The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1911-01-20
Montpelier, Jan. Is


(. aiority of the joint railroad com
~, today reported to the house OF
&I1:1I, ntatiyes House bill lS2, an act
y Sorize the Vermont Valley rail
'& 3Io construct and operate Il rail
<~ "a Kptween Brattleboro and South
and take land therefor, and
Sended its passage with propos..
E observation-disclosures, which were ordered
y md he printed, and the bill was
soxx'.6 special order for O'Clock
FS~r ~ afternoon. The Importance
= 7{fT matter led the committee to
.sXa report of its findings, which
1S3 LILO printed for the perusal of
( 'Fs"s1 mombers of the committee sub
,&<<x2 n minority report advocating
a Sssare of the bill with the pro.
{<&}zr ~ amendment submitted by the
1<rf2Sl Vermont Railway company ut
@rceSot hearing and pertaining to
.vSSiSce RIGHTS for the Boston & Maine
E-c1Sh the wards of the Central Yer.
.cS{ret Brattleboro. This report was
fSnci by Representatives Maun of st.
I{kSws and Battell of Middlebury. 1t
~ Kan stated that Mr.. Battell has
M eSfended any of the meetings of the
6nmlttee.
NV text of the findings of the com
1lttW follows:
ttS(hat the Boston & Maine Railroad
IN. through control of several
- ~ one of which is the Vermont Val
- 1Silroad which is applying for this
EoxSSr operates Il line of railroad from
mr. rooke. One. to Springfield, Mass,
'SSSE masses through the entire length
}Xf& state of Vermont, from Newport
z En3th Vernon. with the exception OF
SS}7es between Windsor and Bellows
|Sl72T whore il is on the New Hamp-
<{rX# side of the Connecticut river.
iffSen White River Junction and
3in{Sor distance of II miles, and
HX' ketween Brattleboro and South
72TS0n n distance of 10 miles, its
rS5Ss are run under orders of the Cen.
r22 TVermont Railway company and
- l4racks controlled by the Central
isy<snt Railway company. There are
c,,fR tracks from Claremont Junction
72tnev. Traffic on that line has in
,sS SO greatly in the past few
2EI2< that the Boston & Maine Rail
re company wishes to double track
" tire line, and to build connecting
n I31 So that trains may be run the
'KoE distance under their own rules
NJ 3obiect to their own train orders.
7St1fbis bill asks for charter to
uildE that link between Brattleboro
"a South Vernon TO do this requires
" fipht of eminent domain, which can
nv he justified by public necessity.
IA need not enlarge here on the neces-
~ 7for both PARTIES to the controversy
Sfnowledce it, and the public has felt
!. IA wears. The roadbed has been
AZ and so inadequate that express
Mind have frequently been. held up
M Rdelaved so as to miss important
INJECTIONS. The only difference be,
1ean the parties is the question, OF
6v more facilities should be provided,
nv Central Vermont, who have con
r61Ia6 and run this line for years, have
Sf,Smet the demands of the situation
~ Inferred to until driven to 1t by the
m of the Boston & Maine to build
&&sof its own. At the eleventh hour
WI suggest a plan of providing more
Entities in Brattleboro, and allowing
caekape rights to the Boston Name,
nfl,we do not believe that this plan IS
Sisnlated to give the public the ac'
mediation it may rightly demand.
X 1eems very desirable for the travel
l9Epublic to have each road as nearly
IdSpendent of the other as possible, IN
fder that each may run its own trans
raj avoid delays caused by different
IVA and different orders governing
H8 train as it passes from one road to
h& other.
Min building a railroad between
and South Vernon two
g3sf DC are practical. One is to cross
m Connecticut river about mile
nffh of Bridge street in the town OF
rSttleboro and to connect the Ashue-
X sbranch of the Boston & Name syS-
M. which practically takes the Whole
liIroad out of the state, deprives the
ate of the taxes it might otherwise
,llect. and leaves the Boston Il Maine
Iation for Brattleboro on the opposite
AZ of the river. The other route lies
ktirely in Vermont, and if the road is
nilt will undoubtedly bring the state
Mammal revenue of at least $lO,O00,
|hich will probably increase. year by
~. In order to build on this route,
&Eeyer, it is necessary to run the line
Tough land of the New London
|$fthern Railroad company, which IS
|6trolled by the Central Vermont Kali,
w company, which requires a special
a of the legislature. Had it been
HSessarv to take only individual or
'@nicipal property or that of any cor
Nation other than a railroad the gen
n law would have allowed it to be
Ten at any time on the payment of
images.
Mt Tt has been contended that land OF
Eailroad company being already held
y public use is not liable to be taken
Mn one company and given to another
h the same use. Your committee have
3wever found several instances where
Us has been done. The law seems to
Yvery clearly set forth by Chief JUS
he Shaw when he says:
~ 1T is for the legislature to deter
me which shall yield and to what eX-
BIT and whether wholly or in part to
81 other; and such question will ordi-
4tily be determined by the Legislature
Wording to their conviction OF the pre-,
2hderance of the public necessity and
hvenience. Mass. 11l-125.
W' At the request of the Central Yer
tnt Railway company and as thelr
Tests, your committee visited the site
the proposed road in Brattleboro to
y if it was possible to build it with,
e injury to the Central Vermont. 1t
Is found that the plans would neces-
&ate the destruction and rebuilding
A turntable and roundhouse, would
bul ii' separate s@G ETH the tracks, at present
'ed for handling carload freight from
e main portion of the yard by the
opposed tracks of the Boston Il Name;
the other hand, the plan would
IKE more space available for tracks
II
4 town, would provide an admirable
Ice for handling freight on that side,
"a would greatly facilitate the hand
tg of freight and passenger business;
short, the new layout for Central
3rmont business alone without refer
re to that of the Boston & Maine,
ich better than it is at present; and
unjust be remembered that all these
Ianges are to be made by the Vermont
Alley railroad, guaranteed by the Bos-