The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-05-01

Senate Chamber damned at Hearinr
 Before Railroad Committee-Counsel
 for New Haven Road Declares It VIII
 Do Nothing Against the win of rta
 Patrons--Attorney Gross, Represent-
 ing the Manufacturers, Asnoc,.t,o,,
 Scores Officials of the Company.
 Hartford, April S0.-That pract,callv every business man, manufacturer and consignee in the state is unalterably opposed to a repeal of the so-calle5 de- murrage law was eyinced this after noon at the hearing before the railroad committee in the senate chamber Tha chamber was jammed with business men from every corner of the state all coming to oppose repeal and q change in the law concerning the detention of railroad cars. The section which the railroad would have repealed is s774 of the general statutes which provides that no railroad shall collect from anv shipper or conslgnee of freight. any sum for the delay or detention of cars in loading or unloading for any period of less than four days, Sunday and le- gal holidays excepted. said days to run from the time the cars become access ible to the shipper or consignee after notice. The railroad would repeal the law and then instlrute new one that would read ''twoD days instead of four days.
 Attorney D. D. Robbins of Hartford appeared for the railroad company ar1d said that the railroad company would do nothing that was against the ma Jority will of the patrons of the road. lie said that the change would be in the interests of the shippers and that whatever change in time the road would make, would be made for the benefit Q fall concerned. His statement was very brief and no others appeared in favor of repeal of the law.
 Attorney Charles B. Cross of HartA ford, representing the Manufacturers association, then took the floor and scored the railroad officials for refuSiYiss to have a conference with the aflanufac- turers on the point involved. He salS that heretofore the railroad had come here every year and met the mai1lfac- turers and business men half way but now he said that the time mad ap- parently come when the railroad shall say nothing. Four years ago a draft of the bill up for discussion was shown. the railroad officials and they seemed satisfied with it but wanted more, This year. MT. Gross said, he tried to get a conference but was informed as late as Thursday of last week that MT. Mel len would have nothing to say on the matter. Mr. Gross was surprised At the entirely different attitude shown this afternoon by the attorney for the road, MT. Robbins. Tt was the same way two years ago. continued MT. Gross, MT. Mellen received a draft of the bill and said he wanted something more He got it. The only proposition that the committee has to consider Is whether to repeal the law or let # stand on the statutes at 1t is at pre- sent. It is fair to the manufacturers and others than when MT. Melien wants to have law repealed he should conae to a conference or a committee hearing and tell us what he wants to have done. As he does not come here he has no good reason to show why the law should be repealed. We have nc lln-s derstanding from him. Mir Mellen will listen to no compromise. He has not got the courage to come up here and ask for a repeal of the statutes when he knows that the interests of the state are against it'
 MT. Gross then said that he would