The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1895-09-24
TIE CONSOLIDATED Ro4p

Forth-The Expenses Entailed.
The advantages to the New Haven
company of acquiring the New Eng
land property have in many quarters
not been fully realized, and are thns
set forth by last evenings New York
Post:
They may be summarized as "a the
end Of competitive rates at some twen-
ty junction and terminal points in
southern New England, including such
places as Boston, Providence, Worces-
ter, Springfield. Woonsocket, Will
mantle, Norwich, Hartford, New Brit.
ain, Waterbury, Mepiden and Danbury;
(2) the end of competition at important
points near functions by which the New
England has taken the long haul while
forcing the short haul, on its competi-
tors; go the acquisition Of the valuable
New England terminal at Boston, G
the amount to be saved in fixed charges
by refunding of bonds falling due with.
in ten years, the lowest possible, esti-
mate of this single economy being
$5oo,OOO a year,, 90 economy of joint.
operation under the merger especially
at junction points; ,6) saving in legal
costs from long and bitter controversies.
in legislation, especially in Conneeti-
cut; CD the acquisition of the reorgani-
cation fund, an advantage, however,
more apparent than real, as it has had
to be paid in for the rise Of the pur-
chased stock; (0 the elimination of the
Norwich boat line as a possible dis
turbing factor in through traffic, and
(9) most important of all, the removal
OF the sharp menace from the New Eng
land under the possible control of
powerful outside company.
To this long list of gains there are
serious offsets. The New England road
is still in bad condition, and public SEN
timent will exact from it under New
Haven control a far different state of
affairs from that tolerated SO long. as
the managers of the system could plead
poverty. This is practically the case in
the matter of grade crossings, the New
England being far in, arrears under the
Connecticut law. Undoubtedly also the
New Haven company must assume sew
eral New England branch line leases,
which could be dropped to its profit.
The New England is a crooked cross
prevailing course Of the valleys, with
steep grades and sharp curves, and
very badly, situated for economical
operation. 1t is negatively rather than
positively valuable to the New Haven
company, and the latter can afford to
take it only on competitive grounds.
Last spring, as is known, the New Ha-'
ven manag gers made very careful eX-
animation of the property, and the
decision to take twas arrived at after
figures had been reached which show
ed a gain, largely by non-competition,
stated at the time on high authority, as
100000 a year, to be made by the
transaction.
With the control of the New England
the New Haven company becomes all
but absolute railroad master of south
ern New England, and of the whole
through system of boat lines on the
sound-in which important changes are
foreshadowed, including the probable
abolition of the Stonington line of
steamers. In Connecticut there are now
left outside of its control only the New
London Northern, the Philadelphia,
Reading and New England, and one
short line of a. semi-pTivate character.
It's single track mileage is, raised from
2,754 to 1924 miles, and the market val
ue of the properties owned or controlled
by it from $170, O00, 900 to about 5000 O00,-
900. On a basis of mileage not single
vides New England railroads among
Ave corporations as follows: Boston
and, Maine 2,762 miles, New York, New
Haven and Hartford 1881 miles, Fitch
burg $50 miles, Boston and Albany $3.50
miles, and the Vermont Central 772|
miles, the five systems thus including
all but about 900 miles in the six New
England states. The future treatment
of the newly acquired property, and
especially the minority stockholders,
present some grave problems, the
fIOuSd pT6CtueHL pUliltlllS W opSld-
ton for a while as a quasi ''indepen
dent" line, development of local and
n-competitive business, then final
consolidation on about the basis of the
average price Of shares in the purchase
of control.
IMPROVEMENTS ON TIE AIR LINE
Superintendent Ostrander of the Air
Line division of the Consolidated road
this morning. put on work train as a
preliminary to beginning the improve
ments on that line, and, having in view
the, new ballasting of the road beyond
Middletown. At present the work will
go on in the vicinity of Turnerville,
where a gravel pit has been secured.
1t is a twenty acre gravel knoll bought
Of p. w. Turner of Turnerville. TheI
tract of land lies between the Colches-
ter branch and the Air Line. A large
force of workmen began grading Sat
urday morning for one of the spur
tracks that is to be laid there. This
will be the largest gravel pit ever open
ed on the Air Line. 1t is" estimated
that the depth of gravel is about four
feet.