The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-11-08
THE NEw HAVEN RAILBoAD.

New Haven and Hartford Railroad | is but carrying out the def- . nite policy he has enforced since he. was elected to its head in visiting | for the purpose of inter- viewing President Roosevelt The visit does not mean, we take it, that his view of the independence of his com pany as Connecticut creation has un- dergone any change, though his view of the injury that may be done the property by overzealous criticism on the part of the department of justice may have been enlarged by recent events At any rate 1t will be counted a good thing that he undertook the journey to the national capital and presented to the President the danger as he sees it from other than an open course of investigation.
 It has been inconceivable from the first that President Mellen took up the possibility of merger with the Bos- ton and Maine without a full reallza- tion of the legal rights and limitations involved. As The Journal and Courier said at the time, President Mellen might err in his judgment with regard to the advantages of the proposed merger, but as a sane man he would not be so reckless as to proceed without advice as to his power under the laws. This view has further impressed itself up- on observing business men. President Mellen frankly told the railroad com- nittee of the Massachusetts General Assembly that his object in undertak- ing to secure control of the Boston and Maine railroad was not to gratify a twentieth century ambition to grow and consolidate in every direction but to protect the vast property of which he is the head; that it was we'll under stood that if the New York, New Ha- ven and Hartford Railroad company did not acquire control of it, the New York Central would, which meant the weakening of the Connecticut institu- ton. President Futile of the Boston and Maine approved the merger with the New Haven road as better prom ise of advantage for the producers of New England, not that he regarded the loss on the part of his road of its independence with satisfaction, but that the policy of the State of Massa- chusetts towards railroads was such that independence had become impos- sible. In spite of these facts, each and all of them pointing to a straight and honorable understanding between re- sponsible parties, the steps were talk en which have since confused a sim pie situation and led to a proposed in- vestigation on the part of the federal department of justice into the integri- ty of the movement and the purity of the motives of the consolidationists.
 It is further conceivable that Pres ldent Mellen would have been content to let things drift for a while had it not been for the sudden drop in the value of the roads stock, coincident with the fall of values everywhere. He could have afforded to play waiting game under the original circumstances undisturbed by the fear that unfor- tunate impressions might disturb his stockholders. Obviously he could moi afford to wait a minute after the i'm. precision had been left on the mind ot anyone that the proposed investigation of the pending merger was begun ir the belief that something wrong hat been attempted in the cold-blooded re- straint of trade. MT. Mellen says in al interview and later probably to Presi dent Roosevelt, with whom he has personal as well as official acquaint Rnce: If there is to be an investiga ton of the merger by the national gov ernment, should like to give my as sistance in expediting it in every wa, possible. I hear that federal investi gators are at work, but none of then has come to me for any information.
 am willing to tell them everything
 know in relation to the merging of tn
 two roads, want the job hurrie
 through because I do not like to g
 about under the cloud of being inves
 tigated by the department of justice
 It isn't a pleasant position and I don
 like it." It has been said that in add
 tion to this frank expression of his ger
 eral views, MT. Mellen told Presider
 Roosevelt of the difficulties which be
 set a large corporation needing none
 when under suspicion as to the legalit
 of its conduct
 Manifestly the movement has reacl
 ed point where it is in order to d,
 mand a speedy disclosure of all u
 facts President Mellen has been mao
 to feel that his acts have provoked
 suspicion as to his real intentions. IT
 corporation over which he presides h.
 been made nervously apprehensive