Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1911-04-29
Woodstock. VT. April %. 1911
Vermont and its Railroads-An
Interesting Story and an
Interesting Situation.

q Hartford striving for monopoly
in New England and the Grand
Trunk Railway of Canada fighting
for an all-rail entrance into New
York. most interesting situation
has developed in which Vermont
figures no small part. A quick sue
cession of moves during the past
two years has brought both these
railways very near their respective
goals. The New Haven has made
such rapid strides that it now has
practically monopoly in New Eng
land and the Grand Trunk may be
much nearer its goal than would
appear on the surface. The Grand
Trunk now extends down as far as
New London, by means of it's sub
sidiary, the Central Vermont, and its
only entrance into New York is by
boat.
The facts which led to this situa-
ton date back to the end of 1908,
when the New Haven combined with
the Canadian Pacific to reduce their
freight rates to compete with the low
water-and-rail rates of the Grand
Trunk. A rate war was threatened
by other lines, 80 the alliance was
broken and the rates raised. The
Grand Trunk, however, refused to
comply. Up to this time the Grand
Trunk had used New Haven boats to
form it's connections between New
London and New York, but now it
organized its own line and took this
traffic away from the New Haven.
The next move of the New Haven
was to secure control Of the Boston &
Maine, thereby invading the territory
of the Vermont Central. The Grand
Trunk retaliated by seeking and oh
tanning charter from the Rhode
Island legislature to build line
from Palmer, Mass, to Providence.
This line. if built, would break the
New Ravens monopoly of Provi-
dence traffic, but so far nothing
definite has been done. The New
Haven then planned to free the Bos-
ton & Maine from its dependence on
the Grand Trunk by building. two
short sections in Vermont, parallel
ing the present connections of the
Central Vermont and then to double
track the main line throughout. This
would involve the construction of
ten mile line to Brattleboro and a
fourteen line from Windsor to
White River junction. If carried
out, it would take large amount of
traffic away from the Grand Trunk
and also force it to build fifty-mile
section from Windsor to Brattleboro
The charter to build to Brattleboro
could not be obtained from the Yer
mont Legislature, so the New Haven
determined to make the connection
by building in New Hampshire.
Since the first of the year the New
Haven has obtained joint control of
the Rutland railroad with the New
York Central The Rutland taps the
very heart of the Grand Trunk terri
tory and gives the New Haven an
entrance into Montreal. This is now
followed up by rumored threats Of
the New Haven to divert its western
traffic, which means millions of dol
lars annually, from the Grand Trunk
to the Canadian Pacific.
Such is the situation as it now
stands. That both roads have formi
dable weapons is undeniable, but viii
they be used for peace or war? Will
the Grand Trunk sacrifice its pro-
posed line to Providence and perhaps
even its control of the Central Yer
mont to obtain concessions from the
New Haven by which it will secure
an all-rail entrance into New York
over the New York, Ontario & West
ern Whatever the outcome, Ver-
mont will be the gamer, for its roads
will form link in the great through
connection with the northwest, the
lines will be double-tracked through
out and new extensions will be built, |
provided always that the legislature
does not stand in the way.
Let the people Of Vermont then
keep an eye on its Legislators. The
State needs better access to the
coast, and to New York, so that its
resources can be reached and devel-
oped.