Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1900-03-15
President Clement of the Rutland
Road Writes an Open Letter
to President futile.
BOSTON & MAINE MONOPOLY
Would Have Complete Control Of New
England If it Could Lease the Fitch
burgh Road Butland Wants
Competing Line For Western
Traffic to Boston.


Rutland, March o.-Ihc Herald, IN mo
morning, VIII pupilsh the 1plO"lhs open
letter from President PerclNal W. Clcm' IL
to Lucius Tuttie, president of the Boston
and Maine Railroad company, REGARDING
the Rutlands opposition to the lease OF
the fttchburg by the Boston ana Md.hr'
Tho facts given concerning the h.gh
freight rates in New England ana inc
reason why they are 50 maintained VIII
interest not only Massachusetts, but al
New England as we'll The letter Iollo"s'
Maine Railroad Company;
Dear Sir-Gou have stated in various
connections that the Rutland railroad or
poses the Fitchburs lease, ana with that
has been the further suggestion that the
Rutland tallroad company, DtlhS a loI-
eipn corporation, deserves no SPECIAL con-
sidetation from the peop.e of Massachu-
sets. You are right in both OF these prop
oSltlonS. Inc Rutland ROAD Goes oppose
this lease, ana IT'S wish as q company Is
entitled to a ilttle respect peheVe, now
ever, mat the interests OF the Rutland
ROAD ana those OF the people OIL Ma-Si-
chusetts, though for different reasons are
us interest TO do so. The Rutland oppoa
1T Tor the same reason, bul you IN laFOr-
ing II stand Tor monopoly ana hlgh lrelsHt
rates, ana in opposing IL slahu loI culli-
petition ana low freight rates
The Rutland Railroad company mas pur-
tween OeucnShuiS ana NalloN- p'ihtS vi Oh
the great lakes; 1t mas also Puf'haaed ana
~ now improving NaIuape terminal taCl-
Hl'eS IN the city OF ChlCaso WIN tHe
complexion oil the Rutlalld-Cahaulah ran
road. 1t VIII own continuous line from
OSdcnsbufg TO Bellows rams ana the
grades OIL mat ROAD are favorable II Will
have the longest water maui ana the snort
est rail- maui from all parts OF the srett
lakes OF any New England line ana l DE.
HeNe IL can denver upon the east sue oL
the Green mountains freight cheaper thdn
any other transportation line 1t desires
TO engage in this business upon large
scale. ana realizes That III oluer to do IN :,
IL must make low rates.
Ia order to handle this traffic II must
reach the consumers IN New England or
| lie ocean at Boston, ana THIS 1t does at
the present time through its connections,
the fltchburg ana the Boston ana Name
with poth OF when companies IL eAcHaHe'9
trtthc at Bellows Falls The railroad sIlu-
alton in New England Is pccullar-dllltr'
eit, as You know, from that OF any o'h"r
part of the United states. The northern
portion OF New England is absolutely con-
trolled by your corporation, the Boston
and Maine, and allied and leased lines
while the southern part is controlled III
the same degree by the New York New
haven ana Hartford company. II Is your
territory with which the Rutland road Is
BtilI'istiiS hiS t'A AAN' > -
so controlled b. you that no freight can
be distributed in it without your cons rnt,
and around that territory you erect a odr-
rier which traffic cannot cross. unless 1T
pays tribute TO your company. II the Rut-
land brings freight to Bellows Falls, dos-
tined for point in your territory, like
Concord or Manchester, it must pay YOU,
in order to make that delivery, an arbi-
trary which is sometimes equal to the
local rate from the point where the traf-
iic reaches your line You may say that
This is an Arrangement between railroa
companies and something in which the
public is not concerned. Such, howcv, +.
is not the case These arbrraries add 10
the total expense Of the service If YOU
will remove your arbitraries, l will reduce
freight rates at once in all your territory,
| and believe that these rates will. from
time TO time. be further reduced. and that
YOUR patrons would receive ncalculabe
benetit from this
As have said. the northern pol ton Of
New ENGLAND is controlled by your com
panv and the southern portion by the
Kew Haven companv. and this embraces
the greater part of the whole territory
The effect Of this monopolv Is seen by
comparing the rates in New ENGLAND with
those in other part, of the United States
In prcparing it's statistical report tho
Interstate commerce commission divide.
tho territory of the United States into Ger
tain erollns where the conditions are sup
/, missed IN no substantially the same Thus
, an New England is embraced in group /
while rroup includes Pcnnsylvania, New
Jersey Delaware and Mary.and anC
croun 3 the States of the middle IVES.
, Tho average rate per ton per m .le in erouI
/ according TO the report of the commits.
sloners for the wear 1905 was l17G cents
, while in group it was gu cents and il
proun g rs
A conparison with the remalniul
the freight rate in New England was high
or than that i'm any other part Of thi.
whole country If now we turn from New
, England as a whole TO its individual svs
1 TENS we find that the rate on the 8ost1.
and Maine during the same time was | 4
, cents per ton per mile. while that upon tn,
New Haven and Hartford was f.5l an,
tbat ,,nn, the IIitchburg 81 from which
\ if annca,s that il was the low rate uput
! ,ro i,itcbbrrp which brought down IN,
c a,.or,oo rate Of New England to allvthin.
4 M, - rr,sonabIa Lowell MS comnared will
thor r,t,e
= We 0,d tberafors fhIs astonishing fact
,,,ot tl,. ratio unon voir system ana TN
= SAL, ,,,,,,, mo N.u Vorl. New Haven an,
0 tTa,.,rnrd systr,n aIthoI,oh we should ok
!, aat tho,,, 10 Ia, a.. low mr. loyyer than mos
r a,,, IN .tbo Irnitcd states are nbsn'uter
n;rhor thnn the rates Maid he nrv otha
v a[,.ion ~ this co,,,tr, Won Iyhers fra III
:. i n,,,nb loss danso ana tho COST of onero
,io, ,,,,cb greater in nronortion
rhat mis- is due ia Tho fact that a mon
t o,loi,' dnes axist in tho territory mnntiou
- IL, Not suscentibIa Of do,,ht Nou ma,