Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1888-08-24
A QUESTION OF RATES.

STATE OF VERMONT,

|
| Railroad company.
TIE proceedings in this case were com.
menced January 2G, 1887, on the petition
of Hon. a. w. Swain in behalf of people
on the line of the Vermont Valley railroad
and embraced a complaint of excessive
passenger rates on the Vermont Valley
railroad between BrattlebOro and Bellows
| Falls.
Notice of the proceedings was forthwith
given he railroad company and its an-
| swer bv Mr. A. b Harris, president, wa
| filed March $, 1887.
Thereupon, at the request of the com
| plaiuants, the case was suspended by the
| board and 80 remained TIL called up 10y
| Mr.. Swain and other citizens OF Rrattle-
horo and Bellows Falls, on the llth OF
April, 1SSS, when n hearing was appoint, d
/ for the 18TH day of April, 1SSS, at Bellows
| Falls, at which time tue hearing was post
/ pUntd, at the request OF the corporation
and with the consent o. COmplaindutS, on
account of the departure of MIR. Harris lul
| Europe, until the , h d,y of July, 1885, at
/ BlattIebOro. Upon this date the ralirtHI
company appeared by MI a. b. Harris,
! the president, and other officers ther"O
and some of the compliments appeared IN
per, on and all by Hon. j l.. Martin aud
h. l.. Waterman, esq rs att ueSs.
Upon motion of the c'mplaiuauts and
with the consent Of the railroad company
the petition was amended by making the
sullivan County Il ulrOad company % par
ty and extending the terms of COmpl uut
50 a. 10 cover all the road operated 10y hpth
of tne said companies il the : ate Of Yer
mont between BrattlchOrO and Windsor
Ard the said Sullivan County Railroad
company was represented at the hearing
bV Mr.. \. Is. Harris, who is al % the pres
ideut of hat corporation.
The following facts appeared aud were
found by the board TIE Vermont Valley
railroad extends from Br4ttleboro to Bel
lows Fails, a distance Of 81 miles, and the
local fare between those points is 81, being
4 l-6 cents per mile. The sullivan County
railroad company owns tie road in New
Hampshire from Bellows Falls to the
state line near Windsor. and by 4rrange-
ment Win the Central Vermont RAILROAD
company operates the road to Windsor, a
distance of % miles from Bellows Fdll-
The local passenger fare thereon is q
cents between those points, being 81.
cents per mile nearly.
The principal passenger business ovel
these roads is what is known as through
business, these roads together with tue
| New London Northern, Connecticut River
and New York, New Haven and Hartford
south OF them, aud the Central Vermont
and Boston and Maine and other roads
north of them, forming a continuous line
between New York aud Quebec, Montreal
. ana the w blte mountains.
For several years a division of the
through rates between the different roads
has been made upon the basis OF their 10
/ cal passenger fares, ana the local pt-seu.
ger fare on the Vermont Valley railroad
oemL higher than those of the other road s.
it has received "A larger portion OF the
money earned 10y the Through service than
IL wound ii divided among the different
roads III proportion to their Respective
mileage
The reason for this arrangement j.
found IN the fact that owing To- less tray .
on the Valley road than on others tn,
COST to th1t road of carrying each pt,scu-
ger given distance IS greater, and ~ tu,
through rate i a iXed quantity it MAKE,
40 difference To he pIlDuc how the dit
ferent roads divide that tate between
, themselves.
Under This arrangement the Vermont
Valley railroad company has been able tc
pay operating expenses and d vdeud to
its stockholders Of six per cent on it, cap
ltdl stock of 81 ,OOJ, Geo for several yea
past, and has made reductions IN II,
charges to the local public by issuing
mileage tickets for 1000 miles at tW,
cents per nile and round trip tickets good
from any station at three cents per mill
and has given the public an excellent
train service and one which was highly
commended by the petitioners upon the
hearing.
The reduction in the fixed local rates
asked tor in this case, to 81 cents pei
mile, would affect the amount received by
said company from its through bushes,
in the same proportion as the local rate
would be reduced, and, with the volume
of business done last Year, the operating
expenses would leave but a very SINAI
sum with which to meet emergencies OF
pay dividends; and the entire net income
of id road from all sources would not be
sufficient to give the stockholders an ad
| euuste return for the capital invested,
| In determining what should be the rec
concentration of the board IN case like
| this, justice to the corporation must no
| be lost sight of.
Capitalists investing their money fol
the operation of a railroad should be EMIT
! eled, under conservative and economics
management of its affairs in the INTEREST.
| of the public, to some remuneration from
| their investment, to fair dividends upuI
their capital stock, ii any be, without OPP
| preston to the public who may be theil
! patrons from necessity. Otherwise, rail
roads would not be bnit, or, if built
would be abandoned on coming TO be op
Grated at a loss.
A reduction in the earnings of the roaC
would necessita'e Il reduction in the oper
aIlug expenses, which would result in tia,
| withdrawal OF the least profitable train,
aud consequent loss to the public in tnC
way OF train service. 1t might also re-
quire the withdrawal OF the present cheaE
tickets, which would advance the fares o
those who now avail themselves OF sucl
tickets.
Having given careful consideration tc
all the facts and circumstances the buaTC
is unable to find thai the local rate of far,
l. unreasonable, and hence cannot recon-
mend the reduc ion which the petitioner,
ask.
In order, however, that the local traye
may be still further accOmmOdated-th
board recommends the Vermont Vale
railroad company of 1871 to make its mile
age tickets good to bearer and to eXient
the time III which its round trip ticket
may be used to 10 days
No question being made upon the hear
ing and no facts appearing in regard L
the rates upon the Sullivan county RAJ
road in this State, the petition as to In
road Is dismissed. BY the board,
ALFRED +. WATSON, clerk,
Facts versus Phrases.