The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1913-01-09
When Man Trouble His Friends Outward Express SYM

rdpeS, supervise the lSSuhuC0 u SlOCh,
supervision of construction and pow.
er to order further extensions. The
report holds that the state will be
greatly benefited by the development
of this territory; that private capital
cannot be found to undertake 1t; that
the state should not do so and that
the New Haven road is the best agen-
cy.
The report, which is voluminous
affair, starts with the appointment of
the committee last June, and details
the plan of investigation outlined by
the committee. 1t reviews the hear
ings held in various centers of the
state and gives brief synopsis of ties
timony taken at the hearings.
Under the title Findings and re-
commentators" the report takes up
the agricultural conditions in the five
counties of Western Massachusetts,
and draws the conclusion that the
growth of the larger towns in thi,
territory has been due to railroad
transportation, and that the decline
of a number of the towns has been
caused by tho lack of such facilities
The committee reaches the conclu-
sion that, from long line OF failures
in the past, private capital will not be
found to develop Western Massachu-
sets territory.
On the main proposition. that to
permit the New Haven to control troll
ley lines, the report says:
THE last proposition submitted to
the committee provides for the conso-
lidation of the Springfield and
Worcester street railway systems
with the Berkshire street railway, per
mission TO the New Haven railroad
to own securities OF the consolidated
company, and the RECRUITMENT under
bond that extensions shall be built
This proposition would involve, the
| dissolution of the holding companies
which now control the Springfield and
| Worcester system, namely, the New
| England investment and security com
pany and the Springfield railways as
| ISOLATION controlling the Springfield
| street railway company. and the
Worcester railways association con-
trolling the Worcester consolidated
street railway company. 1t would al
| so provide for the control of the Mas
! SdGnuSCltS tHt ltIlilS
of this proposal the extensions could
be procured for those sections of the
| commonwealth which stands in such
need of development From the evil
dence submitted to the committee no
other measure of relief was suggested
| except assistance on the part of the
| commonwealth. The consolidation OF
street railway companies which this
proposition involves would insure the
advantages common to such union,
such as centralized management and
uniform running schedule. Such
consolidation between street railway
| companies having a physical connec
ton is sanctioned by present law.
ut now becomes interesting to ex-
anime the other feature of this propo-
sition, namely. giving authority to
this railroad TO own securities of the
consolidated company; and to consi-
der what such ownership would mean.
how it would affect the transporta-
ton situation in Massachusetts,. and
whether II is desirable TO permit such
| situation to exist. IL has been ar
gued that if the New Haven is grant
ed the right to own the majority of
the capital stock of the Berkshire,
| Springfield and Worcester systems,
that competition in transportation will
thereby be eliminated in three of the
| five western counties, namely, Worces
| ter Hampden and Berkshire. While
| this is by no means entirely true, as
glance at the map shows, the real
| question is whether the common
wealth, for the enormous benefits
that will accrue to large section OF
the state, will, on the whole, gain or
lose by such a grants In the opinion
| of your committee, the commonwealth
can afford to grant these privileges
to the New Haven, providing some
tribunal be invested with ample au-
thority to regulate effectually the
street railway corporations whose cap
ital stock shall be owned or controlled
by the railroad"