St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1911-03-15
Senator Porter's justification.

We note that Senator Porter of
Caledonia county attempts to Justify
his course in the Senate in working
against the efforts of the people of
Brattleboro to secure additional rail-
road facilities. The statement of
Senator Porter is read with interest
but the attempt to justify his action
falls SO fiat that it is wonder to the
reader that the task was ever at
tempted. Yet the organs of the old
political ring have printed the letter
prominently, thereby calling the
attention of the reading public to the
excuses which those who voted
against Brattleboro and the state of
Vermont put forth.
Senator Porter in his letter falls
into the Central Vermont way of
stating the facts when he says that
the Boston & Maine planned to take
strip of land from the heart
or center of the Central Vermont
yard. Any person who has been in
the railroad yard at Brattleboro and
nothing of the kind was contemplate
ed. Those who circulated such
statement at Montpelier and used
the same effectively, should first
assure themselves of the true con-
dition of affairs. Only very small
part of the land of the Central YER
mont would have ben used.
Senator Porter with surprising
frankness says: 'sthe taking of land
of one railroad and giving it to
another would establish precedent
fraught with deterrent uncertainty
He would have the reader believe
that the proposition is a novel ont.
We believe that Senator Porter is a
lawyer. We suggest that he study
the Acts of the Legislature of his
own state. We trust we may be
pardoned if as layman, we call
the attention of the learned Senator
to Section IA of the original charter
of the Vermont and Massachusetts,
railroad and the reservation therein
providing for the use of the right Of
way by other railroads in the future.
That is the original charter of the
present New London Northern.
We also call his attention to the
charter of 1872 granting the Central
Vermont Railway company the right
to build from Windsor to Bellows
Falls, and for that purpose giving it
the right to take the land of Others
We call the attention of the Sen
ator to the right given to another
railroad to build over the Central
Vermont road bed at Montpelier.
charter of the Brattleboro and YER
non railroad granted only two years
ago, for the building of a road to be
operated by any other power except
steam from Brattleboro to the Mas
sachusetts boundary line and pro-
viding that the railroad company
may take any land within or with
out the limits of any street or road
owned or held by any person or cor
| poration, domestic or foreign, not in
actual use for railroad purposes" Ina
other words the legislature gave the
Brattleboro and Vernon. railroad
company the right to take the land
of the Central Vermont Railway
company and refused to give the
Boston and Maine similar right.
The Brattleboro and Vernon railroad
doesn't need to take any land of the
! Central Vermont in order to build
it's road, while the Boston and Maine
cannot get through the yard unless
| it does take some of the land of the
| Central Vermont.
Again let us call the attention of
the Senator to the Central Vermont
charter to build from Windsor to
Brattleboro, passed the day before
! the legislature considered the Boston
and Maine charter, and to the pro-
vision contained in that bill for enter
ing upon the land of the Boston and
Maine and other railroads
Thus it will be seen that instead
of being a novel proposition to take
| the land of one railroad and give it
to another where it is necessary so
to do, it has been the policy of the
Vermont Legislature to do so until
the Senate refused the request of the
people of Brattleboro.
! iG MT nnccih1o fn fAn1 oil Of he
people all of the time 1t may be
that Senator Porter may wish to add
/ to or modify his ''swan song" when
he has familiarized himself with the
law and the facts in connection with
the Brattleboro charter-l Will
mingtony Times.
A Mothers Safeguard.
Ecal<.1z,S IIo1aoxz and ETa1. fc.,. th