Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-03
MAY GET HIS MONEY
CONTINUED From First Page.1

dent, E. P. Usher, of Grafton, who spoke
to the committee for an hour or so in
opposition to the special legislation asked
for If the street railway was to be
built, which Mr.. Usher doubted very
much, it should be obliged to incorpo-
rate under the general law, and not
have the extraordinary privileges sought
for under special act
President Usher called the atteMAon
of the committee to the fact that the
43 miles of the proposed street railway
was already pre-empted by existing
street railways, with the exemption of
short sections between Franklin and
Wrentham, Careyyille and Franklin,
and Grafton and Milford, the latter sec
ton being the longest unoccupied, and
which, the projectors of the street rail-
way company intended, should parallel
the present Grafton and Upton road be-
tween these two points He contended
that the incorporation of the Worcester,
Milford and Woonsocket, with the spe-
cial powers asked for, meant the ami
hilation Of the Grafton and Upton road.
The loss of the passenger traffic would
result in the inability of the road to
meet its charges, and leave it in such
condition that there would not be even
a, dollar for the bondholders, to say
nothing Of the fate of the stockholders.
If the bill for the Incorporation of the
street railway company was enacted, it
meant that the railroad would be forced
to lay down or fight, and in this terri
tory railroad war was an utter abb
| surdity.
President Usher objected to the right
of eminent domain in the bill. This
power was never granted unless there
was public necessity warranting the
same, and il the question of public ne
| cessity was involved, it was for the
| railroad commissioners to act upon it
| The proposed bill was a mere fishing
| bill. Its incorporatorS were given rights
and privileges for a term of three
years, and were obliged to build but a
single mile of road in order to hold these
| rights. The bill was a mere venture,
| and il the road was ever built, there was
a strong probability that 1t would at
once pass into the hands of the New
Jersey Traction Company that held con-
| troll of the Worcester Consolidated
Street Railway. With this charter and
| its rights for three years hanging over
| the head of the Grafton and Upton
Railroad, it would be impossible, to OBJ
tain dollar on securities for the neces-
sary improvements. and maintenance of
| the rolling stock and equipment of the
| railroad. There was nothing in the bill
except drive against the Grafton and
| Upton Street Railroad. The bill offered
v
measure on all boards of selectmen, and
compelled the locations of the railways
| in the towns along the route, whether
the selectmen would grant them or
| not
President Usher read letters from
William Knowlton & Sons, the straw
goods manufacturers of Upton against
the Incorporation Of the proposed street
railway by special act He also read
letter from the Draper machine works
of Hopedale, to the same effect. In
closing, Mr.. Usher stated that the posi-
tion of the Grafton and Upton road was
one of peril, at all events but he op-
posed most strenuously the passage of
bill that gave it's enemies another
knife with which to probe the vitals of
the railroad corporation. If the street
| railway was to be built, it should be
forced to incorporate under the general
! law.
| Col. j. H. Benton, counsel for the New
York, New Haven and Hartford Rail-
road, also opposed the bill He had no
| fear of the proposed railway, but he OBJ
| jected to the wholesale power of emf
nent domain which was sought for by
| the petitioners. He characterized the
bill as an old-fashioned, strategic meas
ure that was desired for purposes that
did not appear in the bill The hear
| ing was then closed.