The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1911-01-23
THE RAILROAD FIGHT.
Just What the New Haven Road Asks
for at Brattleboro.

When the Grand Trunk people were
seeking a Rhode Island charter for en-
trance to Providence, Mr.. Mellen is sale
TO have explained the Indifferent atti,
tude 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
charter for Vermont Valley or Bos.
ton & Maine line between that village
and South Vernon. Its applicability tc
this particular feature OF the upriyeI
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 London North.
ern line of the Grand Trunk from South
Vernon to Brattleboro and giving to the
Boston and Maine system an unbroken
road Of It's own from the former place
to Windsor. The Mellen interests have
indeed asked for more than this. They
sought new station privileges at Brat
tleboro under power of eminent do
main which might have operated prac-
tieally to dispossess the Central YER
mont Grand Trunk which now owns
the terminal grounds at that point. But
it can hardly be that they expected
greatly to carry through'a project which
might have enabled them to throw the
Central Vermont out of Brattleboro or
to impose costly or prohibitory terms
Of admission. That would have been
an achievement calling for house clean
ing at Montpelier 1t was no more to
be expected than the Grand Trunk could
have expected 60 win in its opposition
to n charter for a new and parallel
line south of Brattlehoro.
What the New Haven interests get in
the bill now going through the Vermont
legislature Is the right 10 build the said
parallel and connecting line, and TO SCI
cure adequate station privileges at Brat
tleboro under q Central Vermont owner
ship. This is reasonable and no more
than this would have been reasonable or
The main purpose of the New Haven
interests, We may suppose, is to force
the Grand Trunk either TO construct a
line OF its own from Windsor to Brat.
tieboro or come to some terms which
might involve a transfer of the Grand
Trunks southern New England lines TO
tine New Haven company. Will the
Grand Trunk build that connecting line 2
This is the crucial question, and doubt
less the point which the New Haven is
relying upon 20 bring itself into prac-
teal control ofathe Grand Trunks APP.
proaches to southern New England IL
the Grand Trunk does build the New
Haven will undoubtedly I'll in the 9th
er needed link in Its upryer route-a
road Of its own from Windsor to White
River Junction.
The problem j. a hard one for the
Grand Trunk to deal with than for the
New Haven, A new line from Windsor
to BrattIeboro 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 lighting mood; it has
large support from the shipping interests
Of New England which regard it 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
will have to be in desperate
straits financially before II will give up
its extensions into southern New Eng.
land Springfield Republican.