The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-03-19
RUTLAND, NEWPORT,
ST. JOHNSBURY OPPOSE
Mr.. Aiken of Putney Also
Declared That the Pro-
posed Barge Termina a |
Would Not Be of Any
Benefit to the Farmers of
Vermont A Question of
Expense Raised by Others


on the Lake Champlain barge terminal
bill the Vermont House this morning
passed the measure, H. 207, by yea
and nay vote of ITO to 9S, having pre-
1usly passed, with hardly dissenting
gte, Fl. l99, authorizing the city Of Bur-
lington to issue bonds to assist in the
construction of the terminal
Mr. Aiken of Putney led the fight
against the barge terminal bill itself.
He was supported in his stand by Mr..
Writers of St. Johnsbury, Mr.. Wilson
OF Rutland City. and Mr. Dwinel of
Newport City. Mr., Hopkins of Burling-
ton made another long speech in favor
of the bill, and Mr.. Taylor of Hardwicll,
Mr.. Goss of DanYille and Mr.. Belknap of
Rockingham also supported the bill.
Mr. Aiken opposed the measure on the
ground that it was not practical at this
time, that it would not be paying
proposition, and that the state could not
afford it, anyhow, with all the other in
debtedness at the present time. He also
emphasized the fact that it would not
help the farmers and the small towns
one bit. Speaking of getting in grain
for the farms by water, he said:
THAT little pond is frozen over the
greater part Of the winter, when the
farmers get their grain. Then how are
you going to get it, draw it across on a
hand-sled, or get it by freight 2"
"A short time ago" said Mr.. Aiken,
there was an editorial in a Burlington
paper They did not say we (the small
towns were hogs, but they insinuated
it,"
Mr.. Aiken maintained that the termi-
mails in New York and New Hampshire
are practically on the seaeoast and have
salt water coming into their harbors, so
that the water is not frozen part of the
year He said that the next legislature
will be able to amend the law so that
an extra appropriation Of $4,000 may
be voted to carry on the work, and he
urged against making the first step
which would start anything of that kind.
Burlington is not giving one single
cent of money to the state for this ter
minal," said the speaker. "She is SIM
ply lending it.
Mr.. Aiken referred to the fact that
the government is taking over the water
ways to a large extent, and he thought
1t would be better to wait and see what
they are going to do Perhaps they
would decide to build barge terminal
at Burlington.
Mr. Hopkins, in his reply, accused the
gentleman from Putney of always being
on the side of the destructive rather
than constructive legislation. He reA
viewed the benefit to the farmer in the
saving on grain. He told what Rurling-
ton now pays into the state in taxes and
outlined the WAYS in which aid to Bur-
liugton meant aid to the state, and Of
Burlington's place in state affairs.
The speaker maintained that the barge
terminal is purely business proposition
and should be considered as such. He
told of the mistake which Burlington
made some 20 years ago in not taking
the opportunity which it had to purchase
the gorge at Winooski, and of the results
of that mistake in the difficulties of Sc
curing their lights in Burlington at pres
ent. He maintained that the mistake
would prove even more disastrous to the
state if it allowed this chance to 60 by.
The water front at Burlington, said
Mr.. Hopkins, will, two years from now,
be dotted with many small terminals
and cannot be bought for any reasonable
amount. Now is the time to take add
vantage of the opportunity.
Mr. Writers interrogated Mr.. Hopkins
about the terminal at PlattSbug, and
asked him if he did not think Burling-
ton would get as much out of the Ver-
mont barge terminal as the remainder
of the state Mr.. Hopkins replied that
he did not think Burlington would dc.
rive equal benefit with all the rest of the
state together.
Mr.. Writers told of the rapid growth
of the state expenses since 1909, and
stated that the present deficit in tho
state is 81 ,296 900, and that the expenses
had increased $50 per cent in the last
nine wears He said that he was not ops
posed to the barge terminal measure il
the state could afford it, but he did not
think it could.
He declared that if the terminal was
going to be such a paying proposition,
and if the people flom Burlington who
we're favoring it thought it would they
would want to get in on it and own ID
themselves and he did not think tho
state should deprive the city of Burling.
ton of the opportunity Of making good
thing out of the barge terminal
Perhaps we are all willing to take
chance with somebody else's money"
said Mr.. Writers Perhaps we are will
ing TO take a chance with our own mon-
ey, If we have it, But the state hasn't
got it."
: Mr.. Taylor OF Hardwick spoke briefly
Continued on eighth page.l