The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-05-15
STATEMENT FROM
 A. WILLIAM SHERRY Independent Company's Side of Morris Cove Railway
 Controversy.
STANDS ON OWN MERITS
Full History of Hearing from Viewpoint of
 Engineer.

The following statement from A. Will liam Sperry, who has petitioned the legislature for an extension of time within which to construct the proposed East Haven and Morris Cove railroad, gives his side in the controversy, out of which has grown the serious charges of lobbying and corruption in the leg islature:
 The petition of the East Haven and Morris Cove Railroad now before the Legislature at Hartford has occasion ed so much comment in the press of the State under the headings of "Gi- gantic Railroad Deal" or Gigantic Railway Scheme" for which the oppo- nent of the project, the Consolidated Railroad and it is the only opponent, is mainly responsible, it is time that the full facts should be stated regarding this petition and the motive and eff forts of the Consolidated road to se- cure it's demise.
 The petition of the East Haven and Morris Cove Railway asks for an ex- tension of time within which to con struct the line and also for amend ments to it's charter giving it the right to connect North Branford with Guil- ford and also to construct a line from a point at or near the westerly termi- nal ,of it's present proposed line on Quinnipiac avenue at Essex street or Foxon avenue in the town of New Ha- ven by private right of way to Mid- dletown avenue in said City and thence to Ferry street to State street to connect with the tracks of the Con- solidated Railway company or from and Ferry streets southerly to Lom- bard street connecting there with the tracks of the Consolidated Railway company. The original incorporators were George H. Townsend, James M. Townsend and Frederick R. Street and the original charter was granted in 1S9S The original charter was but for a small part of the present line, but the Legislatures of 1895, 1897, 1899, 1901, 1908 and 1905 extended the time for the construction of the line and also eX- tended the same by amendments until the line as established by the act of 1885 began at Morgan's Point at the Whore, ran to Foxon thence to Totoket North Branford, North Guilford and to Lake Quinnepaug, a distance of about 16 miles.
 For what reason the original promo tors did not construct the line during these years is not known, but 1t may be stated that the conditions were such that it was not considered then a profitable venture. In May, 1906, A. William Sperry, civil engineer of the City of New Haven secured this char ter from the promoters, paying for It with his own money and has ever since held it and is to-day the sole owner and sole packer of the enter prise
 In 1895 a charter was granted by the Legislature for a street railway from Guilford east through the shore towns This line was granted without opposition from the Consolidated rail- road and is now in process of con- struction. With this outlet on the east at Guilford and the increase in popu- lation in the territory to be traversed by the East Haven and Morris Cove line MT. Sperry became convinced that the construction of the line was not only a question of convenience and ne- cessity but also that it had now be- come a sound financial proposition and he therefore petltioned the legislature for the extension of time for con- struction and for the amendments as above indicated, to connect at Gulltord with the shore line and with New Ha- ven center. During the present legis- lature, Meriden and Middletown gen. tlemen of the highest standing have a petition before the legislature asking for trolley line from Middletown through Meriden thence to Middlefield to Lake Quinnepaug and thence to Guilford which petition was reported fayorably by the railroad committee and with the assent of the Consoli- dated road This road traverses a DOT tion of the line of the East Haven and Morris Cove line from Lake Quinne- paug to North .Guilford, thus making a connection to the north with the East Haven and Morris Cove line and nrovides another feeder and outlet for the East Haven and Morris Cove line thus adding to it's value as financial proposition.
 The country traversed by the Mid dletown and Meriden line and the East Haven and Morris Cove line is at the present time without facilities of any kind except horses and ve- hicles and the two lines open up ter ritory not heretofore accessible except as stated. Neither line is parallel to any other line either electric or steam and can in no way interfere with or abridge the rights of any other com pany. The people along the route of the East Haven and Morris Cove line are as a unit in it's favor and at the hearing before the railroad committee at Hartford nearly every official in ey- cry town affected, business men and the representatives in the legislature appeared and were unanimous in favor of the measure The board of direc- tors of the New Haven Business Mems association not only unanimously signed petition in favor of the road but also sent delegation to Hartford in it's behalf and petitions by the score were sent in by every town and com munity along the line. It was shown