The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-01-24
rHE RAILROAD FIGHT
Just What the New Haven Road Asks
FOR at Brattleboro.

For at 5rattleboro.
When the Grand Trunk people were
seeking a Rhode Island charter for
entrance to Providence. Mr.. Mellen
is said to have explained the mdif-
ferent attitude of the New Haven
company by saying he would take
care of the Grand Trunk outside of
Rhode Island" This alleged remark
has found quotation In connection
with the contest of the two interests
before the Vermont legislature over
the Brattleboro location and the char
ter for Vermont Valley or Boston
& Maine line between that village
and South Vernon It's applicability
to this particular feature of the up
river railroad situation, however, Is
open to question.
There has never been any doubt
that the Vermont legislature would
charter for the Vermont Valley line
of its own paralelling the New Lon
don Northern line of the Grand Trunk
from South Vernon to Brattleboro and
giving to the Boston and Maine sys-
TEN an unbroken road of its own from
the former place to Windsor. The
Mellen interests have indeed asked
for more than this. They sought new
station privileges at Brattleboro un-
der a power of eminent domain which
might have operated practically to
ldispossess the Central Vermont
| (Grand Trunk which now owns the
terminal grounds at that point. But
1t can hardly be that they expected
greatly to carry through project
which might have enabled them to
throw the Central Vermont out of
Brattleboro or to impose costly or
lprohibitory terms of admission. That
would have been an achievement call
ing for house cleaning at Montpelier
II was no more TO be expected than
the Grand Trunk could have expected
to. win In its opposition to charter
for new and parallel line south of
Brattleboro.
What the New Haven interests get
in the bill now going through the
Vermont legislature is the right to
bui the said parallel and connecting
line, and to secure adequate station
privileges at Brattleboro under a
Central Vermont ownership. This is
reasonable and no more than this
would have been reasonable or fair to
the interests now in possession. The
main purpose of the New Haven inter
ests, we may suppose, is to force the
Grand Trunk either to construct a
line of its own from Windsor to Brat
tleboro or come 10 some terms which
might involve a transfer of the Grand
Trunks southern New England lines
to the New Haven company. Will the
Grand Trunk build that connecting
line? This Is the crucial question,
and doubtless the point which the
New Haven is re'ying upon to bring
itself into practical control of the
Grand Trunks approaches to south
ern New England. II the Grand
Trunk does build, the New Haven
will undoubtedly fill in the other need
ed link in it's upriver route-a road
of its own from Windsor to White
River Junction.
The problem is a haredr one for the
Grand Trunk to deal with than for
| the New Haven. A new line from
Windsor to Brattleboro would be a
costly one to construct and the New
Haven seems to command the only
feasible route by which the new line
could be put through Bellows Falls.
But the Grand Trunk Is apparently in
a fighting mood; ii has large support
from the shipping interests OF New
England which regard il as the only
remaining bulwark OF defense for the
old western freight differentials; and
Vermont will not readily miss the
chance of getting two lines under diff
ferent ownership extended up and
down the Connecticut river. The
Canadian property will have to be in
desperate straits financially before 1t
will give up its extensions into south
ern New England.-Springield Re
publican.