Morning journal and courier., 1882-03-03
The Propo sed "Bee'' Line.
Arguments Before the Railroad Commit.
 1,,,an o-

The PropO sed "Bee'' Line.
 Arguments Before the Railroad Commit
 tee Commenced-A Large Attendance of
 Interested Listeners-The Closing Argu-
 ments to be Made To-Day.
 There was a very large attendance in Rep resentatives' hall at Hartford yesterday after noon on the occasion of the opening of the arguments before the Railroad committee on the Parallel road project. There were 8 few ladies seated in front of the Speakers desk who appeared to take an interest in the dis cussion.
 The arguments were opened at 2:25 o'clock by MT. T. M. Maltbie for the petitioners. In his opening remarks he said: Gentlemen of tn committee, we have submitted our evi- dence to you, with maps and surveys from New York to New Haven, and have given you our reasons for not submitting full maps and surveys from New Haven, which was, as we have said owing to lack of time I pro- pose to leave out of my argument the great mass of evidence that has been brought be- fore you. l cannot tell what the land dam ages will be in New Haven or Norwich, but whatever they may be, if this corporation receives its charter, they will pay. I say to you gentlemen that those engaged in this project have no interest with any other Par allel railroad scheme. We believe the line, as proposed, through the eastern section of the State will build up towns and villages, and, as I believe, will give needed line 'di- rect from the metropolis of New England to the metropolis of New York. We propose to give all the towns through which we pass a competing line that will cause reduction of freight and passenger rates. What we pro- pose to do with our competing road is to compel the Consolidated road to reduce their rates. I say that there is universal demand throughout the State for additional railroad facilities, and it is demand that sooner or later must be acceded to. Over 5000 miles of railroad are compelled to pay tribute to the single line of railroad between New Haven and New York. I say that this road is monopoly. They say there are water com munications to compete with, but you have heard witnesses testify that there is no com petition between the railroad and the boats as they control both. The charter which
 
 materially from any other charter presented to you during the past twenty five years, and we ask why 8 distinction should be drawn be- tween us and the railroad alr eady built. Give us the same rights that other roads now have and we ask nothing more. Let me suggest to the General Assembly that the State of Connecticut is not the guardian of oarita1iSts Jy, fbiS Sfofo h,7f kI,o of the whole people. He then referred to the railroads of the State that had not paid, and said that they were built in time of high prices, and then the panic of 1874 came lasting until 1880, and these railro like corporations Of every name and nature suf- fered thereby. Now, continued the speaker we only ask to be permitted to expe nd ten or fifteen million of dollars to benefit the State. There has never been railroad built in the State that has not added to the material wealth of the State. We develop your in- dustries, add to your wealth and bestow benefit on all the people. Should we then, we ask, be compelled as it were to get down on our knees and beg for what is our right Who opposes this project. Who A creature of the State of Connecticut who comes here with three officers and directors and tells you that you must not grant to any other corpor- ation the same privileges that they have Then they bring in the New York and New England road that is really under their con- trol.g Let us now look at the special reasons of this corporation for opposing this project Mir. Maltbie here read 8 circular sent by the directors of the Consolidated road to their stockholders about the time the petition for the Parallel road was introduced into the Legislature. Continuing, the speaker said that the effect of this was to frighten the stockholders into the belief that their stock would be impaired to some extent by the building of the proposed Parallel road He lid not believe such to be the fact and he be- ieved the cry of alarm set up was no reason why charter should not be granted to the present petitioners. As matter of fact the Consolidated road has got every manufactur- ing industry in the State by the throat But you give us this railroad and we give you a check to exorbitant charges; if you don't want to do this then refuse us charter The speaker then referred to the purchase by the Consolidated road of the Portchester and Harlem River railroad, and the purchase of majority of the stock of the New Haven and Northampton, the leasing of the Shore Line railroad, the hiring of the Air Line, &c., which he said was done to prevent competing lines from building another road from Boston to New York. Now this great corporation objects because they say we can build under tbS general railroad law. Again, they say we don t propose to build at aIl and again that if we do build we intend to sell out to them. In regard to the first objection, Mir. Maltbie said that long ago as 1874 Mr. Wm. D. Bishop opposed proposed Parallel road from build ing bridge across nayigable stream, and this clause for preventing railroads from building bridges across navi- gable streams was for the very purpose of defeating the effect of the general railroad law. Therefore when they say we should build under that law they know we cannot, and they know that there has never been a mile of road constructed under it. Every time corporation has tried to construct road under that law they failed, and Mir. Bishop, the then president of the New York and New Haven road knew when that law was drafted that no competing road would ever be built under it. MT. Maltbie said to the committee that they could put into the charter, in language as strong as it could be made 8 provision that under no circum- stances shall the charter be sold 0 the New York, New Haven and Hartford railroad. We seek no controversy with this railroad com pany, but we come here quietly and ask for this charter, as we have right to do. It is for you to consider, then, whether we are honest, whether if the road is built it will add to the wealth of the State. If you refuse this charter you rob the State to enrich this powerful cOrpOfat1On.
 Simeon E. Baldwin followed Mr. Maltbie. He said he was not here to represent the New York, New Haven and Hartford railroad, but represented two weaker corporations-the New York and New England and the Air Line railroads. He then gave history of the struggles of the Air Line railroad and the fact of it's being forced into pooling dr. rangement to save itself. He said that the Air Line received less last year from the Con- solidated road than it did three years ago when they ran it themselves Yet it was an advantage to have strong road to lean upon Middletown expended nearly $500, 900 on the Air Line, and I say it would be wrong to the people of Middletown and other stockholders if this road should be built and would abso- lutely destroy the value of the Air Line road. I leave that part of the proposed road run ming west of New Haven to those who are to speak for the Consolidated road and confne myself to that portion run ming east toward Boston. Speaking of the New York and New England road he said it stood here by itself and asked the consid- eration of this General Assembly. This road like the Air Line had been built up on the ruins of other roads. It gives new avenue for Connecticut to the West and it gives a new avenue from Boston to New York He said the road proposed by this Parallel road had nothing to recommend it except the audac1ty with which it is proposed Again the New York and New England has been serving Connecticut for many years without ah1a ta