The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-06-06
THE RAI1RoAD MERGER.

It does not follow because opposition has developed in the Massachusetts legislature that the proposed merger between the New York, New Haven & Hartford railroad and the Boston and Maine will be defeated. Massachu- setts is a critical state ln all things relating to railroad matters, and while it is considered by railroad people bit fussy Its influence on the whole has been thrown on the side of wise and conservative oversight.
 The apprehensive phase of discus sions of this character. as it applies to the establishment of interstate railroad systems, has to do with the possibly logical chartering of them by congress. As the Journal and Courier said the other day, the mefg- I ing of the Boston and Maine with the New Haven railroad would send that consolidated system into all of the states of New England The English of that is that then it would have to deal with six legislatures in order to have a uniform plan for the control of the company. The people of the state of Connecticut know something of the bother and the bother of railroad leg lslation at home. Multiply this task by six and a result Is recorded which Is calculated to make ones hair stand on end Possibly the railroad com pany does not shrink from the job, and that things will be so arranged that all will be smooth travelling. Possibly 1t has in mind President Roosevelt's plan of national incorpor- ation. Railroad men are slow to take the public into their confidence, The old New Haven and New York com pany grew into what 1t has since be- come without the public knowing more about 1t than gossip afforded.
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 The suggestive point involved in the protest which has been offered the general assembly of Massachusetts is the probability of it encouraging the Presidents idea of national charters for interstate roads. on the one hand, and government ownership. on the other hand. It is conceivable, for ex- ample, that life might become so IT, ritating for the expanded New Haven Railroad company that it would gladly petition congress for a charter If our understanding of the effect of that is correct, and the granting of such a charter would automatically destroy the Connectiut charter, as well as the right of other New England states to legislate for restrictive or other pur- poses, it would remain to be shown what the effect would be on public opinion. If it should transpire that by removing the source of control to
 
 Washington the state of Connecticut would be powerless to protect itself ex- cept by congressional favor, 1t is possible that popular dislike of the re- sultant situation would give a fresh impetus to government ownership.
 The only substantial encouragement that theory of railroad management ever received has been from the rail- roads themselves. It has been their sins of omission and commission that have brought the discussion to head, While 1t may be admitted that the railroads would find their legislative troubles minimized by charter granted by Congress, 1t Is very doubtful # the people would take as kindly to it, In fact the danger of the whole scheme of centralized power consists in the . popular restlessness 1t is apt to pro- yoke. If, however, it comes as log ical necessity, 1t will not be unlikely
 that the next great issue before the
 country will be government ownership with State rights as an offset,