The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-01-27
By Trolley Line Officials in
Seeking Concessions from
the Barre City Council
BONDHOLDERS WILL
HOLD OFF FOR A TIME
Barre Councillors Offer as a
Solution Of Trouble the Re-
gained Good Will of Public

Overtures Tor the privilege OF curtail
ing its interurban traction service were
made by the Barre & Montpelier Trac
tion & Power company, through three OF
its officials at a special meeting OF tho
city council at city hall yesterday after.
noon. Charles II. Tenney of Spring.
field Mass. president of the Tenney cor
poration, Manager III. D. Larrabee and
w. f. Cory, road superintendent
spoke for the company. President Keast
called the adjourned meeting of the al
dermen to order at 1870 o'clock and after
formal adjournment had been taken
the mayor took the chair.
A few new angles from which the trac-
tion company's plight may be viewed
were presented by Mr. Tenney, but for
| the most part the remarks of the road
officials were resolved into the old-time
request that the council abrogate the
charter agreement by permitting the
company TO withdraw some of its cars.
Mr.. Tenney stated that his purpose in
asking for hearing was to secure the
co operation of the council in move
ment to forestall the necessity of turn
ing the road over to a receiver. He
went on to state that the company failed
to pay the interest on its bonds last No
vember, that the bondholders, while hav-
ing the right to ask the courts for a re-
eeiver Feb l, or 80 days after the com
pany's failure to pay its interest obliga-
tions, had consented to postpone action
of this sort until May /. if it can be
shown that change in the service will
lessen the operating cost and thereby
divert more satisfactory portion of the
receipts to the interest account. Mr..
Teuney emphasized the eompany's con
tention that it doesn't hold any of the
bonds and that it will stand to lose some
thing like 100000 if receivership is to
be granted.
Members of the council subscribed to
the belief that an increase in receipts,
by regaining the good viii OF the travel
ing public, is to be sought rather than a
means whereby the operating expenses
can be reduced at the expense of the |
service. Much that was ancient history |
was recounted in general effort to de-
wise plan that viii work to the advan-
tage of the company, albeit restore the /
service to its former level Messrs Ten
ney, Larrabee and Cory attempted to
show that when the former schedule was
n use and the l0-cent fare was in vogue
.he company neglected its roadbed and
rack maintenance in order to keep its
interest accounts even.
Mr.. Tenney briefly outlined the fol-
owing possible solution of the roads
Withdrawal of car after
'Iay ! in those hours of the day and
light when traffic is lightest; restoration
Il the l0-cent fare from May to Nov.
/; 1915 cent fare from Nov ! to May |.
t was also stated that the summer sery
ee would consist of three ears whenever
raffic would warrant and that the COM
any would probably make use of the I
withdrawal privilege only in the winter, 7
Then the operating cost is much higher. ]
of the Washington street ;
nd South Main street cars was also dis
nssed il being suggested that the main b
ne cars alternate in running to each $
erminus. Jitneys came in for their
hare of consideration and the feeling d
semed TO prevail among the councillors o
nat a return to a fare of 10 cents be-
9een Barre and Montpelier would re-
ilt in the elimination of many of the
tile autos. The officials, at least it
ay be said of Mr.. Tenney, took the OPP v
mistic view that the soaring price OF
lsoline may keep the iitneys out of
in 1916.
If anything, the council seemed just - y
tile bit more unbending than on pre- i !,
Gus occasions when the company has q.
tempted to puncture the franchise. ~ ~
ne members seemed to feel that main "
he car in the hours when traffic is al :. "a
,ys light can well be spared If the 10 >, "
NJ fare is restored. Mr.. Tenney asked VI
e council to think over the suggestions ''
lde at the hearing and asked that he 81
given an opportunity to meet the city 60
theirs at another hearing sometime be- ~
re May /. ~