The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-01-23
OVERPASS ORDER
MAY BE HELD UP
Town and Railroads Reach Agreement Whereby
Union Passenger Station and Union Freight Sta
ton Will Be Provided at Once, Subject to Ap-
provaI of Public Service Commission


union passenger station is much nearer
an actuality today than it has been
for some time A verbal agreement, |
which is being put in writing this af-
ternoon, was reached last night be-
tween the parties interested winch con-
templates that the station shall lie
built without delay. This same agree
ment contemplates that the proposed
ovcrpass on Bridge street, concerning
which so much has been said shall not
be constructed at present, owing to
financial conditions which confront the
railroads.
1t is the union passenger station,
however, that the people have cared
most about, and while there will be
some disappointment over the plan to
put off indefinitely the overpass pro-
ject, there is not likely to be a disposi-
ton on the part of the public to force
the railroads to do something which it
is generally agreed they are not in
favorable financial position to do. The
agreement contemplates union freight
station on the west side of the railroad
tracks, which will eliminate much of
the crossing of tracks by teams, re-
ducing to that extent the necessity for
an oyerpass. ...u.- .
Citations were issued by the public
Iservicc commission recently requiring
the railroads and other interested par
ties to appear before the commission in
tits Office in the American building at
10 o'cloek today to show why the com
mission should not take legal steps to
enforce its order issued a year ago,
which required that the station and
IoverpaA be completed by Jan. l, 1915.
Railroad officials arrived in town yes
terday afternoon by private cars, but
Developments made it seem best to
postpone the hearing, and on a petition
signed by the Central Vermont Railway
Co. by Attorney G. W. Writers, the
lBoston & Maine Railroad Co. by Presi-
dent J. II. Hustis, Attorney General
Herbert G. Barber of this town and the
town Of Brattlehoro by Attorney c. G.
Fits, the public service commission
continued the hearing to Wednesday,
Feb. 3, at the same time and place.
The commission is not a party
to any agreement in the matter, but
sitting as a court and having request
for continuance from all parties in
the case it scarcely could do more than
grant the request. If the verbal agree
ment is signed it will be presented to
the commission at the hearing, and the
commission will then act upon it.
1t is not anticipated that the order
relative to the overpass viii be vacated,
but if the commission thinks favorably
of the plan it may suspend the order
/ to build an overpass to such time as
the financial eoadition Of the railroads
makes it advisable to have the order
, carried out. Probably that would not
be for some time to come.
In order to get at the sentiment OF
: : the interested citizens the railroads re
r quested that the proposition to build
a union station and postpone the over
pass construction be submitted to cit
izens, and the selectmen carried out the
request by asking number of person.
to meet last night in Festival hall
1t was brought out there that the COS
of work already done on Vernon stree
a was about $184,o00. 1t was shown also
which everybody knew, that the Boston
& Maine railroad was on the verge o
: bankruptcy and that the Grand Trunl
/ railroad, which controls the Contra
5 Vermont road, was up against extreme
I ~ hard times because Of the European
: war.
After some discussion the sentimen
seemed TO be in favor Of holding up tn
overpass proposition provided the rail
roads would build at once union pas
senger station on the location alread.
It lselected, on the southwest corner 0
Bridge street, at cost Of from $50. .00
to $4,000, and would have unioi
! freight station on the west side of tn
4 tracks, which would eliminate q larg
e part Of the present travel across tn
Q tracks.
y Following this meeting a meeting o
Z railroad officials and the local railroa
committee was held, when an agree
ment embodying the above facts wa
/ entered into verbally. The railroad OF
= ficials present included President E.
n. Smith Of the Central Vermont, GenerG
Manager G. c. Jones, Attorney c. v