The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-06-04
FRANK B. HOWE. Bditsr and Publisher
TWO SIDES OF THE STORY

ed an article from the Rutland Herald
on the condition of the railroading
business. 1t is an excellent presen'
tation of the case from the railroad
point of view The editor of the Her
aid is a graduate from the railroad
service and the Herald, through Mr.
Clement, it's principal owner, has al
ways been closely affiliated with the
railroad business. Moreover there is
a good deal of truth in what the Her
aid says, but it is not the whole story
There is another side of the case.
Take the Rutland railroad for illus
tration, not because it is a serious
offender, but because it is handy by
and we are all more or less familiar
with it. 1t was bought a few years
ago by the New York Central and has
since been run as branch of that
system. We do not know that the
price paid for the road was eXorbitant
but supposing it was, it ought not to
be incumbent on the patrons of that
road, the business interests of west
ern Vermont, to pay charges that will
yield a profit on such exorbitant
valuation.
The company is entitled only to
collect charges that will pay the rea-
sonable running expenses of the road
and a low rate of interest on stock to
the amount of a fair valuation of the
property. Charges other than these
go to fat up some capitalists pocket
book and are unjust. We do not be-
lieve in government ownership Of
railroads at the present time, but we
do believe that the government, state
or national, has the right and ought
to enforce It of scrutinizing every de-
tail of railroad business, knowing
what the income is and Where the
money goes Knowing this, through
some proper tribunal, the government
should protect the rights of the rail
road corporation on the one hand
and the rights of the public on the
other
The Herald says seldom, if ever,
is the public fair to the railroad"
This is probably true, but it is
equally true that seldom, If ever, is
the railroad fair to the public The
railroads are almost wholly at blame
for the hostility of the public toward
them, and it is the exception when
they do not deserve all tne hostility
that is directed toward them. They
deserve it for their persistently dis
courteous and unfair treatment of the
public for which there is no excuse.
When a train is long overdue at a
station and the station agent refuses
to answer a civil question as to it,;
when a merchant receives a box of
goods that has been broken open and
several dollars worth of property
taken out and in trying to make a
protest and enter claim is told to
''go to hell; when his claim is finally
entered and is pigeonhold by the
| company's employees who refuse to
answer letters and payment of just
claim is deferred for months and even
| years; when conductors and trainmer
are CURLY insolent TO timid and mex
! perienced passengers; when crews O
freight trains deliberately blocl
farm and other crossings when the!
could almost as easily stop at on,
side; when in all these and hundreds
of other cases railroads do not us,
ordinary decency in dealing with tn,
public they and their friends have n,
justification for complaint becaus
the attitude of the public toward raj
roads is always hostile. Let then
take the beam out of their own eye
and there will be no trouble with tn
mote in the eye of the public.
The public is always willing an
giad TO make ALLOWANCE for reason
able errors and omissions when tn
matter is placed fairly where it cal
be understood. The railroads have
in their own power to take ava,
three-quarters of the hostility of tn
public any time they choose.
The railroads are, it is true. ex
posed to unreasonable damage suit
over trivial things, but they hav,
brought upon themselves the condi
ton responsible for the uniforml,
heavy verdicts against them. B,
persistent mistreatment of the public
for a long term of years the railroad,
have educated a class of Jurors int
unconscious prejudice against rail
road corporations. 1t is well under
stood that most of the best lawyer.
are retained directly or indirectly b,
the railroads. This compels litigants
against the railroads often to employ
young or inexperienced lawyers and
/