The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1910-07-01
The Grand Trunk Controversy.

| Seldom has q more acrimonious contro'
versy developed than that between the
Grand Trunk Railroad and the New
Haven Railroad system, over. which the
railroad commissioners will resume hear
ings on the Goth, in reference TO the
stretch of new track proposed to connect
Palmer with Providence. Such road
will clearly be built The question of
public necessity and convenience" upon
which the railroad commissioners first
have TO pass will be promptly answered
in the affirmative. The real issue before
them is TO decide to which road the priv
ilcge shall be granted. The New Haven
will build only in case il can build alone,
while the Grand Trunk has asserted.
through its official representative, that il
will build-permission being granted-no
matter how many other lines are thrown
across the same route. The New Haven
would need but 10 miles of track linking
Palmer with Southbridge to accomplish
would need 90 miles, connecting Palmer
with Woonsocket, to complete the link
which is now absent from its Providence
chain. The New Haven, if allowed to
build the road, would give its rival not
only the track rights allowed under gen
eral law, but also offer il the use OF these
facilities on such terms as the railroad
commissioners of Massachusetts may de-
eide to be fair.
The motives Of the Grand Trunk in
desiring to get into Providence are sub
ject to very divergent Interpretation. Its
own assertion is that, as one of the great
railroad systems of the continent, it is
coming into New England for business,
and that reaching Providence will be
only preliminary to its approach to Bos-
ton. 1t asserts that it would be of ex-
traordinary advantage to New England
to have a direct through outlet for its
manufactured products to the rapidly
opening areas of Western Canada, and
to secure through the Grand Trunks
Forthcoming approach to the North
Pacific at Prince Rupert connection with
a route to the Orient 500 miles shorter
than any now existing The Grand
Trunk claims that its coming to New
England territory will, by increasing the
facilities Of this section, contribute great
ly to its prosperity and advancement.
This is essentially its side of the story. |
ample, seems strongly committed
The New Ravens point of view is CON
different. 1t is no great secret |
to say that its apparent contention is
that the Grand Trunk desires not to
operate great New England railroad,
but rather to dispose at remuneratve
figures, of its holdings in the Central Yer
mont railroad and in the New London
& Northern. 1t is asserted that the
Grand Trunk, in its present approaches
TO the New England coast at Portland
and at New London, has not exhibited
any extraordinary enterprise. in develop
ing business, and that the link of track
which it now proposes to build, giving
10 no
lble only as leverage for forcing from
The New Haven, now in control of the
New England territory, good figure for
he railroad property which now lies
somewhat stagnant in the Grand Trunks
hands.
The Grand Trunks reply to this is that
Mr.. Mellen is thorough.going monop..
Dist; that he has acquired all the Sound
steamer lines and most of the trolleys
rs well as railroad lines, and so has such
complete grip on New England's trans
oortation that he is tolerant OF anything
,pproximating competition. They point
TO his absorption of the trolleys in Con-
necticut and Rhode Island, and the grad
,etts, as evidence that he is resolute
lighter for supremacy. They assert that
New England needs the little elasticity
10 it's transportation system which a rival
railroad ownership would bring, and that
, connection with one of the most hand
,omely capitalized railroad systems in the
world would do the section no harm:
The New Ravens view that the Grand
Trunk wants this privilege only to sell
)ut, the Grand Trunk spurns with lndlg,
nation, saying that its New, England
'eeders are not for sale. and that it
would not, in exchange for any traffic
abandon its purpose to have
. direct part in the business of this ter
,itory. And thus the debate runs.
This is one of the most serious ques-
ions which our railroad commission has
or years had to settle. Both sides seem
very determined and not disposed to com.
Each is powerfully entrenched
The commercial and business
bodies Of Boston ought to give the sub
ect more attention than has yet been
accorded it.