Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1906-10-12
n PHOENIX, BRATTLEBORO. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12 1906.
COMPLAINTS From LuMsERMEN.
Time Allowed for Demurrase to shippers
Shortened to TWO Days on the West
River Railroad,

Time Allowed for Demurrase to Shippers
Shortened to Two Days on the West
River Railroad.
Lumbermen and shippers generally in
the West river valley, between Brattle-
boro and South Londonderry, are much
incensed over an order issued this week
by the West River Railroad company,
shortening by so per cent the time Of
exemption from demurrage charges for
freight cars. They have not yet had time
to formulate a protest or a petition for a
restoration Of the former schedule, but Il
is probable that something Of the kind
VIII be done within a short time. Hereto
fore shippers have had four days in which
to load cars without the payment Of de-
murrage charges BY the order referred
under conditions which exist in the West
river valley It is practically impossible to
load a car in that time.
The change is regarded by shippers as
entirely arbitrary and unwarranted al
though the railroad company claims that
1t was made because Of the general scar
city Of cars, which IL Is said exists
throughout the country. They consider
the conditions in this respect worse now
than they were when the old narrow
gauge road was in operation. Then It
was known just about what could be ex-
pected In the way Of cars, as II was Inn
possible to use the narrow cars on the
main line. When the road was changed
20 standard gauge shippers were assured
that more cars would be available, but
now, according to a well known lumber
man. 1t often is necessary to walt two or
three weeks for cars and II Is not I'M
common for the railroad company to allow
cars 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 IL impossible
for them to load cars In two days with
out putting on extra teams, and often
the cars are not on hand when promised,
which makes Ii necessary for the shippers
to pile the lumber on the ground and wait
until the cars show up. Others, who have
not the extra teams, are accustomed to
piling their lumber any way so that when
the cars arrive they can be loaded quickly,
but this means handling the lumber over
twice, as the sidings in most Instances
are so located that shippers cannot pile
near the track, and so have to reload and
haul to the cars. They consider that four
days was no more time than was needed
in which to do this work, and they feel
that to be limited to two days is n posi-
tive hardship. When the Brattleboro
& Whitehall company, which owned the
old narrow gauge road agreed not to
tight the New London Northern COM
pany's petition for a foreclosure OF its
mortgage on the little road, the Central
Vermont Railway company which con-
trolls the West River road, agreed not
only to make the road over on standard
gauge lines and give the Brattleboro and
Whitehall company a certain amount OF
Central Vermont railway bonds, but to
maintain and operate the new road in a
reasonable way for uhe accommodation Of
hIIginaqQ NJ n
The interests of the shippers and the
welfare OF Brattleboro as the southern
terminus OF the West River road de-
mand that this agreement be enforced.
-IBrautleboro letter in Springfield Sun
day Republican.