Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-09-11

patron. The most efficient school of rail-
sponsibllties and makes one the accom-
paniment Of the other.
But In its great program Of expansion
In recent years. It's career OF empire
building, so TO speak, It Ia possible that
the New Haven has so extended It's
horizon as to let It's sense Of RESPONSE
biiity as a carrier fade into the nebulous
IL was for q long time very powerful and
very lucky. Perhaps It fell into the habit
of taking chances trusting that It might
win through to the great goal without
serious disaster. It Is not otherwise easy
to account for these short crossovers,
which cost lives, but which require the
mandate of government for change;
these Anticipated signals, which bring
down more orders from utilities commits
sions these wooden cars which still hy
over the New Haven rails at a time long
after their general discard on the super
Tor trains of other roads While we and
all our friends are alive and whole we
accept these things with complacency,
but when we are fshed out Of the wreck
age or mourn for dead companions we
begin to lament the steamboats,. the
trolley lines. the gas works and the
heaven knows what other odds and ends
of railroading and to believe that the
money which went into them as a con-
tributon to the making OF a greater sys-
tenn should have been invested on the
originally existing system in measures to
secure the safety of human life.
We are all of US developing stern OBJ
,cctions to being killed; such objections
as they have felt these many years on
the continent OF Europe. where the rail-
roads are permitted to kill only the small
est numbers. In general we have so
much money that we do not wish to take
great chances to make more or to let
somebody else make more. The risk isn't
worth the profit as It was wher .he
fathers were willing TO fight Indians and
perhaps lose their scalps for the sake OF
gaining land; when a railroad was a boon
at any price, and when the men who
built railroads could do about anything
they pleased II only they would risk theil
money 20 provide us with transportation
We are older and more sedate. We have
| accepted the railways as a part of oul
highway system. We demand that they
should carry US through safely. II they
can't make money carrying us safely
we shall have to go into the railroad bus
mess as a people and look after our owl
skins without regard for what may b,
the return on anybody's investment. Th'
agitation for governmentally operated
railroads. which is still radical. but NJ
longer revolutionary. is the natural prod
uct of an age which Is no longer to,
! busy in selling opportunities to view reck
| lessness in the selling without serious
! concern
! big idea and strong mans contempt 70
those who sought to oppose him in tina
/ idea. But for a series Of disasters h
might have carried his policy through Il
success and been hailed as a great con
.tructor. There was a time when man!
Of us were inclined to attribute thos
disasters to sheer III fortune. OF late SOM
Of us have come TO fear that they wer
the price OF his financial scheme. Per
| haps this belief is erroneous. but It will
not readily down. There is too much ctr
cumstantial evidence.
Mr.. Mellen is out and Mr.. Elliott is in
The road is in sad need of rehabilitation
in public confidence. Just at present /
istration which will recognize the road
responsibility as q carrier before anything
else