The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-05-14
MR.. DEAvITr REPLIES.


extracts from letter Written DF Tres
j. Y. Davidson Of the Consolidated Light.
ing company TO the Barre city council
criteizing certain "false statements
made BY Pres. r. M, Cory Of the Barre
land Montpelier Traction and Power com.
pany and myself concerning ME company
at a recent meeting Of the Barre city
council A lawyer dislikes TO try bis
cases in the newspapers or parade the
private business affairs Of his clients IN
/ public but as these criticisms relate
Ia matters OF public interest, / would
like the use OF a little space IN yonr
paper in which to reply and, in view Of
the fact that Mr. Davidson and myself
before this time have failed TO remember
alike conversation which has occurred
between us concerning the matter Of
power and Of power contracts between
our companies, | shall decline now 70
make any statement which Is supported
by my word alone.
At the council meeting In question:
at which meeting five Of the directors OF
the traction company were present at
the request of the city council to discuss
proposed extension Of the electric rail-
road, / explained the situation Of our
company and stated that while we found
the road in good condition when we pur-
chased we then had in mind q regular
plan for improvement in the following
order; road-bed additional equipment
and extension; that we had been i'm,
proving the road bed and would have had
more additional equipment before this
time but for the fact that we had had
to pay an increase Of rs per cent. in
power the first year and further in
crease Of 25 per cent. the second year,
SO that we had been compelled TO build
power plant and in addition, had eN.
pended $4,000 In a brick building and
new electrical machinery at the car barn
and $4,000 in the pitkin Farm for
park purposes, had raised the wages Of
our employees s per cent, 50 that The
traction company was not yet in nich
condition that it should be ordered 20
make the extension requested by the
petitioners, and l ask the city council
to take these matters into consideration
in taking action.
The only statements made By me re-
garding the Consolidated Lighting com.
pany were upon the matter Of power
increase and you now quote Mr. David
son as saying that the electric road had
been getting the power at "a prohibi.
| lively low rate" which. TO be exact, was
fat rate Of $500 per month or $4,000
per year, and the contract expired June
/ 1907, within q month after Dir Cory
and bis associates purchased the electric
railroad. For the year ending June 30,
1908, the road paid TO the Consolidated
Lighting company for power SsA45, and
during nine months following s8,633.53,
OF at the rate OF more than $1,000 per
year. It viii be seen by these figures
| that my remarks were well within the
facts and for accommodation" in March
while we were temporarily disabled on
account Of a leak in one o. our trans
formers and before Our machine IN the
Consolidated station had been moved,
we paid S4l75 for a few hours service
Pres. Davidson says 1--WE have always
treated them (meaning usl with the ut
most courtesy and accommodated them
them in many ways" II is true that
VIE have never come TO blows and we
have receiyd such courtesy and accom-
mediation as is consistent with a most
extortionate contract and about the kind
Of courtesy and accommodation that a
usluer shows when he loans money 70
man who needs it at the rate Of 10
per cent. per annum.
Just word as to the reasonableness
OF rates. II anyone viii take the trou-
bic TO examine the reports Of the railroad
commissioners Of Vermont to compare
the rates paid by electric railroads in
Burlington and other places. where the
electric power IS manufactured by water
as here, instead Of BY steam as in some
other places. II viii be found that $4,000
per year ID not low rate for the power
required by our electric railroad. And
an inspection Of the books Of The rail
road shows that when the road was
operated on a meter basis by the Viles
plant, the rate was less than $4,000 per
year, and there were as many cars run
ming then at one time as during the
last two years And under the contract
which the traction company has made
with the Cory. Daavitt Frost Electric
company, the rate is less than the Yiles
rate referred to and one which with
its other business, produces a reasonable
return to the electric company on the
money invested.
Pres. Davidson speaks Of the $4,000
which would have been put into the elec-
trio railroad in improvements and extern
sions had his parties purchased 1t instead
Of Mr. Cory and his associates. II is
now very easy for him to say what he
might have done. but If we assume chat
he might have worked as rapidly as he
has worked supplying additional power
to quarriss and stone.steds since 1t first
became necessary for the Consolidated
Lighting company to shut down quarries
and stone sheds one and two days d week
in the summer time, and thereby cause a
loss of thousands of dollars to the men
who had invested their money in these
industries, we can conjecture that some
time in the millennium these improve.
ments might possibly have been made
to the electric railroad And then ii /
would probably have meant increasing
the stock Of the electric railroad 10
81 100000 and the bonded debt 10 $780,
600, and also have meant what is more
important to the public, increased fares
for the public to pay The owners of
the electric railroad do not claim that I
Just at this time their road is the best I
piece of property III the United States.
They are alive to the need Of improve
ments and are procuring them as fast as
will allow, but taking the
road as it is to-day, it compares favor
ably with many electric railroads in some
larger places and there are few roads
in New England which have their cleo.
trieai machinery and storage battery at
the carbarn in as good condition as ours.
The remarks Of Pres. Cory in addition
to the foregoing called attention to the
new electric plant and to the service it
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