The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1906-10-18

TOO LITTLE
Vermont railroads Practice
Abuses On People
THEIR APPRAISAL LOW
State Railroad Commissioners Recon-.
mend That the Corporations Be Sub
jugated, and That They Run
for the People.

The tenth biennial report Of the yer-
mont railroad commissioners which was
made public today, contains call for
more regulation of The railroad systems
ID the state and declares that the ap-
praisai Of railroad property i too low
IN Vermont. On the former assertion
the commissioners, Fuller c. Smith Of
st. Albans, Henry $, Brigham Of Ben
nington and George 2. Howard Of
Cfaftshnry, make+the following state.
nent eThe railroad a means III
transportation cannot exist without
special rights and privileges which the
state, and the state alone, can give.
No railroad 81 any considerable length
could be constructed without govern
mental aid III conferring upon the cor.
porate Organization the right TO take
lands for rights Of way and for Gen.
cral railroad purposes. Ii Il Mere not
for this right, any person owning land
across which ii became necessary to
I'bniid sthe road could prevent its con
struction by refusing 10 sell the required
right of way. No other person. com.
pany or corporation enjoys these spec,
isl privileges and III return for them
the state or the government retains the
right To regulate and control the cor-
poration to which II gave life. A duty
Is imposed upon the corporation 10 80
manage its business and operate its road
AZ to subserve, in every reasonable way,
the interests and rights OF the people
who constitute the state,
But sooner or later the railroad
changes hands new persons come into
possession and ownership Of it it is
consolidated with some railroad organ
ized in another state and becomes 4
part Of q larger system With these
ricissitudes the state loses. in 4 meas
ufe its disposition 10 regulate and con.
trpl, and the railroad parts with some
I portion of its respect for the states
4 interests Abuses gradually arise which
conflict with the rights OF the people
and tile line in Vermont. generally an
nnimpoltant part Of a great system. il
made IN contribute 70 the earnings and
advancement Of the larger corporation I'd
The manifest detriment of it, patrons
here Ht home The plain duty of thc
I state Is to demand al all times reason.
4 able facilities fair rates. good service
and ample protection from all railroads
operating wholly or partly IN Vermont
Tn the matter Of appraisal Of rail
road property the commissioners report
"The commercial valne of the railroads
of Vermont j. placed at S3T,3t1 10000
4 This valuation Is arrived at In most iii.
stanees BIZ eapitalizing the nef earnings
of individual railways and railway avs.
TENS. Income ~ railway corporations
from investments IN property not used
/ in the business Of transportation was
excluded and the capitalization fixed was
confined 10 operating income This
4 method results in valuation per mile
OF road III Vermont Of only s35.t0000
while in New Hampshire the valuation
per miIe 81 read il 500 10000; in Mas
seclnfsetts Sl1s,0n0.0n, IN Connecticut
&0s. .5n0a0s IN Maine. s9g.6aa.oc.
Judged by this standard Of valua.
ton aud compared with other states
I in the eastern section Of the United
States. the appraisal per mile Of line in
4 Vermont is very low But the larger
I systems 81 our state ARE very important
L
4 ing or controlling them. and III this
1 view represent much large value than
Z Indicated by an estimate based upon the
capitalization OF net earnings. The ay.
cfaac commercial value per mile for the
entire country is S52.60000y
Thep report also that a petition for
gates and ilagmen has been received from
citizens Of Rutland; better depot facili-
ties IN Fair Haven for new depot AZ
Banonsyille; new depot at Alhurgh; for
condemnation and appraisal Of right oi
way by the Bennington and North Ad.
ANS Street Railway company protection
Z Fairfield. Randolph and Berlin. There
i now pending before the board among
other petitions another petition OF i'm
portanee,p which has not vet been heard
4 and determined. "from numerous citi.
zens oil Barre. asking for improved de-.
pot facilities on The Central Vermont
railway At that point
The Barre & Montpelier electric rail
way is in "fair condition. same as The
1 Brattleboro and Bellows Falls and Sax
1 tons River systems, while the Rutland
i burlington. Military Post and Spring
! field systems Continue 90 be the hest
examples Of their kind 10 the state, and
are being maintained and operated il
a satisfactory manner
They recommend that grade crossing.
be abolished. few each year. but not
as to burden the companies