try
ing to break down the Vermont Central
management. We have repeatedly, before
now, found ourselves opposing railroad
measures and the railroad management, to
the best of our ability, in the interest OF the
public; aud we are not aware that the VT
Central managers have ever put themselves
out to advance Burlington interests to such
an extent that any Burlington man need be
unduly prejudiced in their favor. On the
other hand we do not share the unreasOn-
able and manufactured prejudice against
them, which exists in some quarters. We
do not believe that John Gregory Smith,
Joseph Clark, B. P Cheney, Worthington
c. Smith and Lawrence Barnes, are rob
bers and swindlers, or have forfeited their
title TO the respect and confidence of the
community.
That no faults or errors have been com
mitted in the past management, we do not
say. But we do say, that in the present
contest, the true interests ofthe great prop
erty at stake and the interests of the pub
lie in Vermont, seem to US to require that
the Trustees be sustained. We believe that
the fight against them was begun by the
great competing roads, the Boston Al
bany, Connecticut River, and n. Y. Cen
trial, who hoped thus to cripple forrnid-
able rival; and that it has had the assist
ance of managers Of the lower roads in the
Vt Central line, Stark, George, Stearns and
others, who perhaps have not heretofore
found themselves able to control the Cen
trail to the extent they desired, and who
now hope, by supplanting the present trus-
tees to make our Vermont roads mere tags
and tenders to their roads. The aid and
comfort these parties have secured in St.
Adams, is too obviously due to the animos-
tiles of cliques and to the personal piques
and jealousies of individuals, to be of much
account. That St. Adams men should from
such motives be fighting those who, what
ever else they have done, have never failed
to do all in their power to build up St.
Adams, and have most freely and effective
ly used their great power to that end, may
cause surprise; but cannot create much
respect for the opposition.
We believe the trustees will weather the
storm. They are paying up the floating
debts. They have greatly reduced ex-
penses. The leases promise to justify the
hopes with which they were made. The
managers have doubtless learned IN the past
some useful lessons for the future, and it
seems to us that they have right to count
on the sympathy and assistance of all who
have no selfish ends to serve, or who are not
willing to see these important Vermont
roads brought into bankruptcy and utter
chaos, in the vain hope that some better
order of things may come out of the wreck.