The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1910-04-15
New Haven and Grand Trunk.

The Southern New England railroad
charter bill, designed to afford the Grand
Trunk am entrance into Providence 10y the
way of Palmer. Webster, Woonsocket ana
pawtucke,. passed the Rhode Island house
THURSDAY last, without dissenting vote,
and has gone TO the senate. The form OF
the measure has been much altered, now.
ever. since il was first introduced, several
points OF dispute between the Grand Trunk
and New Haven having been decided IN the
New Uayen's favor. The bill provides
that the Grand Trunk may make use OF
New Ravens tracks al points where such
use shall I've deemed necessary and may
required 20 operate Its trains IN the Union
station at Providence, by paying reason
able compensation Tor these privileges;
but il contains no provision Tor the Grahd
Trunk to use New Haven freight yards, as
was first proposed. The Grand Trunk Is
required to operate its trains III the lhloh
passenger station by electricity whenever
the New Haven shall install an electrical
system at that point. Ii is stipulated that
the Grand Trunk shall not cross highways
at grade in any city nor cross state road
at grade; permission for the grade crossings
must be obtained from the towns affected.
While these restrictions are more severe
than those applying to the New Haven road
at present in respect to grade crossings,
there is no question that the continuance
OF such crossings is against public policy
and no doubt the New Haven will itself be
forced TO Weld in this respect IN the near
future The bill is criticised in that II gives
the adjudication in grade crossing cases to
the town councils rather than to the courts,
and also because II compels the proposed
line to pass through Pawtucket and yet
enter the Union station from the west.
However it is understood the Grand Trunk
will proceed with its plan, and that II IT
shall develop that some of the features OF
the charter are impractical, that company
will ask for changes, relying on an exhlbl-
ton of good faith on its own part to bring
reasonable concessions from the legislature.
Meanwhile the New Haven, incensed at
the so-called invasion of its territory by the
Grand Trunk. has taken steps towards free
ing itself from that company in respect to
the tracks of the Central Vermont, which
the two systems use in common, above
Bratteboro. Advices from Brattleboro
say that Boston & Maine engineers are
busy in that town making plans for a
double-track road to connect Brattleboro
with Hinsdale, on the Ashuelot branch,
thus enabling Boston 4 Maine trains to be
run between South Vernon and Brattleboro
without touching Central Vermont iron.
A similar course will be pursued, it is said.
in respect to the link between Windsor and
White River junction, which is to be span
ned by laying new tracks from Windsor
across the river and northerly to West Le-
banon to meet the line approaching White
River Junction from Concord.
This plan will solve the problem, so far
as the New Haven is concerned, but will
leave the Grand Trunk dependent on the
New Haven for the use of the Boston &
Maine tracks between Brattleboro and
Windsor, difficulty not easy of solution,
apparently, owing to the closeness with
which the riverbank on the west side is
fanked by steep hills in the vicinity of
Brattleboro. The efforts to disentangle the
two systems in the Connecticut valley will
be watched with good deal of interest, be
cause of the bearing on the general ques-
ton whether the arrangements are to CO.
operate and maintain friendly terms or
enter upon state of warfare which might
bring a reduction of rate, temporarily at
least, but which would also be apt to sub
ject the public to various annoyances
Whether the New Haven is now convinced
that the Grand Trunk actually intends to
build the Providence connection, or
whether it still sees in this movement a
plan to win concessions elsewhere from the
New Haven which would be to the Grand
Trunks advantage, the New Haven at
least seems disposed to make itself as IN
dependent as possible of its rival