Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-09-09
UNION STATION DISCUSSED
Public Service Commission, Rail.
road and Business Men Met.
tailr0ad Nm VIII Formulate Plans
Thcy Are willing 10 Wake for
station Improve me ntx - Meet
Ing Adjourned TO 24th.

| consider the project Of n now union
railroad station, met Friday morn
Ing in the Burlington Commercial
club rooms with G. l.. Soule and G. w.
Writers, representing the Central
vermont railway. n. A. LOOMS. rep
resenting the Champaign Transporta-
ZION company ana Delaware & IIud-
son railorad and a. L. Soncrville. who
WIS appointed by Manager G. r. Jar
WIS to represent the Rutland railroad Il.
/ The state public service commission
and large number of promn cnt
ciiizcns were also present
! Nearly all tho BURLINGTON c,tizcns
present were asked to sneak aud oll
expressed Themselves I'm favor OF a
now station. The meeting was of an
informal nature ana the railroad rep
rcsentativcs. members OF the public
| service commission. members of the
! committee of - and citizens discussed
/ the various phases OF the matter in
nm entirely friendly manner Ar Mr..
! Writer'S stated. the Central Vermont
railway did not wish to nntagonize
the people of Burlington
At the close of tho meeting Attor-
ncy Writer'S suggested that the Rut-
land r"ilroad end Central Vermont
railway people formulate plan Of
the improvcmerts thoy wero willing
to undertake.. to he presented At an
adjourned meeting. This suggestion
mot with the entire approval Of the
public service commission and with
the committee of 10 and the sugges-
ton was made Il resolution The next
meeting will he held IN three weeks
which comes on the cath.
As the petition for a new union
station presented to the public ser
vice commission by the committee OF
10. TO which the names of about I 900
citizens We're signed. was purely an
informal document made to express
the sentiment of tho Burlington pco-
pie in regard to new station. it was
ais" suggested that formal petition
he made out to be presented to the
public service commission. This s,lg-
gestion. however, was dropped in ia
vor Of the suggestion of Mr.. Writer'S
In summarizing the situation at the
close Of the meeting Chairman J. ".
Redmond of The public service COM
mission said that it was evident that
he railroad people realized that the
condition of tive local station was not
all that II should be for the conven-
fence of the public and that they were
willing to improve conditions He
thought IT was for the city to decide
whether 1t wished new station. and
If so as to its location, or whether
they wished to have the present sta
tion repaired. The city should also
decide whether or not II would be
willing TO contribute money towards
the erection of n new station When
the city had thoroughly con WINGED it
self as To these conditions II should
meet the railroad people ard find how
Just what they would do. In tina,
way the two parties could "dicker'
as in horse trade. and If nothing
could be accomplished by that means
then the city should formally intro
duce the business to the public SER
! vice commission
| Elias Lyman. president of the Burling-
ton Traction company, thought that the
city needed a Union station at the foot
% King street. and that an overhead
pass should he built there that boa
pass cnpers and teams could get to the
DICK ot the Champlain Transportation
company without danger of being held
up hr traina He said that the company
he represented was ready to bear its
share Of the expense towards such q pro-
ject should the railroads be disposed to
! take favorable action in such a matter.
lie thought that Burlington had OUT
grown its present station.
In behalf Of the Rutland railroad !. l..
Somcrvill", the local agent of that road,
stated that bis company realized the
needs Of better terminal facilities in Bur
lneton and was willing to help improve
conditions
Mayor Burke IN speaking of tho made
ouacy OF the present station said that
| the three tracks in the station were sit
uated too close together and that some
times the people were crowded between
| trains. He felt sure that Burlington was
growing and that now station should he
erected 10 answer tho needs Of the city
for many years. He also referred to the
congestion of baggage there and to the
blocking 90 the streets by long trains
j. ]. Whaen thought that with new
union station there would be more har-
monlous work between tho two railroads
as to train schedules. etc. He referred
To Central Vermont train leaving the
station Just as Il Rutland train was ar
irving and the injustice caused 10 pas
sengcrs thereby. who were forced to re-
main IN Burlington.
j. L. Southwick SAID that he realized
the conditions that existed with the rail-
roads and did not wish TO make war with
them as the success of the country de-
pended upon the success of the railroads
He described briefly the benefits that
might he derived from a new station
erected between Main and College street,
where passengers might readily have ac-
cess to the docks of the Champlan
Transportation company as well as to
the trains of the two railroads.
Manager ID. A. LOOMS of the Cham
plain Transportation company stated
that he would not care to ask the Della
ware Hudson railroad people to contri-
butte towards building a new station as
he thought that their passenger business
In Burlington did not warrant IT, He
! said that of the entire business done by
| hts company that there was no more
| than II five per cent direct interchange
| between the railroads al burlington. lie
| said that only Ave per cent of the pas
| sengers boarding the boat at Plattsburgh,
| BLUM Point and Gin Maven We're des-
| tined to the two local roads in this city,
| This he thought. was not large enough
| business to warrant the Delaware &
| Hudson railroad people to expend money
| towards securing better accommodations
| for these passengers. Personally he was
| in favor of "A new station.
| T. q ct at hat "a Thought