Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-12-11
BURLINGTON'S PUBLIC WHARF
Hearing before the Joint COMMITTEES on
Comprehensive Different Inter
ests Vel Represented.

Montpelier, Dec. 9.--Probably no hear
ing has been held this session before the
Joint committee on corporations that has
attracted so much attention and interest
as did the one tonight on the Senate bill
granting the city of Burlington the right
10 build aid maintain a public wharf. The
fun committee from the Senate and House
was present.
Representative Vincent of Burlington
said so much had beer said in the press
of lobby in the House and Senate in op-
position to this bill, he had several weeks
ago asked the chairman of the House
committee to inform him if any one gave
notice of opposition to the bill. Chairman
STAFFORD OF the House committee in an
sWer TO a question said no such notice had
been sent to him. The Senate had re-
coived notice of desire to be heard,
however. as opposition TO the bill in its
existing form was developed.
city Attorney II. =. Brown said he
brought this bill TO MONTPELIER and had it
introduced at the request Of the city coun-
Gil Of Burlington. He was here tonight
IL the interests of the city and that coun-
ell The project is backed by the city of
burlington and by a large part OF the
voters of that city. Until opposition TO
the bill was shown he had nothing more
to say.
4 proposition OF amendment was at this
point submitted that the bill be amended
after the word court in the last line Of
section one to add these words But Moth
ing in this act shall be held to affect any
prosecution or suit now pending in any
court For few minutes 1t looked as
though no one would address the commit
tee either in favor of or against the bill
{. f.. Jones of burlington said ho knew
the people of Burlington were in favor
or the bill but some of the voters objected
to any feature of the bill that would affect
any one part OF the city more unfavorably
than any other
CHAMPLAIN TRANSPORTATION
COMPANYS CASE.
A. G. Whittemore said: THE Cham
plain Transportation company has never
raised any opposition to the city of Bur-
ilngton getting LEGISLATION to maintain n
dock If II wants TO- 1T has been made to
appear that the Champlain TRANSPORTATION
company has been in opposition to this
bill, but there is nothing of the kind. [
want to state it again as l have before to
the board Of aldermen, that we are not
4 opposed TO this effort on the part Of the
city.
II want TO call your attention to what
the Champlain Transportation company
has done in the city of burlington from
1927 down to the present time. 1t has been
done at their own expense and we have
never asked any aid from burlington. All
we asked was the right to conduct our
business in our own way and at our own
expense. We have "A dock at the foot of
King street that cost 100000 About 20
years ago We purchased the Nye dock and
nl!ed 1t up. You understand that the
lake shore below low water mark is owned
by the State of Vermont and not by the
city of burlington nor by individuals.
In front of this property now owned by
the Champlain Transportation company
was an old dock that has been used since
about 1880. This was on land which was
owned and controlled by the State of Yer
mont. We occupied them until we believed
we had acquired rights. The dock becom-
ing too small the Champlain Transporta-
ton company and the Shepard & Morse
Lumber company filled in between the
II and the dock. over 20 years ago we
constructed a very fine dock at our own
expense which believe neither this board
OF aldermen, the Free Press nor anybody
else wishes to have disturbed.
I'VE are pretty happy family down
there. The city of Burlington has never
paid one cent Of dockage there and the
people Of Burlington appreciate what the
Champlain transportation company has
done.
king street was originally the land
that ran clear to the waters edge. The
railroad companies filled in along the
waters edge and laid their track. They
have made all these fills at their own
expense. The Legislature then passed an