The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-10-03
RAILROAD BILL
Of COMPLIANT
Details as. to insufficient
Service on West Riv-
er Road
COURT TO HOLD
HEARING HERE

tGOmplaInantS Say Patronage Would BE
Increased if Proper Service Was Re
i stored-ParticuIars Wherein Agree
ment Is Not Fulfilled.
Further details concerning the bin of
complaint filed in the United States dis
trict court for the district Of Vermont by
the Brattleboro & Whitehall Railroad Co
against the New London Northern Rail
road Co., are given herewith. No date
has been set for hearing but il will be
Ehcld in Brattleboro before Judge Har-
| land Il. Howe within q short time after
the answer is filed by the New London
ICo. In this case the cOmplainants seek
20 have the New London Co. ordered to
+ perform in full the agreement it entered
into with the complainants in 1908 with
! respect TO service on the West River rail-
/ road, which was then the Brattleboro &
| Whitehall railroad.
/ The complainant says that at the time
/ of signing the stipulation and for more
/ than % years then last past. stations had
/ been maintained at South Londonderry.
/ Nlnbau station, Jamaica, Wardsboro
station, West ToWnshend, Townshend.
| Ncwfanc. Williamsville and West Dunn
merst0n, together with agents who on
each weekday issued and received pay for
passenger tickets. checked baggage. re
ceivcd both incoming and outgoing freight
F. and collected charges thereon and issued
bills of lading and freight receipts. and
I trou whom empty cars might be ordered
I for loading. During all that time there
We're operated passenger train and
mixed train each way each weekday. and
the mixed train carried carload and less
than carload lots each day between the
various stations and to BrattlebOro. the
passenger train carrying mail and both
passenger and mixed trains carrying mail
in closed pouches since Aug. 10. 1917.
I-Sincc Jan. /. 1918. however the mixed
train has carried freight originating on
that line. in less than carload lots on
only one day each week. Friday, and
/ since Sept. -. 1921, the passenger train
has been discontinued altogether and the
mixed train has been run on a schedule
beginning at South Londonderry and re
quiring over four hours to reach Brattle-
horo. a distance of 80 miles
/ For many years. the complainant says.
there was accorded patrons freight stop
over privileges whereby lumber Originat-
ing ut one point could be stopped over at
another point for dressing and finishing.
/ which privilege was a source of income
not only 30 patrons but to the railroad.
/ Under the Stopover privileges two or
! more patrons could combine to ship a car
of produce in the name of one of them
or u shipper having less than carload
/ lots Of freight at various points on the
1 iiIt tUiltt SltD over a car ana lNdu II TO
! capacity before shipping to destination,
/ which was a source of revenue to both
shipper and railroad. This privilege has
/ been withdrawn and solely because of the
/ withdrawal the complainant says one
! mill owner has ben compelled to sell his
| equipment for dressing lumber as the
| business of dressing lumber has been
! lost to him.
There has been no material change in
the number or character of the inhabi-
tants Of the West River valley towns or
/ the manufacturing, mercantile or other
business establishments therein since the
signing of the agreement. the complain
ant says. and many of the inhabitants
and business places depend entirely on
the railroad to market their product and
! for general transportation.
! 1t Is declared by the complainant that
/ when the stipulation was entered into it
! was the understanding. meaning and cx
. pCctati0n Of all the parties thereto that
TO maintain and operate the same (theI
| railroad1 50 aS to properly accommodate
! the freight and passenger business natur-
ally coming thereto meant that all sta
/ tons should be continued as they We're
/ then. with station agents whose duties
! were to include those previously men
| ticncd. also that it meant that there
! should be run a passenger train and a
mixed train each way each weekday on
/ substantially the same schedule as at
| that time. and that the mixed train
should carry freight in less than carload
| lots on every train SO run, such service
being then and now necessary to carry
out the terms of the agreement.
| The Winhall and WiiiamSvillc stations
were closed to general freight and pasSen-
ger business Aug. 10 of this year and the
| agents discharged and in lieu thereof
tharc have been installed employees of the
railroad designated as caretakers and
such stations are called prepaid stations,
there being no persons there with author
! ity to sell tickets, check baggage, receive
| freight etc
| The complainant AYERS that to dis
! continue the passenger train. refusal to
carry less than carload lots except on
| Friday and the closing of the stations Is
not in compliance with the terms of the
! stimulation and decree and that the Serv-
lice now being rendered is not 4 fair
and reasonable performance of those
terms.
One paragraph of special interest in
the complaint reads as follows And the
/ defendant (the <BrattleborO & Whitehall
| Railroad Coz further AYERS that it is
Uniformed and believes and therefore
states the fact to be that II the plaintiff
and its leSseeS and assigns viii operate
Isaid railroad in n measure to reasonably
accommodate patrons in the freight and
passenger business, in its time schedules, (
number and character of trains and man.
liner of handling freight the people of the
West River valley and towns adjacent
! thereto will reciprocate and will turn
e,,hstartiallv all their business to said
l. railroad, for all of said inhabitants are
= anxious to have said railroad maintained
and continue to do business and they re-
aIize that a discontinuance thereof
lwould be a great calamity to the entire
VALLEY
I Further the complainant SAYS that in
/ addition to the specific damages above
set forth great and irreparable injury is