Morning journal and courier., 1889-03-13
PRESIDENT CLARK's VIEWS.

PRESIDENT CLARK'S VIEWS. Several we'll known gentlemen addressed the committee on the grade crossing ques- tion to-day, among them being President Charles P. Clark of the Consolidated, Con- gressman Washington F. Wilcox, Lewis E. Stanton, President Colt of the New London Northern railroad, and Corporation Counsel W. K. Townsend of New Haven, represent ing the city.
 Prof. Townsend was the first speaker. He said that New Haven was blessed with six railroads and cursed with twenty nine grade crossings After Consultation with Mayor Peck and many members of the board of
 aldermen and the town agent, he was in- formed that the general wish of New Haven was for law which should not place any of the expense on the State. Of doing away with the nuisance New Haven objected to the States paying, because on account of the magnitude of our grand last the town wonld suffer more than proportionately. The
 people of New Haven, he had been informed, would consider it fair law that put the entire expense on the railroad when it was junior to the highway and divi- ded the expense between the railroad and
 town, where the highway had crossed an ex-
 isting road. All towns should be put on an equality, and what New Haven asks is not Q narrow policy, but law, so appealing to the people that it can be speedily carried cut and these relics of the past be wiped out.
 Ex-District Attorney Stanton, of Hartford, said, in addition to his previous remarks, last week that whatever bill was decided
 upon should have clause providing that
 all property owners adjacent to grade cross
 ings abolished should be paid incidental
 damage if any accrued to their property by
 virtue of the changes.
 Congressman Willcox said that where rail-
 roads crossed existing highways the expense should be borne by the railroad companies
 entirely for the crossings were not dangerous
 nuisances until the railroads came, and it
 was likewise the railroads principally who
 wanted the work done. In other cases he
 was not sure but the State should pay part
 of the expense.
 As Congressman Wilcox could not be present another day he was allowed to speak in behalf of bill not assigned for hearing to- day, which was an act authorizing the State to refund to the towns the money which towns have paid already 10 do away with grade crossings by order of the railroad com- missioners and the courts under the present law. Congressman Wilcox thought that as the railroads paid large sums in taxes to the State this was the proper source to reim purse the towns for an unjust burden they suffered.
 Editor Naples of the Norwalk Hour fa- vored bill which placed the entire expense of the work on the railroads. He saw no distinction between cases when one way ex- isted before the other.
 Representative Purdy, of Darien, protested against any bill which placed any part of the expense on the towns and said that in New York State the railroads had to pay all the expense, and also buy all the land needed for the improvements.
 The case of the petititioners was then closed and opponents were called upon.
 President Colt of the New London and Northern railroad company said for five or ~ farT nf ha lofyic1 trro ofr bad been introduced, but they all came from the same part of the State-the southwest cor ner. His road was ffty-six miles long and crossed forty one roads at grade. In the thirty-five years of it's establishment there had been but four accidents at grade cross- ings, and there never has been any applics ton for a removal of crossings from people on the line of this road.
 This committee should discriminate in any law they pass. I confess that upon principle the present law Is just one. Each case is judged upon it's merits. It will be impossi- ble to make general law so good or fair as this. In regard to the cases where railroads have crossed existing highways, there may be cases where railroads have gone out of their way to cross highways at the request and earnest solicitation of the villagers them selves. Manifestly in such a case it would be an injustice to make the road pay the en- tire amount of the abolition of such grade crossing. To abolish the crossings on the New London and Northern would cost $500, ,000, one-third of the capital stock, and only from the people on the double-track roads where quick trains run with great fre- quency comes the request for this movement.
 Any Law which is made should discrimi- nate between the different roads and cir cumstances.
 Attorney Robbins of the New England road plead poverty on account of his clients nd aaid hat ha divida should be distinguished from the rich roads, where the people along them were demand ing the change. So soon as you put on rail- roads burdens too heavy for them to bear the people of the State suffer.
 Ex-Judge Harrison called attention to the fact that there is at present power in the commissioners and courts to close unneces- sary and dangerous crossings, which power should remain with them. In the town of Enfield, which had been alluded to, there are five crossings at grade and one under the tracks within @ space of mile or so. By a few of the lateral roads several of these crossings could be abolished and the roads turned into the one that goes under the track.
 Mir. Shepard, of Saybrook, said that the people in his vicinity did not care anything about abolishing these crossings.
 President Clark of the Consolidated was the next speaker. MT. Clsrk's ability as 8 deDater ana ms versatility IS matter Of wide reputation. He has given this subject years of study, and his remarks were closely listened to. Among other things he said: 'sI don't want to be set down in advance as opposing everything, for, with most of the speakers, l agree in part. A reference to the railroad commissioners report shows there are twelve hundred grade crossings in the State and twice that number in Massa- chusetts. It is estimated that it will cost more than $20, 900, 900 to eliminate those in Connecticut. This is burden which should not be placed on either rich or poor roads. Whatever remedy is proposed should be an elastic one to fit every special case. do not come here as president of the Consolidated to object to this or that or the other thing but as person who has given the sub- feet years of study. The demand for fast rains has constantly increased on the Con- ,olidated road. The New York road has ,utgrown the position, when any grade cross ing is safe or to be tolerated. On single rack roads there is little danger in sparsely I ettled places. In carrying out the design ] # abolishing grade crossings, we began I where the trains were thickest, which was | n Westchester county, that may be de l cended as bridge over which all the good l ltizens of Connecticut, cross into the me- ropolis. In New York State, there are no avs on grade crossings and we had to nego. fate with highway commissioners in every | ass. At an enormous expense, after
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