The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-11-22
Milford Street Railway ConTo-
yersy Is to Be Brought Before
the Legislature at the Coming
Session
DIAPERS PROMINENT
AMONG PETITIONERS
It Is Asked That Grafton & Upton
Road, Upton Street Ry., Milford
& Uxbridge, Milford, HolIiston
g. birmingham Street Rail
ways May Operate as One

D Special to The Spy.
Milford, Nov. 21.-A new move on the
part of the men who are interested in the
local street railway situation, especially
that having to do with the construction
of the Upton Street Railway Company s
lime, came to light today, when legal ad-
lvertising, authorized by William M DIN,
secretary of state, was issued, bringing
the whole controversy before the Massa-
chusetts General Court for legislation.
The formal notice was issued today from
the office of the secretary of state and it
means that very important legislation for
Milford railways and the Grafton and
Upton Railroad Company will be asked
for from the Legislature.
The petitioners request legislation to
lauthoriZe the Grafton and Upton Railroad
COMPANY the Upton Street Railway Com
pany, the Milford and Uxbridge Street
Railway Company and the Milford, Hol-
liston and birmingham Street Railway
Company to contract, with reference to
the operation of the railroad and street
railway lines named in one system. The
petitioners further ask that authority be
given either of these corporations to lease
or sell its franchise and property to the
other, and that in case such sale results,
that provision be made for means to pay
the purchase price.
They also ask that authority be given
Ieither of these companies to be COM
Imon carrier of small parcels of goods and
! merchandise, also for the right to carry
mails. The petitioners include Gen. Will
| liam f. Draper, president of the Draper
| Company of Hopedale; his brothers,
George Albert Draper and Eben s. ORA
per, with Eben D. Bancroft, Frank j.
butcher and E. w. Goss, the latter rep
resenting the interests of the rapidly de-
lveloping system of the Milford, Holliston
and birmingham Street Railway Com
| pany.
The clubbing together of the various
companies to secure legislation means
unless the proposition is defeated, that
| the companies named are to be combined
and that under the sanction of the Mas
sachusetts General Court the town Of
| Upton is to have a straight and unbroken
connection by trolley with all sections of
the state
The legislation, while asked for as a
general benefit to ALL is intended espe-
cially to make possible a connection at
| Upton through about three rods of pri-
lVate land near Brook Street In that town.
The controversy over this private land in
| Upton as to the operation of q trolley
line over it, with reference to the con-
nection of steam and electric lines, was
aired at a hearing before the railroad
commissioners at Boston.
Favorable action on this petition means
that the whole general system Of the in
terested roads is to be notably benefited.
1t is a foregone conclusion that the old
| Grafton and Upton steam road is to be
run electrically very soon, for the line is
now nearly all equipped. All that the
petitioners ask in this respect is that the
railroad and street railway companies be
allowed to make contracts, one with the
other, to operate these lines. Then If the
Legislature permits one may lease or sell
to the other. At present there are only
two interests involved-the interests Of
| the Diapers in the Grafton and Upton
and Upton Street Railway lines and of
the syndicate now controlling the Milford,
Holliston and birmingham and the Mil
ford and Uxbridge lines.
The present petition does not, in sense,
refer to the private land controversy OF
Brook Street in Upton, but it is supposed
that it bridges over the difficulty. Chair
man James F. jackson of the railroad
commission ruled at the time of the hear
ing against the Upton Street Railway
| Company. He did, however, in making
the suggestion that legislation was nee
essary, say that while the board did not
and could not approve of the operation of
steam and electric cars over the same
rails, the board had often ruled that the
rails of one line might go up against the
rails of another line and that the cars OF
one company might pass over the rails or
another company"
| The Legislature, it is expected, VIII
enact legislation that will comply with
| the requests of the petition headed by
| Gen Draper. Then, with contracts,
| leases or "sales" the entire system can
be operated according to law. This is
| matter involving the street railway his
tory of the biggest part of southern Wor-
| cester County.