Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1919-01-17
DIsPLEAsED WITH SERVICE.
Express Patrons Complain of West Riv-
er r. R. Arrangement--Boar of
Trade Takes Matter Up.

Protests. on the curtailment of the
express service on the West River
branch of the Central Vermont rail
way are pouring into the office of the
board of trade, and it is learned that
many Also have been sent 70 j. j.. Clark,
superintendent of the American Ex-
press company in Bellows Falls.
Since the protests began to appear
lganization has taken the matter up
with superintendent Clark at Bellows
Falls A reply from him states that the
express business is not sufficient on
that road TO warrant the company
Keeping special agents, the railroad sta
ton agents acting in that capacity, and
that they were obliged to take the ex-
| press messenger off the evening north
bound train for the reason that the
stations are closed before the arrival
of the train. The closing is due TO the
cighthour n day railroad law which
went into effect Jan. 6.
Upon the receipt of the reply from
Superintendent Clark the matter was
taken up Immediately with +. j. Guth-
RE, division superintendent of the Cen
| trail Vermont Railroad company, at
New London, Conn, and the board of
trade is hoping for reply from him
which will lead to the solution of the
problem.
! Among the protests received was one
in which the writer. n business man in
the West River valley. stated that he
| had known several occasions on which
it would have. been necessary to close
factory or mill all day unless the need
ed repairs could have been received
on the evening train by express, and
he considers the curtaiment a great
| Inconvenience and an injustice to the
patrons Of thc company.
Persons in-,the West River valley
state that so far as they are con.
cerncd shipments may as well be made
by freight and that they. would receive
them as quickly from Brattleboro, as
the only express service they now re-
ceiyc is given them through the freight
train which serves that section, lcav'
ing Brattleboro at 9.5s Il. M. and ar
irving at all of the West River sta
lions. too late for any repairs to ma
chinerv to be made and operations
started that day, whereas if parts had
been received on the train of the pre-
vious evening repairmen could have
done the work at. night and the ma
chincrv would have been ready to oper
ate in the morning.
The inconvenience and injustice arr
inflicted not only upon patrons of The
express company, but on travellers a
well, the present schedule necessitatins
the closing Of the railroad stations be
fore the arrival of the night train
thus making it necessary for persons
who in some instances have driven Ions
distances to meet their relatives o
friends. to wait outside the station
in the cold until the train arrives, will
no way of asccrtainng whether tn
train is FIVE minutes. late, two hour
late. or whether it may not arrive a
ALL on account of some accident. Thi
inconvenience also touches the stag
drivers who are obliged,'to wait TO
the trains in. order to receive the mail
Some, if not all, of the station agent
would prefer to wait until the arrival o
the trains, in order TO accomm3da
the patrons of the road, but iundct tn
eight hour law they are unab,u,eo IL