Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1906-10-19
GIVE THE LAW TEETH"
The state Railroad Commissioners Make
Report that Says Something.

The report of the railroad commission,
made public at Montpelier yesterday is
by no means a perfunctory document.
On the contrary 1t calls the existing sit
uation by its right name, shows how inn
potent the railroad commission is under
the present law, and says that in past
years railroad influence has been able to
smother all attempts to give the commits
sion any mandatory force. In the plain
est terms the report condemns the pres
ent New York Central management OF
the Rutland railroad for its course in de-
fying or multiplying all attempts Of the
commission to compel that road to pro-
tect the people in the use Of the high
WAYS. to furnish reasonable depot facili-
ties. and to serve the public properly in
other ways.
Severe criticism is made upon the fact
that the state has neglected to put any
suitable restraint on the way in which
electric railroad schemes have been or
are financiered in Vermont and the very
plain statement is made that:
1.-TWO years ago this commission pro-
cured the introduction of a measure
similar to the Massachusetts, law upon
this subject and the influence of inter-
ested persons was successfully exerteo
to prevent the passage of the Dill.
After citing specific instances of the
Rutland railroads refusal to comply with
orders or recommendations of the COM
mission-notably it's contest of the order
to provide a station and station agent at
Bartonsville. and it's refusal to establish
proper means for the protection of the
public, especially at grade crossings-the
commissioners say:
IF the influence of the Rutland RAN
road company at the capitol is to defeat
all legislation calculated to promote and
protect the people in the use OF the
highways of the state and calculated to
furnish reasonable and needed depot
facilities, then the plain duty OF the
general assembly is to abolish the rail-
road commission and abandon its right
10 regulate the railroad corporations
which II has created and permit them
10 prey without restraint upon the peo-
pie and menace without hindrance the
lives of those who travel upon our
| highways"
The report suggests certain changes IN
the law which are needed to give the or
| ders of the commission proper effect, and
Il
1t then says:
But in its present state there are
no teeth in the law and railroads may
| refuse to obey the orders OF the
commission with impunity and ac-
| cept the large chance of eventually
escaping altogether"
Finally, the responsibility for the weak
ness and ineffectiveness of the law as II
now stands is placed where it belongs II
the following paragraph:
.sIt has been claimed that the rail
road commission is a useless and ex'
| pensive adjunct of the state govern
j ment. But the railroad commission Is
| Just what the general assembly has made
| IL. II the legislative authority yield:
| supinely to the unfortunate influence ol
| railroad representatives outside the greer
baize doors of the legislative halls anC
| permits this influence to dictate nov
| impotent a railroad commission shall be
| then the fault is with those who constl
| tute the law making body. The inevi
| table consequence is that the people mus
| suffer the outrageous inconvenience o
| railroad travel, lack of proper connec
| tions between trains of different systems
| inadequate facilities at railroad stations
| DELAYS in the adjustment of differences
| dangers at highway grade crossings, In
secure and improper management of cleo
trio railways, lack of farm crossings, ant
MANY other failures to reasonably pro
mote the safety, security, and con
venience of the public"