Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1900-03-09
New England Railroads.

An open letter which deserves the care
full attention of every New England bust
ness man has been written by Percival w.
Clement, president of the Rutland railroad,
to Lucius futile, president of the Boston
a Maine railroad. Mr. Clement starts by
saying the Rutland road opposes the lease
OF the Fitchburg road to the Boston &
Maine. He explains that the Rutland
railroad, on the completion of the Rutland
Canadian railroad, will have through line
from Bellows Falls TO Ogdensburg, and
through its line of steamers from the lat
ter place, will have the longest water haul
and the shortest rail haul from all parts of
the great lakes of any New England line,
and he believes it can deliver upon the east
side of the Green Mountains freight
cheaper than any other transportation line.
The Rutland railroad desires TO engage
in this business upon a large scale, and
realizes that in order to do this it must
make low rates. 1t must reach consumers
in New England, or reach the ocean at
Boston, and this it does through its con-
nectiOns with the Fitchburg and Boston
& Maine railroads, exchanging traffic with
Mr.. Clement says:
"The railroad situation in New England
is peculiar-different, as you know, from
that of any other part Of the United States.
! The northern portion of New England is
absolutely controlled by your corporation,
| the Boston Il Maine, and allied and leased
lines, while the southern part is controlled
in the same degree by the New York, New
Haven and Hartford company. 1t is your
territory with which the Rutland road is
particularly interested. This territory is
so controlled by you that no freight can be
distributed in it without your consent, and
around that territory you erect a barrier,
which traffic cannot cross, unless it pays
tribute TO your company. II the Rutland
brings freight to Bellows Falls, destined
for point in your territory, like Concord
or Manchester, 1t must pay you, in order
to make that delivery, an arbitrary which
is sometimes equal to the local rate from
the point where the traffic reaches your
line. You may say that this is an arrange
ment between railroad companies and
something in which the public is not con
cerned. Such, however, is not the case
These arbitraries add TO the total expense
of the service. If you will remove YOU
arbitraries, l will reduce freight rates al
once in all your territory, and believe thai
these rates will, from time to time, be fur
Their reduced, and that your patrons would
receive incalculable benefit from this"
Mr.. Clement quotes from the interstate
commerce commission report, showing tn,
freight rate per ton per mile in New Eng
land is 1.1I6 cents, in the group compris
ing Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delawar
and Maryland .617 cents, and in the Mid
die and Western states ,579 cents. TIL
freight rate is higher in New England thai
in any part of the country, is las cent
per ton per mile on the Boston d Maine
= 1.51 on the New York, New Haven
Hartford, and 1924 on the Fitchburg
Quoting again from Mr.. Clement:
a "That this is due to the fact that a me
/, nopoly does exist in the territory meI
i. toned is not susceptible of doubt 70
may say that the Boston & Maine road ha
> not, since 1t acquired that monopoly, aC
II vanced freight rates. This is, perhaps, Ii
II orally true but it has prevented that SCI
% tion from obtaining the benefit of the VOL
10 derful decline in freight rates which con
IL petition has secured to every other part {
the country and which would have take
place in the territory which you control
the same competition had full scope ther
Z "This condition of rates cannot but hay
a most baneful effect upon the industri
of New England. Manufacturers in tn