The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1911-04-21
BRArTLEBoRo, FRIDAY, APRIL 81, 1911
THE REQUEST is WARRANTED.

for the purpose of considering new
plan to enable the Vermont Valley
railroad to extend its line from Brattle
boro to South Vernon on this side OF
the river the people of Brattleboro and
adjoining sections of Vermont feel that
the exigencies of the situation fully
warrant such an unusual request. They
are firmly convinced that the construc-
ton of this railroad link in New
Hampshire will be disastrous to the in
dustrial and commercial future of this
and neighbOring towns. and that it
will give the state the bad name of
being narrow-minded in its attitude on
the important question of adequate
railroad facilities. With these un-
pleasant prospects ever before them
Brattleboro people, through their rail
road committee, have worked strenu.
ously ever since the adjournment of the
legislature to effect between the Grand
compromise that would enable both
roads to build their extensions in this
state. As has been said in these col.
umns so often, BrattlebOro has no wish
to hamper the Grand Trunk in its efforts
to reach southern New England, but at
the same time it is extremely anxious
to see the local situation settled on its
merits.
Not long ago the local railroad com
mittee submitted to the Central Yer
mont officials plan which would let
the Boston & Maine enter Brattleboro
from the south without interfering with
the Central Vermont terminal facilities
in the slightest degree, without putting
the Central Vermont out of touch with
local industries and warehouses, with !
out impairing in any way the advan- |
tages the road now enjoys in the way |
of accommodations for local business
A detailed description of this plan will |
be found in another column. In brief |
it provided for Boston & Maine tracks
east of the present Central Vermont |
tracks and necessitated the crossing of
L.. IL r.
mont land. One of these is a piece a
few hundred feet long east of the Cen
trail Vermont roundhouse-land that is
almost entirely submerged; the other a
piece at the extreme northeast corner
of the Central Vermont yard. The
plan called for the elimination of one
short spur track of the Central Yer
mont, but the committee guaranteed to
provide ample room for a new spur
track near the present freight station
by moving Vernon street further west,
and to relocate on the new spur all of
the warehouses at present served by
the track that would be obliterated.
This plan was turned down by the
Central Vermont officials with the state
ment that they were willing to allow I
the Boston & Maine trackage rights S
through their yard but nothing more.
1t is difficult to see why the Central
Vermont should want to control the :
trains of the Boston & Maine across I
the line above described since it would a
in no way affect the Central Vermont
trains or the operation of it's yard. 1t !
would be an annoyance and delay to the a
public and to the Boston & Maine, and
what advantage would it be to the q
Central Vermont? Mr.. Melen says
that he can build his line in New 4
Hampshire without any such hindrance t
or delay, and he will not come to the II
Vermont side unless he can have con
troll of the operation of his own trains.
The Boston & Maine people have come G.
more than half way on the proposition. b
They are willing to yield the question s.
of raising the tracks and of coming up =
according to the plan presented to the 6,
though it has taken a great Ii
deal of urging on the part of Brattle
boro representatives to bring that
about. But the Central Vermont will @
not yield at all. y
The injustice of the Central Vermont >,
position is illustrated when one consd- it
ers what the Vermont Valley road (the st
Boston G. Maine subsidiary line) gives D
to the Central Vermont north of Bridge !;
street. For years the Vermont Valley cc
has permitted the Central Vermont s fr
West River line to come from West te
River bridge down practically to the "a
lrch ON Vermont Valley line under 81
)9-year lease with an independent v;
rack, which track is in no way subject pr