Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1906-10-12
ORDER DIsGUsTs LUMBERMEN.
Allowed Only Two Days in Which to
Load Cars without Paying Demurrage.


Lumbermen and shippers generally
in the West river valley, between Brat
: tleboro and South Londonderry, says
the local correspondent of the Spring
field Republican, are much incensed
; over an order issued this week by the
West River railroad company, shorten.
ing by 80 per cent. the time of excmp-
ton from demurragc charges for freight
ears. They have not yet had time to
formulate protest or petition for a
restoration of the former schedule, but
it is probable that something of the
kind will be done within a short time.
Heretofore shippers have had four days
in which to load ears without the pay.
ment of demurrage charges, BY the
order referred to the time has been
cut to two days, and under conditions
which exist in the West river valley it
is practically impossible to load car
in that time.
The change is regarded by shippers
ms entirely arbitrary and unwarranted,
although the railroad company claims
that it was made because of the general
scarcity of cars, which it is said exists
throughout the country. They consid-
er the conditions in this respect worse
now than they were when the old mar
row gauge road was in operation. Then
it was known just about what could be
expected in the way of ears, as ii was
impossible to use the narrow ears on
the main line. When the road was
changed to standard gauge shippers
were assured that more cars would be
available, but now, according to q we'll
known lumberman, it often is necessary
to wait two or three weeks for ears,
and it is not uncommon for the rail-
road company to allow ears to stand |
several days on the track after they |
have been loaded.
Many of the shippers in the West /
river valley live several miles from the
railroad, and are able to make but two
trips a day with lumber. This makes
it impossible for them to load ears in
two days without putting on extra
teams, and often the ears are not on
hand when promised, which makes it
necessary for the shippers to pile their
lumber on the ground and wait until
the cars show up. Others, who have
not the extra teams, are accustomed to
piling their lumber anyway so that
when the ears arrive they can be load.
ID quickly, but this means handling
he lumber over twice, as the sidings
IN most instances are so located that
shippers cannot pile near the track, and ,
% have to reload and haul to the cars.
They consider that four days was no
more time than was needed in which
o do this work, and they feel that to ,,
re limited to two days is a positive J..
When the Brattleboro and
Whitehall company. which owned the
Id narrow gauge road, agreed not to y,
ght the New London Northern com. N,
any petition for foreclosure of its
Mortgage on the little road, the Central =
'ermont railway company, which con :,
rolls the West River road agreed not Y
My to make the road over on stan :
ard gauge lines and give the Brat y
Ieboro and Whitehall company a GER =
ain amount of Central Vermont rail i
-ay bonds, but to maintain and oper- q
tie the new road in reasonable way y
Or the accommodation of the business r
f the West river valley. The interests 1
{ shippers and the welfare of Brattle- y
ORC as the southern terminus of the -
Vest River road demand that this q
yreement be enforced. ~