Connecticut western news., 1891-01-21
MERCHANTS COMPLAIN
Is the Housatonic Company Unfair to
 Them?
THE POLICY OF THE MANA c GElfENT

I l Companion of the Naugatuck and lAOusatOntc Valleys and the Policy
 of the Railroad-A Gentleman In- 1 teresseii In the lIOusatOnic Manage l ment Interviewed.
 1 The merchants along the line of the
 Housatonic railroad between this city
 and Bridgeport have been complaining
 bitterly of late concerning policy of
 the railroad management which they
 believe is detrimental both to the road
 and the towns along the line. The
 storekeepers assert that the business | excursions which the railroad company
 runs to Bridgeport and New York are
 killing the home trade and they allege | further that freight rates are higher
 than they should be and that discrimi-
 nation is made against freighters at non-
 competing points.
 l The mplainants make comparison between the Naugatuck and Housatonic valleys and from this comparison claim
 to be able to prove that the Housatoni: management is acting unfairly towards 1 AIo P0pAOAo. AAO uiO puA0AAOI3 , each possesses admirable advantages for
 industrial development. Both have | excellent water power; both are blessed
 with we'll equipped railroad extending l through their whole length. The Naug
 atuck valley is fourishing; Shelton, l Derby, Ansonia. Birmingham, Water manufacturing centers whose populatio
 has been rapidly increasing these last few years. One great reason for this prosperity, it is claimed, is the liberal policy pursued by the management ot
 the Naugatuck. On the other hand there is hardly a town from Bridgeport to Pittsfield | which is holding its own in point of l population and there Is not town
 which can properly be called manu- featuring center, as it is asserted. There are few manufactures in New Milford, | Great Burlington, Housatonic,' South
 Lee, Lee and several small industries here and there. as for instance the iron works at Kent Furnace and the glass works at Lenox Dale. This state of affairs is charged in great part to the | railroad company. In the Naugatuck valley the railroad company has encour- | aged the establishment of mannfactur- | ing and other business enterprises b, | giving reasonable freight rates. In this l valley, it is asserted that the railroad company has made it's freight patrons
 at non-competing points pay high l freightage and at the same time favoreti
 city merchants by putting on express trains and running business excursions ! to the large cities. It is asserted that l the present management is giving less ! satisfactory service than was furnished ! under the Barnum regime.
 l As result of all this it is claimed that people go to Bridgeport or New 1 York to make their purchases and thus | neglect the merchants in their own town on the one hand, while on the other tn l merchant is unable to get his goods by freight at fair price. The merchants believe that it will be only question os time when they will be starved out by ! this unjust treatment as they cali it, 1 ut the hands of the Housatonic manage ! ment.
 The Position of the Management. A Journal reporter interviewed gen. ! tleman prominently interested in the | Housatonic management regarding these | CIltlClSIuS dutt uFSU ! the statement that the different policies | of the two railroad companies were re- | sponsible for the condition of affairs in
 the two valleys, Naugatnck and Housa- tonic. In the first place. said the 1 gentleman interviewed, ''Superintend- | ent Hunt, whose administration began in 1852 is to be blamed for any advan- tages that the Naugatuck valley has 1 gained in regard to rates. It was then That the Nsugatuck first began it's devel- opement. The rates for passenger and | freight service were never so low on the | Housatonic as they have been since Mir | Stevenson has assumed charge"
 | "The fact is that previous to the time when the Consolidated company leased 1 the Naugatuck road in 1856, the aver
 age rate of freight per ton per mile on the Naugatuck was four cents and four | mills while on the Housat onic the aver
 age rate per ton per mile was two cents
 and three mills, about one-half to the
 advantage of the patrons of the Housa-
 tonic. The figures are taken from the
 last official reports of the two companies
 to the railroad commissioners of Con- necticut."
 But has there not been reduction
 nf freight rates on the Naugatuck since
 1862" interrupted the reporter.
 Yes there has been a small reduc-
 iiou, but 1t was caused by the New York and New England and the Housatonic
 companies forcing the management of
 the Consolidated to reduce their rates
 because of competition. The Naugatuck
 company no longer reports to the rail | road commissioners"
 l "What about the policy of the Hous-
 atomic management with reference to
 the excursions of which complaint is
 made?" asked the reporter.
 "As regards that" was the reply, ''it
 is in line with the policy of Mir Steven
 sons administration to give the public
 all the opportunities he can to enable
 them to see what is going on in New
 York. It is we'll known that 1t Is carni-
 val time in the city during the holidays.
 The shop windows are fnll of the new
 est and most novel attractions for old
 and young. It does not follow by any
 means that every one who takes advan-
 tage of the excursion rates goes as a
 buyer. There is the fasination of going
 to New York at low rate; that is au in-
 ducement to some. Others have friends
 to see with whom to exchange tue con-
 pliments of the season, etc. At any
 rate 1t follows as the night the day that
 people like to go and see and 1t is by nc.
 means improbable that the knowledge
 that they can do so will stimulate the
 nome shop keepers to keep up to the
 times in the inducements they may off I
 to keep their patrons at home"
 Ut has been the constant endeavor of
 Mr Stevenson and his associates in the
 management of the Housatoni, to make
 that road as much benefit to the pub-