Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-02-02
Vote Of 10 to II Surprises the
Most Sanguine of Roads
Supporters.
AMENDMENTS DID NOT GO
Minority Report Adopted Stipu-
lating That Boston & Maine
Shall Not Take Land
at BrattleborO.

Montpelier, Jan. 27.--The big rail-
road fight was won by the Central
Vermont railway in the Senate to-day
lhy a vote of 10 to II. The size Of the
vote was a surprise to even the most
sanguine OF the Centrals supporters,
for the most that had been figured on
since the tide seemed to have turned
in favor of tho Central was a major
ity OF two.
Tho action taken by the Senate
marks the failure OF the Boston &
Maine roads first attempt to control
a Vermont Legislature and virtually
puts an end to the biggest railroad
struggle that Vermont has seen since
the days when the Central Vermont
was in the hands Of receivers and the
famous BarrettRoycs fight was
waged.
Various tactics were employed in
the fight to-day in the Senate, such
as amendments galore and then
amendments to tho amendments, but
all through the Central Vermonts
forces stood firm and refused to be
mised from the main issue. Minor
amendments were proposed to the bill
in the interests of the Boston & Maine
and were met by tho favorite manoeu
vre OF that roads principal attorney
by the proposal OF an amendment
which was in effect a substitute bill.
This all occurred during the morning
session.
At the afternoon session an amend
ment to the Central Vermont's amend
ment showed that the Boston & Maine
was fighting in the last ditch and the
results came fast after that.
This last amendment proposed by tho
Boston g. Maine gave up everything for
which 1t has been fighting except the
vital point that It should own the tracks
through the Bratteboro yard instead OF
the Central Vermont.
RESULT OF ROLL CALL
The test vote came upon the adoption
of this amendment to the Central Yer
mont amendment and resulted as fol-
lows: For the Central Vermont Sena-
tors Archibald. Barden, Cushman, Cults.
| Dale Daniels, Darling. Gordon Girls
wold Lyford. Norton. Pike. Porter, Pow
ell. Seaver, Sheldon, Shepardson. Smith,
Taplir. For the Boston & Maine. Sena-
! tors Adams Butler. 8uttc:held, Clark
Coolidge. Davis. Edgerton, Field. Hitch
cock. Scribner. Tuttle. This showed II
for the b & NJ amendment and 70 OPP
posed.
The final vote on the adoption Of the
| Centrafs amendment was the same bat
| simply reversed on that vote the line
up was Senators Archibald. Barden.
| Cushman. Cults. Dale Daniels. Darling.
Gordon, Griswold, Lyford. Norton, Pike,
| Porter, Powell. Seaver, Sheldon, Shep-
lr.fc
Vermont, and Senators Adams. Butler.
| Butterfeld. Clark, Coolidge. Davis. Ed
gerton Field. Hitchcock, scrihner and
Futile for the Boston & Maine.
The bill came UP In the Senate shortly
before eleven O'Clock this morning ac-
companicl by a lengthy report from the
majority of the committee setting forth
| the reasons for their favoring the pas
! sage of the measure. They also proposed
four amendments. one Of which was the
one offered TO tho committee at its public
hearing providing that the tracks Of the
Boston * Maine should be moved at any
time they were found to conflict with
the terminal facilities OF the Central Yer
mont.
THREE OTHER AMENDMENTS.
The second amendment provided that
the Boston & Maine should raise all of
the tracks and land between the river and
Vernon street and was proposed to meet
the objection raised al the public hearing
by Senator Gordon that under the bill II
would be possible for the Boston & Maine
to raise 1t tracks as It proposes to do and
leave the Centrals tracks wnere they now
are The third amendment was designed
,icc I.,
In control of the whole situation. The
fourth amendment was merely 10 correct
clerical error.
senator Porter for the minority Of the
committee proposed an amendment which
is practically a substitute bill II strikes
out all after the enacting clause and
substitutes the original bill of the Bos- |
ton & Maine road as far as II relates to |
building its line from South Vernon TO
brattleboro. but stipulates that 1t shall |
nov take any OF tho Central Vermont 5 |
iand at either South Vernon or Brattle- |
poro 1t also provides that the Central |
vermont shall build all the tracks |
through the Brattleboro yard that the
publ" service commission shall deem |
necessary for the accommodation of the !
hoston d Names business and that the
H. u NJ shall have traclage rights over
these tracks
An attempt was made to have this
a"ehoment considered before those pro-
posed by the majority of the committee
were passed upon but the chair ruled
against It, but permitted the\reading OF |
inc mlnoritys amendment
The four amendments werc then
adopted without opposition and the de-
bate opened on tho minority amend
ment.
DEBATE on MINORITY BILL.
Senator Porter was the first sneak
err lie stated that he came from an
exclusively Boston g. Maine territory
but had been animated from the out
set by Il desire to give that road n.
II asked for at Brattleboro without
taking away any OF the rights OF the
Central Vermont. He had made saw
eral propositions to the committee
looking toward that end but they had
been rejected and as a matter of tus-
tice he was forced to take the stand
he did The amendment which he Of
fered he considered a fair solution OF
the difficulty
Senator Butterfeld said that the
amendments offered by the majority