Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1898-06-23
Advantages Of am Electric Road.


What advantage would railroad be to
| you, farmers
Freight by teams is now being carried
10 and brought from the nearest railroad
stations at an expense to you of from ten
to fifteen cents per 100 pounds.
Much of this cost is now being paid by
farmers. You are the producers and to q
considerable extent the consumers of the
| goods freighted. The consumers are the
ones who always have to pay the freight.
! The merchant or trader who buys and sells
you goods always adds the cost OF freight
to the first cost of the goods, then adds
his profit to that, which makes the price,
SO II you buy the goods you have to pay
the freight.
Anything which will lessen the cost of
freight will lessen the cost OF your goods
| Just so much.
Would railroad to Chelsea lessen the
cost of your goods by lessening the cost of
freight Let us see.
Ii is proposed by responsible gentlemen
that they will build an electric railroad
from R1yalton through Tunbridge to
Chelsea village IL Tunbridge and Chelsea
will agree to pay them the sum OF $4,000
after mot beforeI the road is completed
and the cars are ready to run.
They also bind themselves to deliver
all long drawn freight by the car load in
Tunbridge or Chelsea village at the same
or Royalton railroad stations. 1t would
be like putting South Royalton railroad
station in Tunbridge or Chelsea village 30
far -as long distance freight by the car
load Is concerned.
They agree that there will have to be no
unloading and reloading OF such car loads
but the goods will come direct in the same
car to Tunbridge and Chelsea railroad sta
stions as to the Royalton stations.
Will that save you anything In freight
compared with what you are now paying
for freight by teams from South Royalton?
IL so. how much do you think 1t will save
you
This company. also agree that all To-
cal freight they will carry from Chelsea to
Royalton or from Royalton to Chelsea at
cost 10 you of not more than five cents per
hundred pounds.
You now pay from 10 to 10 cents per
hundred either way. Which will you do,
pay only the five cents or continue to pay
10 to 10 cents 7 EF
either way for rs cents. Which would you
rather do, ride In a comforta ole car and
pay % cents, or ride by stage and pay one
dollar
Now how much do you and the people
save il we have a railroad and ride In the
cars
by the car load from Royalton to Chelsea.
How much do you think that amounts
to in year
Eighteen men and firms doing business
In Chelsea village gave me, under their
own names, the amount OF freight on
goods they were buying and selling In one
year, and II foots up 200 tons, besides ioo
tons of coal not included, which will make
1 ,SO6 tons. That freighted by teams from
RoyaIton to Williamstown-the nearest
railroad stations-to Chelsea at an average
cost of ~ Ia cents per hundred, amounts
to s4,515, which the consumers OF these
goods now have to pay each year:
Do you want the people or Chelsea 10
pay, as they are now doing, not less than
Is, 600 for freight each year, or would you
rather bond the town, with the aid OF Tun-
bridge, for $4,000, payable in ten years
with interest annually at per cent, ana
avoid the payment OF % 600 each year Tor
freight by teams.
II the above figures are correct (and l
think they cannot be honestly disputed)
Won will save in freight in ten years, when
the bond falls due, ten times so,Uo or
Now advise taking $1,000 out of the
&. 900 and paying the yearly interest on
the &, 500 town bond The otner Tour
thousand yearly saved would pay toward
our town debt; wnen ina. y
paid would keep enough OF the yearly
r. 900 to pay the bond at maturity and
with the balance we can have Fourth OF
July celebration.
Which will you do. bond the town or
continue to freight by teams as you are
now doing at a cost TO you and me ano
ali consumers of the goods OF notle tnan
&, 900 year.
think you would like to havea railroad
IL il cost you nothing.
I commend your desire not to bond the
town and get us deeper into debt 70 nave
a railroad unless its benefit to the town is
will now ask you, il we do not have
railroad, IL we shall not be obliged 10 con-
tinue to freight by teams just as we are
now doing.
We shall. There is no other way
few questions are row in order.
Would not a railroad here set the wneeis
of business moving, induce people TO come
into Chelsea, increase our grand hse anu
make our taxes less
Hasit not always had that erect In otner
towns? Why not in Chelsea
Would not buildings go up all around
us and trade come in from Vershire, WASH
ington and other towns near us lnsteao OF
going out as it now does Would not our !