Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1910-11-17
FOR AND AGAINST
BURLINGTON BILL

Montpelier, Nov. 1.-the general COM
mitteo gave hearing this even
ing on the till asked for by
the city of Burlington to give the
Public Service commission power to or
der the construction of a new station
there. Burlington was represented by
Mayor Burke, City Attorney Villas and
Alderman Cowles and the railroads inter-
ested by the same attorneys who have
appeared for them at previous hearings.
The representatives presented a substi-
tute bill, in the main like the one pre-
viously offered. but giving the railroads
power Jointly to take land for a station
and the right to run over each others
tracks to reach union station.
For tho Central Vermont road judge
Powers said that tho bill should contain
provision that the public Service commits
sion should have power to apportion tho
cost Of land ms well as the cost Of build
ing ana the arportioning Of portion of
inc cost OF station to the city. It should
also include the land. He also proposed
new section TO tho bin which would give
the right of appeal from n decision by
the Public Service commission direct to
the supreme Court. which should have
chahcery power instead Of to n court Of
chanccry, as now provided by the general
law.
In general Judge Powers protested
against giving the public Service com
mission such great power as the bill
contemplated 1t was dangerous TO
compel two railways to build union
station whore they already have ono
that they consider adequate for their
needs AS matter of public policy
no ala not consider 1t right to take
any street and use It for the site of
Etat>n. The LEGISLATURE should go
s!o" iii imposing a burden on the rail-
roads that was not just or fair.
In his remarks Judge Powers said
that the Central Vermont railroad was
little surprised to find that the Rut-
land road. which il had considered a
co-dcfendant. had apparently Topped
over to the other side and minated
that the bill presented by the repre-
sentatives of burlington had been pre-
pared by the attorneys of the Rutland
road. This was emphatcally denied
by Mr.. Lawrence Of the Rutland road.
Mr.. Villas told the committee that
pla ed where every town In the State
on the line of n railroad was with
the right, If conditions existed which
should 10 remedicd. to get relief from
the Public Service commission This
was now apparently denied Burling-
ton and all 1t asked was the =, ua
RIGHTS that Bolton or Ferrisburg had.
They We're not asking for a station to
beauty the >city nor We're they actuated
by reasons Of sentiment, rs Judge Pow
ors had claimed. They did not even know
what kind Of a station the public service
commission would order or even If it
would order any. Whatever was ordered
the city stood ready to bear such share
OF costs rs the public service commission
should deem right and just.
Mayor Burke and Alderman Cowles
also spoke briefly Of the conditions that
now existed in burlington. the mayor
urging the committee to bear in mind
that in this matter they were not asked
to lcgislate for the city of Burlington
alone but for the whole State and the
travelling public in general.
Tho Impression is that the committee is
faNorabiy disposed toward the bill. The
same committee will give hearing next
Monday on Senator Buffers bill to COM
pei tho pull tcation Of railroads time
tables in the newspapers on which all
the railroads desire a hearing