The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-03-26
M2LLEN HTS AT PROU7Y
PRESIDENT OF THE NEW HAVEN
 ROAD

Says Prouty's Charges Were Unjust The Rate Bill and Why as Now Drawn | It is nequitabIe--Governmen Regu- lation will Not be an Improvement.
 Boston, March 24.-President Mellen made his second address of the week | on the railroad situation before the Get Together club of Hartford, MT, Mellen severely criticizing the Hepburn Rate | bill now before congress- Since then the Hartford speech has been severely 1 handled, both in congress and by news { papers in many sections of the country, | and the close of MT. Mellens address l here tonight was devoted to a defence of his speech.
 MT. Mellen spent large part of his time tonight in discussing the attack on the New Haven road made by Com 1 missioner Prouty in his Boston speech recently. discussing at length the Geor- gia peach rates, and laying especial | emphasis on the allegations of Com l missioner Prouty that the New Haven road had discriminated in favor of the 1 Standard oil Company.
 MT. Mellen tonight made the first 1 official answer to the Standard Oil I discrimination charges, saying that l the commissioner used the Stan dard Oil assertion because he thought "by linking our company with the pop l ular prejudice that has lately existed against the Standard oil Company he could help his attefpt to "get more au- thorty"
 MT. Mellen said that others than the Standard Oil were favored, and that there was competition on the New Ha- ven through these other comanes. He says that the commissioner who presi- ded at the hearing of the case had an~ nounced his position while the case was pending, and that this is an eX- amls of the hesitancy of railroad men to have more power put in the hands of one so prejudiced" Mir. Mellen to- night also announced a number of new plans for the Massachusetts end of the system.
 In conclusion President Mellen said: We are on the eve of a great change in the handling of our railroads. We | have learned they are not private prop erty. We know now that the public has rights they are disposed to assert, and there must be larger measure of control than ever before conceded. It is useless to deny there have been abuses. It is impossible to allay the distrust and suspicion they have exci- ted. It is too late for promises; the end is in sight. The man who feels he has done his whole duty, the man who is conceded to have done it--they are both swept aside by a public which feels outraged, and is striking out blindly in it's rage, and likely to cause more damage in seeking a remedy than has been caused by the disease.
 Regulation is right; have never de- nied it; l have advocated it, and l do to-da do not believe your rates will ever be so satisfactory or equitable if controlled by a government tribunal and made by square and compass, as they are now, but l am not disposed to contend on that point if the majority think differently, but l do believe that no rate rue or regulation should be es- tablished by any tribunal without sus- pension of same pending an appeal to the courts; and If the judges are likely to be overburdened and there be delay, they should be helped out by increasing I their number. No carrier should be al lowed to indulge in needless or unne- | cessary litigation, and all should be re- i quired to give all necessary security 1 for good faith and to cover loss, cost and expenses.
 I have seen criticism of my tardiness in expressing disapproval of the Hep burn bill.
 To this, say; The bill is still pend ing. I have neither been asked nor had part in it's drafting, It is still open to amendment therefore, that I have not talked before can render no less effec~ tive what I say now.
 The President would think less of me if I did not speak my mind for what believe to be right, and believe In him no less to-day than heretoforee, though I disagree with him if he advocates tha Hepburn bill in it's present form.
 You have also seen in @ yellow jour- nal recently that my company and n.y. self are charged with some illegal ar rangements with the Sugar Trust or some of its subordinate organizations.
 Neither my company nor myself is engaged in any business in violation of law, nor has it been during my admin istration. Both are trying hard to make a living within the law by strict ly minding their own business
 In the language of a former governor of this commonwealth, we go for our friends and occasionally we go for our enemies, and this has been one of the occasions.
 | STAR OF LIGHT WHIST -Tn-MnR-