Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1912-12-06
The Question Of Railroad Charters.

Editor of The Phenix:-
Bill us now before the legislature of Yer.
mont for charter to build a railroad south
east from Manchester through the towns of
Sunderland, Stratton, Somerset Wilmington
and Halifax to Greenfield, Mass, is an enter.
prise providing for long felt need in the
towns through which the route has been
surveyed, at six or eight thousand dollars
expense to the promoters
Primarily the road is intended as an outlet
Tor vast forests OF timber lands but it should
be known that it makes it possible to re-
habitate hundreds OF abandoned farms through
southwestern Vermont and make more tax
able thousands of of land that now lie
idle Tor lack OF cultivation and ready trans
portation OF produce to outside markets. The
town OF Halifax alone has forty abandoned
iarms and OF population once numbering
sixteen hundred it now has six hundred or
less. Capitalists are ready to furnish the
money needed to build and equip the road if
charter is granted the route surveyed
to Greenfield.
There are influences now at work in the
present legislature to divert the proposed road
IRON the present surveyed route from Whining.
ton through Nottingham and Halifax to
Greenfield, seeking to have the charter call for
road from Wilmington through Marlboro to
Brattleboro, a road surveyed years ago. Tits
influence is coming from three or four men,
heavy real estate owners in Brattleboro
represented by Senator Barber OF Brattleboro
There can be no objection to these people
building road if they want one from Will
mington to Brattleboro, but it is not right
Tor these men to oppose the granting of a
charter for a railroad from Wilmington to
| Greenfield which, If not granted, would totally
shut out two towns or more from any railroad
| facilities at all. Brattleboro has railroad and
waterpower at her doors. Why should she
| seek to heap these privileges up to herself
| at,A a.
| Brattleboro people are short-sighted and mar.
| row. 1t must be clear to reasonable mind
| that that which will help the farming business
| through this country will help trade in Brat
| tleboro. AT the present time a greater part
| OF this farming country is from ten to twenty
| miles from the market. Aside from farming
| with this railroad nearly all the towns in
southern Vermont in short time will become
| the summer resort for many people from
| Massachusetts, cities.
Up to the time the railroad came to Viii.
mington that place small lumber town
| today it has hundreds of guests in summer
and gets good prices and ready market for its
| produce
Already Halifax, VT. has modern hotel
which will accommodate fifty people and be
ready for guests the coming summer. Wood
stock is already full summer and winter.
Brattleboro should get to business and make
good what she has got by building modern
| notel ana develop ner resources before she
seeks to divert business from other towns to
| herself
great injustice was done this southwest
section of Vermont when it was granted to
an outside water-power company, without any
adequate reserve whatever, the free use and
control of practically the entire length of the
Deerheld river in Vermont. This company is
ignoring any rights which the local population
and the state might have in this blessing and
conveys it freely for use outside the state.
| The same is true of the Connecticut river at
| Brattleboro, carrying riches into the pockets
| OF the already rich.
The representatives of the people in Bratte-
| boro in the above water-power grants, from
| poor boys living on small incomes, have in a
few years as state attorneys become owners
OF estates and automobiles. 1t would appear
| to all fair-minded Vermonters that some con-
sideration should be shown to those living in
very much less favorable farming districts
| charter may be granted them to favor
Marlboro and whatever advantages there may
be given in it to Brattleboro. But by nc
means should the senator from Bratteboro
seek to rob the towns in southwest Vermont
from the benefits that apparently are coming
| to them by the proposed charter.
DIR. EDWARD S. NILES,
Halifax, VT.
|