The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1911-02-24
The Rutlsnd Where It Belongs.
(Springfeld Republican,

The Rutland railroad of Vermont is now
to be accounted part of the New Haven
Boston & Maine system This is the mean
ing of the purchase, by interests related
to the Vermont Valley line Ga Boston
| than half of the New York Central's ma
jority holdings Of Rutland stock. This will
give to the New Haven working control
of the Rutland in so far as it is exer
cised in harmony with the New York Cen
trail interests, and the transaction, among
other things, seems to mark an end OF
any hostility that may have existed be.
tween the Mellen and the New York Cen
trail outfits.
Beyond this the event is one of large i'm
portance to New England, and to Spring
field as well as Boston. 1t completes a
double flanking of the Grand Trunk or its
| mont The Boston < Maine will now have
lines running to Can ada on either side of
the Central Mennonite Sherbrooke and
beyond by way of The Connecticut and
Passumpsic on the east of the Central Yer
mont, and to Montreal, Ogdensburg and
beyond including lake line of boats, by
way of the Rutland road on the west. It
gives to the Boston x Maine or the New
Haven full command Of all existing rail.
road approaches at Bellows Falls, and so
far increases the difficulties of the Central
Vermont in extending through that place
its proposed new line to be built from
Windsor to Bratteboro.
Evidently, however, the New Haven in
terests are not taking this step in any
great purpose of booking the career of the
Grand Trunk in this direction. The lat
ter's southern New England extensions
will have their sphere of operations con-
tracted by. this movement, but otherwise
the situation will remain not greatly
changed. What the New Haven has done
is to broaden the scope Of its plans Tor
own lines the great and growing traffic
moving transcontnen tally by Canadian
routes, The Rutland railroad offers for
this purpose a more direct route than the
Connecticut and Passumpsic. 1t is in direct
extension of the Fitch burg from Boston to
South Ashburnham, and of the Cheshire
from the litter place to Bellows Falls
following all the way to 0gdensburg a
northwesterly course 1t belongs naturally
to the eastern half of the Fitchburg line
and to the Boston & Maine as absorber of
the Fitchburg And we may thus suppose
the Rutland at last has found its nerma-
nent abode-after long and varied vaga-
bond career, first as an INDEPENDENT road,
then in lease TO the Cen trail Vermont, then
under the Delaware 4 Hudson dominion,
then an independent again, and then I'M
der New York Central dominion.
1t should not escape attention that Presi-
dent Mellen mentions the matter of reel
procity with Canada as a consideration en-
tering into this broadened reach of the
New Haven system along the northem |
New Eng and border. The great interests
he represents evidently expect that the
pending measure for larger trade with Can
does succeed it will mean much for the
commerce and industry of all New Eng
land. There should not be heard in all
this region a single voice raised against
the efforts being made at Washington by
President Taft and his supporters in con
gress to bring about this splendid result /
2f larger trade and larger markets for New
England