Morning journal and courier., 1882-03-24
Price Four Cents.

| now an independent line from this city to the Hudson river, tapping all the north and south roads on its route, including the Hudson River and Harlem, of the Vanderbilt system of roads. So that we have two well equipped roads through the entire length of the State, east and west, and one through half its length and connecting eastward, all of which connect with the great railroad systems of the country. This is, so far, reasonably good railroad accommodation Very soon the line from Providence to Springfield, already partly built, will give additional acno1aif-ouz- tions to the northeastern portion of the State.
 What have we north and south In the ninety miles of territory between Rhode ls- land and New York we have seen roads from the Massachusetts line to the Sound, with the exception Of the Naugatuck, which terui- mates at its connection with the Connecticut Western at Winsted, within @ few miles of Massachusetts.
 Let us begin on the east Tie Norwich and Worcester road runs from Worcester, Mass, to tide water, connecting with water transportation on the south, and with the lines east and west in Massachusetts and with the New Hampshire and Maine roads on the north. The New London Northern road connecting also with tide water and through the Vermont Central system with all north ern roads, and by way of the great lakes with great water transportation lines from the west and much western freight comes into Connecticut this way. Next we have the Hartford and Connecticut Valley road, soon to be extended to Springfield and already connecting to that point by the Connecticut Central road east of the river. and also run ming to tide water. Next comes the New Ha- ven and Northampton or Canal road, touch ing tide water at New Haven, and recently completed to connection with the Hoosac Tunnel line, reaching also the great western routes. Next comes the Naugatuck from Winsted to the Sound, making western con- nections St Bridgeport, Waterbury and Win sted. Then the Housatonlc road from Bridgeport to Pittsfeld, connecting also with the Boston and Albany, and by way of Pitts field with the Hoosac Tunnel line at North Adams.
 All these north and south lines can bring and carry freight to connections with the great railroad lines of the country, and with water carriage at the Sound, and the east and west lines of course do the same, as B simple study of the situation will show. They fur nlsh a railroad on average of every thir- teen miles of Connecticut territory from Rhode Island to New York, and on an average of every twenty or twenty five miles from Massachusetts to the Sound. In this show ing we have not taken into account the She paug, Danbury and Norwalk, the New Canaan the New Haven and Derby, or the various branches of the New York. New Haven and Hartford, and the York and New England roads.
 So much for what Connecticut already has What does the State offer further Shs says, in the general railroad law, which we recent ly explained in detail, that any twenty five persons who can command the capital may build as many additional roads in any direc- tion in the State they may choose, pro- vlded they will comply with perfectly reason able and fair provisions of the law. The State gives to such association of men, who mean business, and put up their money, the right to take any homestead in the State, and to dig through our hills and plow up our valleys for great small public railroad highways. It only requires that the railroad builders and capitalists shall dO something, and not hold a mortgage upon the farms and homes of the people for great length of time.
 In the face of all this, such papers as the New York Journal 0f Commerce, which ought to know better, talk of New Jersey exclusive ness and obstruction to enterprise in connec- tion with the recent action of the majority of the Railroad committee of the Connecticut Legislature, upon a petition for special charter If New York Is anxious for a straighter or quicker route to Boston, or Bos- ton is ambitious to build double track bee line" to New York, the capitalists of either city have only to make their survey, file their papers with the Secretary of State, comply with very reasonable provisions concerning the capital stock and with the ordinary laws concerning the taking of private property, and go ahead with their construction In view of the railroad facilities described above, and of the liberal provisions of exist ! ing laws, there seems to be no call for more special charters of railroads in this State. Such charters should not be granted, and the Legislature has no right to grant them, ex- | cept there is great public necessity for | them. On no other ground can private prop | erty be taken for such uses. The State owes something to existing roads. Many of them
 are struggling nov for want of the work which they are able to do. No road should | be built where there is not a pres sing need for it, or simply to spite
 some existing road. The Legislature
 must consider the question of public neces sity, not simply the request Of any set o.
 men who ask great privileges, one of which | is to appropriate the property of their neigh | bors for their own purposes. Are the one | thousand miles of railroad in this State suf- l fcient for the business the public requires, | or can the roads be made to do it? It will be
 better to double track all prominent lines | than to build new ones
 l Of course if any railroad company fails to | comply with the State laws, it should be pun | ished. There is a way for the State to com
 pei obedience, and to compel the company to
 do it's whole duty to the public, without
 building parallel roads in addition to the
 one thousand miles of existing roads in Con- necticut.