The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-05-24
MIR. MELLEN IN LIVELY
 HEARING AT HARTFORD
ASKS FOR REPEAL OF CAR DE-
 MURRAGE LAW.

the Business Men of the State That
 It be Done Away with-Road Can
 stand It but They Cannot-Danger-
 ous situation May ResuIt-Road Att
 tackled by Hartford Man.
 Hartford, May 23.-President Mellen of the New York, New Haven and Hartford railroad this afternoon, for the fourth time this session, spoke at a legislative hearing at the, capitol in favor of legislation desired by his sys- tenn. The matter on which he spoke this time was the car demurrage law. The hearing in its later stage was very lively. It was held in the house cham Der, and President Mellen was on his feet repeatedly answering questions as opposition to the bill developed. Sey- eral times the policy of the New Ha- ven road was attacked sharply. and one speaker, Dr. George s. Miller of Hart ford, made what seemed close to 9. personal attack, owhich Mr. Melien made quick rejoinder. Humor was ln- terjected into the hearing by William Schwartz of Rockville, a coal dealer, who told of his experience in trying to get coal charges delivered. His fa- vorite expression was, Back to the nlines," in the course of his reasoning why coal was so long delayed en route because of the delay on the part of the New Haven road in returning empty cars.
 The hearing was opened with the fol- lowing remarks by MT. Mellen: The demurrage law of this state has been found to be unnecessary elsewhere. There are other manufacturing and az ricultural communities where less facil- ities are furnished and higher rates for the same are charged, that are no less prosperous, and many are more so, and exactions of this character have been considered neither desirable nor bene- i .ficial.
 The tonnage of New England is largely east bound. It is case of raw product in and finished product out. 1 Many cars come here loaded and re l turn empty. The through business, so called, is thus made unduly expensive l! to the railroads. Under the mileage system of payment in vogue two years ago, it was customary to allow foreign cars to be loaded locally G. e. to a point upon the route of the return jour ney of the carl, and in this way much fof the local business was cared for; l to-day such practice means in this state further detention of a car pos sibly four days longer time than would be otherwise required for it's movement, and the practice is becoming fast dis continued, the present rule being to push all foreign cars back to their home ! roads.
 f This makes a shortage in the facil- ! ities heretofore enjoyed locally, for the equipment of the local road is insuffi- cient to meet all demands, and suffi- cient time has not elapsed in which to build, and the encourag cement under the present laws has not been of a char acter to make owners overanxious to supply capital for so doubtful a ven- ture.
 Thus we find at the present time 8 < condition wherein cars sufficient to do I west bound service are being refused for loading purposes, and returned l empty to their owners - insuffic Iequippage to handle the local business
 because of the unnecessary dentention .Iunder the operation of the laW-indls- position to furnish additional capital for more equipment to be used for
 storelnouse and workhouse purposes and general prejudice existing in the railroad world against a section of the country that seems to set itself up as wiser than all the rest in that it has I placed instructions about the matter of 7. car service In selfish, arbitrary spirit,
 which disregards all rights of others that a very few may be accommodated
 at the expense of the many; that rates < may be adjusted so that a whole com- munity pays more that a few may
 dawdie, and inefficient pay less. Be- cause of the law of Connecticut all New England stands in the same position. This section of the country which in l my Judgment needs all the considera- tion that can be given to it, which is dependent upon the transportation fa- cilities in greater degree almost than any others, must do the very thing of I all others to arouse against 1t prejudice land ill will; and persist therein against l all the warning of those who have it's
 welfare most at heart
 Let there come time as there sure fly will, when the business of the coun- try is booming, and cars will be ready l for any other destination than New l England, and with what result here?
 Strange as it may seem to you l
 am here urging the matter not in the interest of the New Haven railroad,
 and I shall have indeed failed if I do
 not convince you that am here in the interest of the business men of the
 state, to have you remove from your statute books that which is of no bene-
 fit to any interest, but which works
 substantial harm to all business inter- ests in the New England states.
 q am here appealing to you not to , help me, but to help yourselves. I can
 stand this for the company I repre-
 sent, but you cannot afford to have me stand it.
 MT. Mitchell said that the present law Twas unjust to the New Haven road He read a communication to that effect from a number of New Britain manu. Ifacturers >*..- | t IA r>.