Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1905-09-08
ADVOCATES A CHANGE.
John Calvin Says Something Must BE
Done to Keep Street Railroad out Of
Hands OF Bondholders.

hands OF Bondholders.
Editor of Phunix:-
II is with a good deal of reluctance that
/ send this communication to The Phm-
nix, but the erroneous statements given
in your report of the trolley road meeting
compel me in justice to myself to say a
word. l will not submit or allow any
such falsehoods to go uncontradicted when
/ know the source from whence they
come. Mr.. Jones's statement that he had
been unable up to Monday afternoon to
have his accounts audited Is absolutely
and unqualihedly false He never asked
or offered me his accounts to audit Mon
day, the 2Sth, when on my way from din
ner, Mr.. Jones got off a car in front Of
the Vermont National bank and had
started in that direction when l hailed
him and asked him If he had any books
or accounts that were ready to audit. He
said If l wanted them he would send them
down, which he did about half past two
1t was not my business to chase around
after any of the accounts. 1t was his
business to notify me when they were
ready. This he did not do.
There is nothing in Mr.. Jones's ac-
counts to audit, simply to correct a few
clerical errors on the conductors slips
and for the following reasons: Mr.. Jones
has the key to the car register. The con-
ductors turn in the car slips and the cash
over to Mr.. Jones, who settles the cash
with the car registers, and when this is
done turns over the cash to the treas
urer 1t is simply folly and n waste of
money to go over 400 or 1900 car slips
to verify anything. The conductors
should turn over the cash to the treas
urer and the car slips to Mr.. Jones or bet
ter yet to the auditor and then there
would be something to audit. When one
man has the whole combination. how is
the other fellow going TO get in?
Eight years ago, Mr. Jones, without
any experience, took the management of
the road. At that time two dividends had
been paid and another declared. The
stock was worth about $50. Today 1t
would be necessary to get out a search
warrant to find someone who would pay
anything for it. Every annual meeting
has brought forth glowing promises of
what would be done the coming year
After eight years Oft was an unusu-
ally cold winter, lots Of snow to handle
broken engines. cold spring and summer"
etc.,--isnt it about time to drop such eX-
cuses? The income OF $4,000 a year ought
to run two cars, keep the road in first
class repair. pay all the expense OF run
ming the Centreville folly, and leave a
snug lite balance.
The past year shows that the road went
about $1,000 into a hole. How much Of
this, aside from the paving of the Main
street HILL was used for any other than
necessary repairs? The contract with the
town is that the expense Of maintaining
the road bed for distance OF two feet
outside each rail shall be borne by the
railroad company. II the proverbial chap
who is looking for a place where the
stones are loose and the dogs tied down
should visit Main street hill he would
find ample protection. Who knows but in
a year or two the town will be asked to
pay part Of the paving expense as they
did on the Main street bridge? A radical
change Is needed II the road is to be kept
Respectfully.
JOHN CALVIN.
September 6. 1905