The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1921-02-24

transpoTtat,o Of beef between these
two points, at the time it ceased op-
Grafton sometime ago, while Vad's ex-
press collects today soc per 100 lbs.
Tor the same service; rates on other
items possibly fixed IN the same pro-
portion.
Has the Traction Company ever
made ap.yl!cat on to the Public SeY-
ice Commission for an increase in
tneif freight rats? Not to the writ
ecs know edge therefore, believe
that every ia rmnded person in Ben
mngton would lend h.s moral support
to the BERKSHIRE Street Railway Com
pany at hearing before the Public
Service Commission an seeing that
tn Company be granted an increase
in passenger and freight rates neces-
sary to properly discharge It's just
O1l sat ons, and umbegrudgingly pat
ronize the road whenever poss bic to
do so, but on the other hand, / be-
lieye the principals of democracy are
opposed to unequal taxation, dis
trlbut on Of the deficit n the Operat-
ing cost OF a privately owned street
railway among the taxpayers OF the
community rather than placing the
cost OF the service rendered by the
company, upon those who actually
use the service.
Every business has IT'S ups and
downs the Traction Companies includ
ed Statistics show that the hnanci-
al condition of the Street Railways,
as a whole, is on the mend Why
should not the Berkshire Street Rail
way do likewise. They have all seen
their worst days, and the future pros
poets are better.
+ These two bills almost identical in
form, were presented to and killed by
the Assembly OF Vermont two years
ago. Similar bills have been present
ed to the legislatures OF many other
States by Organized Traction Assoc.
at ons, but so far as we have been
able to learn upon inquiry, no State
in the United States has seen fit to
relieve the Street Railways from ly
ing up to the terms and condit ons
as stated in the franchise, and at this
point, let me say, that terms and
cond tlons Of a Street Rai.ay fran
oh Sc no matter by what State grant
ed, are practically uniform regarding
the Company S obligation TO do street
paving, the replacement OF worn ou'
ties and rails, etc.
No man has greater PRIDE in his
hcme town and State, than |, and i
always gives me satisfaction to SET
Legislation progressive in It's policy
yet fully realize that there are Ger
tain fundamental laws upon th'
Statute Books which should remail
as they now are, among which ma,
be mentioned the Statutes appertain
ing to the granting Of franchises T.
operate public utilit es
"Public Service Corporations am
particularly those devoted to trans
rortation tend to serve a wide are
comprising frequently several ind
vidual cities, V llages, or towns, an
for the better sreyice of the genera
publ should be subject to uniton
laws and franchise provisions rathe
than to the vagarles of several sepi
rately voting communities" d"
These bills proposed, while the
1 concern us here in Remington, mea
3 Just as much to every town and vi
} lage in the State OF Vermont
Z Should both or either Of these b i
+ become the law of the State, ] sha
J, expect to see no end OF annoyan(
> and litigation Immediately followin
N their wake
In company with my friend, Marti
t shall do my best to prevent the
K passage, they being in my opInic
g vicious pieces Of favorable cooper
S tion relief and therefore contrary
l. the theory of public policy.
Respectfully submitted,
l. George NJ. Hawks
# Bennington, VT, February %, 1921,