The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-01-19
BERKSHIRE TO BUY
BENNINGTON
RAILWAY
Consolidation Favored by Mas
sachusetts Commission
REPORT HAS BEEN FILED
No Valid Reason for Opposition Pre-
vlded Bay state Interests are
Properly Guarded.

Boston, Jan. l9.-ln a report made
to the state Senate yesterday by the
board OF railroad commissioners, In
answer to the order introduced the
latter part Of last year by Senator
Richmond Of North Adams, the board
declares that it sees no valid reason
why the Berkshire Street Railway
company should not be permitted by
special enactment Of the Legislature
TO purchase the properties and fran
chises of the Bennington and North
Adams Street Railway company
In further answer to inquiries con-
tanned in the Richmond order the
board declares that 1t is convinced
that the existing and established poll
cy of the commonwealth with respect
to keeping separate and distinct the
railroad corporations and street rail
road companies is a system of official
administration entirely consistent
with the public interest
Further the report declares that the
enactment of legislation permitting
the Berkshire company to be acquired
by any form of holding by a street
railroad would not be an exception to
but a violation of the general policy
Of the commonwealth
The report says in part: Special en-
actments have been passed in several
cases authorizing leases between
street railway companies in this COM
monwealth and street railways com
panies in adjoining states. IL II
should appear that such authority is
insufficient to secure corporate al
lance consistent with the public in
terests between the Berkshire and the
Bennington companies, we see no
valid reason why the Berkshire Street
Railway company should not be per
mitted to purchase the property and
franchise of the Bennington and North
Adams company connecting line
over which it now operates its cars.
This authority should be conferred on
ly after fully safeguarding the inter
ests OF Massachusetts,. Complete op-
portunity should be offered, not only
to this but every other street railway
company serving the territory between
the Connecticut river and the New
York boundary to develop this section
OF the commonwealth and no arbitrary
line OF state boundary or fear of inter
state control should prevent develop
ments OF permanent through lines OF
transit
With reference to the keeping separ
ate and distinct the railroad corpora
tions and the street railway COM
panies. the report says: The board Is
OF the opinion that no general iegls-
lation is necessary to change or modi-
" the existing laws as to the rela-
tons between these two classes OF
public servants. Under wise gov
eminent policy the transportation
facilities of the state have been devel-
oped and are constantly being I'M
proved. A prudent conservatism may
we'll refrain from a radical departure
from this policy.
On the question of permitting or
prohibiting any railroad corporation
chartered under the laws OF the com
monyealth to become or continue a
stock holder In the Berkshire Street
Railway company the report says:
There is no occasion for legislation
prohibiting any railroad corporation oil
this commonwealth to become or con
tinue stock holder in the Berkshire
Street Railway company for the rea
son that no authority now exists Dy
law therefor The board is OF the op
inion that no occasion exists for en-
acting special legislation to permit II
The situation in western Massa
chusetts differs entirely from that In
any of the cases where special enact
ments of the general court have per
mitted a closer association between
railroad corporations and street rail
WAYS and presents little that diner
entiates II from that obtaining gener
ally in the commonwealth. The Berk
shire Street railway affords line fol
travel nearly the entire width OF the
state, competing with three steam
railroads and one street railway. II Ii
not exclusively feeder for any o.
these companies, but is competition
OF all OF them.
Private capital can be secured fo
the construction OF additions 10 ah'
extensions of street railways or othe
lines In Massachusetts when soun'
and reasonable public demands exist
The past experience Of Berkshire coui
ty has confirmed this view.
A policy that would legalize the con
troll by steam railroads of this stree
railway. solely upon the ground tina
Il would make n valuable superior II
nancial resource, would also, II car
ried TO its logical conclusions, resul
I'm the control OF all the street rail-
way mileage in the commonwealth D.
.toam railroad corpOratiOns.