The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-05-07

Thursday, April %, 1920
Messrs. s. A. Richmond, \. d. Wyatt "
L. Stelman, Selectmen Of the town Of
Brattleboro,
Hrattleboro, Vermont.
Gentlemen
We acknowledge on behalf OF the Con-
necticut River Power Company of New
Hampshire your letter Of the 18th regard
ing the BrattleboroIIinsdale bridge across
the Connecticut River. There has also
come to our attention an article regarding
the conference of Saturday, the 10th, be-
tween yourselves and this firm on behalf
Of the Power Company, which appeared
in the Brattleboro Reformer of April 18th
entitled Power Officials Fail to Appear"
Some misrepresentation seems to exist re-
garding the conference. Ii was arranged
over the telephone between Mr. Wyatt
and the writer and the date was fixed with
reference especially TO my being able to
present and there was no suggestion that
any of the Power COmpany's Officials were
to be there. Mr. Hartman informs me
that he did not know that the Town had
any expectation that he would be present
At the conference we stated that the
Power Company'S position was that while
it denied any liability for the destruction
of the bridge. vet it was entirely willing
to bear some part of the loss and To take
up with the town the question of what
would be fair under all the circumstances.
The conference ended with the suggestion
that it would be renewed after the Town
/ bad gwen the matter further considera-
ton.
! Your letter of the 18th without advert
ing to the further conference which had
been suggested, stands simply on the po-
sition that the Power COMPANY is entirely
liable for the destruction of the bridge
J Tie Power Comnany cannot acGniescc
in the position taken in your letter Of
the 18th that you will rebuild the hr DE
at its expense nor can il accept any liza
bIity in connection herewith. About the
i time that the Power Company's dam was
flooded in 1909 II raised the Little River
i BRIDGE and road to point 1a0 at the re-
quest OF tho Seleetmen of the Town Of
| Grattleboro. but the Selectnen did not re
quire il to raise the elevation OF the
bridge just destroyed, which was at point
l24, and declined the offer Of Mr. Clark
G. Fits made on behalf OF the Power
| Company to raise it. as being unnecessary
| Aside from other defenses. we feel that II
the foresight OF reasonable men did not
at that time anticipate this loss the Power
/ Company was not called uDon to guard
against it and is not liable for it.
= Whatever the Power Conpanv.s lcga
defenses may be, however, Mr.. Hdrrimar
expresses the Power Cempany'S entire
willingness to bear some part Of the loss
and that he and the engineers ii the Com
panv win always be glad to discuss The
cntire matter with the Town includnr
the best and least cxnensiv" method %
demonstrating the bridge If the Tow
feels that an exchange of views betwee,
the parties with view to senno whe.hp
their views can be 1T all reconcilcd IS dc
sirable. the Power Company would h
very glad to go into the matter with tho,
and to meet them fairly in sincere ef
adjustment. If. however, tile Town feel
that the only basis on which the matte
can be approached is that the Power Com
pany is solely liable for the entire los
resulting from tile destruction of tn,
bridge, they leave no basis for negotiation
and it is useless to ATTEMPT them On
position remains as it was left at the en-
of the last conference, that we ara ola
at any time to take the matter nm furthc
with YOU in an honest effort to ad ms
our differences fairly.
Yours very truly
HARVEY. MAURICE, WHITNEY
Fits,