Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-01-30

d ''idn' otherwise the opinions of the
/ conference would fail to command
public respect to the extent that Is /
desirable. The II points referred to
that body seem to cover the ground
most thoroughly, only one important
Phase Of the problem in it's broadcast
aspect being omitted, AMI that Is full,
not partial. government ownership of
railroads as a possible solution of the
uiHlcuitieo created by private monop-
oily. Inasmuch. however, as there is
very little public demand for govern
mont ownership. whether federal or
State. In this section, the omission IN
not at all serious.
whether a permanent New England
| conference. composed OF the heads of
.ne several state public utility or rail-
ROAD commissions. could be OF service
the future may be left to decide. It
Is doubtful that 1t could permanently
perform functions OF Importance in
view OF Its entire lack Of legal or oon-
stitutional Jurisdiction over the New
England lines. II state directors
should be admitted to the board of the
railroad system, there would then be
little use. 1t would seem, for the per
manent New England conference re-
much supervision; the Interstate COM
merce and the state commissions I,
Is we'll to remember. are already in
the field
The wisest counsel to III, Nav
Haven railroad MANAGEMENT n. M. ..
antag onize this movement for Nav
England conference, which In .ts tam
porary aspect at least assuredly
meets with public approval The
company should seek to co-onerate
with 1t; and above all to stuIv tho
possibilities OF reaching by means of
the conference satisfactorv rodus
vivendi with the public which the rail
road serves It must be recognized
by this time that one of the chief
weaknesses of private monopoly. even
under public regulation. Ia the chronic
disposition of the public to view II
with suspicion and TO harass II often
without Justice This is a state of
mind. 1t Ia possible that state direo-
tors representing especially the public
interest might help to bridge the gulf
between the monopoly and the people
~ seems certain. at all events. that
New England has begun to make rail-
road history, and that the way 1T
solves this question Of monopoly in
transportation will exert an influence
| upon the entire country
The danger that that State may be
led by the proposition of Governor
Foss to rely upon Interstate action
instead of graphing with the local
phase Of the problem Is thus empha-
sized by the Boston Journal:
The limitations of the governors as
conferees and the wide variance of
view on the part of the participants
In regar1 to the general question soon
made 1t clear that commission of in
curry was the only thing upon which
they could agree Thereupon the six
governors decided to call in an unnaiJ
commission OF twelve men and ask
them to deliver within three months
or less an exhaustive report UNION a
dozen phases of the New Haven stu
Htlon-past, present and future,-cov-
ering all the New England States
only one result of such an inquiry
can now be seen. but that is certain.
IF IT Is made with the ability and
thoroughness which II deserves. the
Legislatures of 1913 como. get It in
time to act upon It,
To bring in a report of real value in
the time allowed would call for the
services Of railroad experts, or tnves-
tigators In economies, Of the very
hrst rank. Waiting for such a report
before action means new delay OF a
year.
Governor Foss in wori has side
tracked the very project with which
he started vigorously in his inaugural
action by the State of Massachu-
sets TO Insist on adequate, efficient
and complete railroad service. employ
/ Ing the means put into it's hands by
statute to reduce the extent OF tho
present monopoly and to lead In pre-
venting the bottling up of New Eng
iand transportation by the monopoly
Governor Foss stated the situation
ABLY in the Campaign he made on this
subject The people showed their
support Of his views. They chose him
to do this work. The legislation for
taking over the holding company and
the creation of public utilities com
mission with real power. which the
State. we believe. is ready to grant
would proceed direct along the ROAD
of accomplishment.
Why does he now suddenly turn his
| pach Oh mas own program ana wait
for the a EDITION OF one new volume to
the mass Of railroad reports that al
ready exist?
We thus have the various possibil-
tiles OF the results Of the conference
| OF governors OF the New ENGLAND
States presented to a comparatively
full degree. BY selecting a middle of
the road proposition the chances are
that we shall arrive at a fairly ade-
quate conception of the limits of use
fulness OF the proposed commission,
If. however. such a commission does
nothing more than to bring about an
approximate uniformity Of lesisla-
tion in relation to transportation, il
will accomplish a great task; ana sue
| cess In this direction once assured. all /
these other possibilities will be added
! unto IL.
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