Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-08-17
CONSOLIDATED SELLS OUT,
DIsposes Of Its Trolley Line Holdings
in States Of Mass, r. l., and Conn.


Boston. Aug 16.-D Details of the trans
fer by the New York, New Haven &
Hartford Co. Of street car systems val
ucd at many millions of dollars. leak
ed out in this city today. and although
official confirmation was lacking in
railroad circles, it was learned that the
railroad company had taken steps to
diV"St itself Of practically all Of its
street car property in southern New
England The transfer. which follows
closely on the announced intention Of
the Massachusetts authorities to retain
in this state control of Massachusetts,
street railway corporations has been
made to an association known as the
New England Security Investment Co.
According to Information obtained
here. the deal was said to involve the
street car lines owned by the New ITa-
ven road in both Massachusetts and
Connecticut with connecting lines to
Rhode Island and New York. A report
from New Haven. however. indicated
the proha bility that the Connecticut
lines might not figure in the transfer
due, it was said, to the fact that under
the charter of the Consolidated Rail-
way Co., the holding company of the
Now York. New Haven & Hartford
Co. such transfer would be unneces-
Sary. There was no official of the rail-
road in this city today who could state
the exact scope of the deal 1t was an
nounced unof'cially. however. that the
railroad company had disposed Of its
entire group of trolley lines, and later
this cnews was confirmed with the
l.,,
mature.
For over three years tho New York
New Haven & Hartford Railroad Go.
has been acquiring street railways in
the state of Massachusetts and recent
~ the holding" OF the company reached
such proportions that the matter was
made the subject Of special message
by Governor Guild to the Legislature
on the eve of its adjournment last
June Attorney General Malone also
interested himself in the matter, and,
acting III accord with the views of the
governor he drafted and submitted to
the Legislature q bill intended to pre-
vent 4 continuance in this state of the
control of the trolley car companies by
steam railroad systems. A brief con-
sideration of the matter by the LeEis-
latiVc committee on street railways
brought about the suggestion that
tcst ease would be made and the attor-
ney general set about preparing a case
which would eventually receive a rul-
ing from the Massachusetts supreme
court. While this case was being pre-
pared. the attorney general. desiring
certain information in connection with
the car lines owed by the railroad, ask
cd Prcsidet Mcllen. through Chairman
Jackson of the state railroad commits
sion, to furnish it to him.
New Haven. Conn. Aug. 16.--The fol-
lowing statement was issued from
President Melcn's office this after
ct was stated officially today that
noon:
a report in connection with the hand
ling Of Massachusetts trolleys had
been made to the railroad commission
crs Of the commonwealth and that it
would not be- courteous to make any
statement until the commissioners had
fully discussed the report.
IT is stated upon railroad authority
here that the sale of trolley lines by
the New York, New Haven & Hartford
Railroad TO the New England security
and Investment Co, a voluntary asso-
citation at Boston, applies only to the
Massachusetts lines owned by the
steam road, all of which have been
bought within three years.
According to the last report of the
railroad commissioners of Connecticut,
the Consolidated Railway Co, the hold
ing company Of the electric properties
of the New York, New Haven & Hart
ford railroad, had total Of 209 miles
Of trackage. In addition the steam
road controls the Hartford Street Rail-
way Co. under the original incorporate
name. of so miles number of lines
in western Connecticut, cotiguous to
New York state. which were operated
under a holding company and recently
it bought the Torrington and Winches-
ter Railway.
In addition to the surface lines the
Consolidated Railway owned several
gas and electric plants which were TAX
en- over when local roads were pur-
chased.
Under the charter granted to the
Consolidated Railroad Co. by the last
general assembly the company was
given full power not only to buy and
consolidate railway lines In this state