Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-02-09

doubt If there could be any better manage.
ment Of the road than that which could DO
furnished by tho towns along It's route.
acting in their corporate capacity, either
for local purposes, or for any business that
II might be required TO perform. That It
is desirable TO bring Bratlleboro within
eighty.five miles Of water com munication
with all the ports on the 81. Lawrence and
the Great Lakes from New Brunswick TO
Duluth, is beyond question.
If the towns interested could hold ma
jority Of the stock, they could control It's
management, and make it pay, so that it
would not he burden upon the people.
can see no reason why tue interest on the
clpiial invested might not be paid out Of
the earnings after the FIRST year, and sink.
ing fund he established that would dissolve
the whole debt in some twenty years. The
main object should be TO give The road an
honest aud efficient management. II would
be but poor policy TO get up another dis
honestly managed railroad. The country
has had quite enough OF such discredita-
bic and demofaizing work and we may
rest assured that the substantial interests Of
no people can flourish under it.. The day
Of bonding towns to serve The ends Of rings
and swindlers ought 10 have an end. II
capitalists should make The towns subserv-
lent to their interests, the probability is
that the affair would be run into The same
old ruts in which so many other similar
enterprises have become mere gambling
concerns TO the injury Of the community;
but If capital could lie made subordinate TO
the management the towns, there seems to
bc no reason why the road should not
prove a benefit to all the parties concerned,
to the capitalists as well as The towns. The
road might he morlgaged t. the capitalists
as security FOL the payment OF interest and
principal.
There would be some twelve or fifteen
towns along the route of the road which
would be Immediately interested in the en-
terprise and the cost Of the work, un-
ders,aud, would be about twelve hundred
thousand dollars. This money might per-
haps be borrowed from their own savings
banks and capitalists.
The debt of tue city OF New York is con-
siderably over a hundred dollars for each
ono OF its Inhabitants. The debt which the
towns would have TO incur TO build the
road would probably he fifty dollars for
each Of TIER inhabitants; but in return
they would have a piece Of property that
would doubtless sell at any time for all ii
cost. AT no period could the work be done
at a cheaper rate than at the present time.
1t would unlock capital, set ii sfloat, and
give new impetus 10 the general interests
of the community. The capital would be
made active on The responsibility of the
towns where now it is dormant.
But sner all it may he said that there is a
railroad already in operation between
Whitehall and Bratt eboro, by the way of
Rutland aud Bellows Falls, and why
build another? And why build another,
at any rate, before it is certain that the
Caughnawaga canal will be dug?-fOr the
principal value Of the new road would de-
pend upon the communication with the st.
Lawrence which that canal would give IL.
These questions must he ansH cred by
those who are the more Immediately inter-
ested in The new road. If Brattleboro can
compete with Rutland for through route
10 the West from the sea-ports OF the three
southern manufacturing states Of New
England, she has perfect right TO do so.
CITIZEN.