The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-07-27
FOR A GREATER VERMONT

Extract from Paper on RAILROAD
Transportation in Vermont" Pres
ented by Public Service Commits
sioner S. Hollister Jackson, Before
the Greater Vermont Association at
Rutland, Vermont, July II, 1912.
Mr.. Jackson's paper begins by
showing that Vermont is via mag
ma" of commerce between New York
and Boston on the one hand and
Canada and western points on the
other hand
ITO appreciate the transportation
problem of Vermont il is therefore
necessary ever to keep in mind that
most of its 1000 miles of steam rail
roads are used largely for Internal
ionai or interstate transportation;
that. commercially speaking, Yer
mont is a mere incident, or just so
much more ground to cover. in con
nection with a large per cent OF the
traffic its railroads carry; that the
railroad official must act largely with
reference to the through business,
for the long haul OF such commerce
brings the larger returns. The i'm
portance of the through business is
brought out by the suggestion that If
our railroads were supported only by
the business that began and ended in
Vermont there would be no limited
trains carrying passengers as quick
~ and comfortably between Water
bury and White River Junction or
between Burlington and Rutland as
now run.
In discussing the transportation
problems that Nermonters are pecul-
iarly interested in-that is the com
merce beginning and ending in Yer
mont and which | call local business
attention must always be had to the
rapidly increasing through business,
for it is the latter which is response
BILE for the most OF the blessings and
also some of the burdens of the for
mer.
Through business has done more
than anything else to benefit local
business. both passenger and freight
This same through business while
bringing gifts in one hand. has i'm
posed burdens with the other. One
of these burdens. occurring in time
of heavy freight traffic, and occas-
ionally in less busy periods, is the
preference given through over local
business Competition for through
business is keen among the systems
using Vermont as their international
and interstate highway. This com
petition is one of service; rather
than of rates: competition of
prompt and safe delivery. That rail
road officials recognize the present
and future necessity for more cars
and power is evidenced by the large
equipmen purchases recently made.
In this connection. too. IL is to be
noted that the present merger OF
practically all Nermonts steam rail
road lines in two systems will ef-
feet an easier and more Just distrib
ution OF cars in times of freight con
gestion. Nevertheless more cars.
more power and double tracks are
essential to the proper growth of
through traffic and the protection of
local business. IL we of the hoped
for Greater Vermont will occasion
ally step out of the confines OF local
business and encourage our railroads
in their endeavors to increase their
through traffic, we will receive the
improved service locally which better
equipment and tracks and more mon
ey will bring.
Through commerce and local are
SO intertwined that the increase of
the former is bound to benefit the
latter.
Another burden imposed on local
service by through business Is that