Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-10-22
PROUTY REPLIES
TO CHARGES Of
Fits At BARRE

Barre Oct 10.-Charles A. Prouty, non
senator, spoke here tonight before an
audience which filled the floor of the
opera house and received his remarks
with enthusiasm Mr.. Prouty was in
troduced by n. D. Phelps and spoke
about an hour and half devoting con-
siderable time to a reply to the state
ments of General Fits
Mr.. Prouty left late tonight for Wash
,ngton, D. c., expecting to be absent
from the state at least until Satur-
day.
Mr.. Prouty spoke tonight sub
stantialy as follows:
Mr.. Fits says that ! am destructive
and not constructive That is exactly
what Mr.. Mollon says. Mr. Fits himself
is both constructive and connective He
is the sort OF a man whom Mr.. Mellen
and those like him employ to put in
execution their schemes. 1t takes a good
man, and it takes about all his time
to destroy what these gentlemen build
up.
Il deny, however, that the criticism
of Acknowledgement Fits is correct.
proper way In which to deal with these
transportation matters was by prevent
Ing the wrong before It had been COM
mitted. I have earnestly endeavored
to put upon the statute book laws to this
effect, and have in many cases sue
ceeded.
I'm the matter of private monopoly
suggested that the same course be
been adopted by the present administra-
ton.
IF you will look at the New Haven
report prepared by me and adopted by
the commission you will FIND at the con.
cluson certain practical constructive
suggestions as to what ought to he done
to rehabilitate the New Haven system
and restore transportation conditions in
New England l myself got together the
railroad commissions of Massachusetts,
Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine,
and that body prepared and suggested
n new scheme of class rates for the
Boston e Maine system, thus taking
the first step in the readjustment of the
tariffs Of that company.
Mr. Fits says that in this conference
] favored the zone theory This is not
frue l favored the application of a uni
form mileage scale for the entire
Boston & Maine system until 1t became
evident that such a scheme could not
be and perhaps ought not to he adopted
He says that insisted upon higher
scale OF rates than the railroad was
willing to accept. This also is wrong.
The scale adopted yielded the Boston &
Maine much less gross increase than
That company insisted that it should
have. 1t may be that the scale was so
changed as to establish a higher rate
Tor some particular distance.
The whole subject was fully dis
cussed by all the commissioners and the
conclusion was unanimous BY the scale
established the condition of the Yer
mont distributor was greatly improved
as compared with his competitor in
Mas sa Chusetts.
Mr. Fits charges that in my law
practice I was ever for the defendant.
That Is not true. What little success
ever won at the bar was as a plaintiffs
attorney. The first county court suit I
ever brought was against railroad and
cost the railroads Of northern Vermont
n quarter Of n million dollars My client
was poor woman and l had against
mo every lawyer in the county of
Orleans OF any ability, | am to-day the
plaintiffs attorney. ! endeavor to stand
as the representative of the masses
against the agErcsslons Of those whom
Mr. Fits ably represents. IF I am
elevated ] shall work for the passage Of
laws which will properly restrain the
activities Of Mr.. Fits and his clients"