The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-03-30
PROPOSED STEAMSHIP MERGER AFFECTING
 LOCAL COMPANIES.
Twelve Sound Lines May Be
 Included in Combine.

Twelve Sound Lines May Be
 Included in Combine.
 HI. H. Rogers and Grand
 Trunk Railroad Behind It. Double Line Service of Thou
 sand Ton Propellers Prom ised = New Haven Road
 Studying Situation What | Agent Grandfield Says.
 H. H. Rogers of the Standard Oil
 Co.,, and the Central Vermont railroad,
 current reports have it, are going in | to the water freight transportation l business on a gigantic scale and are
 going to give the New Ycrk, New Ha-
 ven & Hartford railroad and the New
 England Navigation Co. a battle in 1 territory which they have practically
 controlled for several years The | business is going to be. it is claimed, | a. branching out of the business of the | Bridgeport & New York Transporta- | tion line, which is backed by H. H. l Rogers, and a consolidation of 12 other | lines along Long Island Sound.
 According to tF1S story, the Bridge | port line of boats to New York, the | boat route from Bridgeport to Port | Jefferson, the New Haven line landing l at the City wharf here, the New Lon | don line of steamers now directed by the Central Vermont in the interest of the Grand Trunk, a Providence line of boats, a. line of shallow draft boats up 1 the Housa tonic river to Derby, Shelton | and Ansonia, and a Hudson river line | of steamers are to be merged into one propoSition-a community of interests | to cover freighting, and later on pas Senger traffic, from all prominent shore points along the Sound.
 This possibility. it is said, is causing l the New Haven road managers to sit up and take notice.
 Just what the details of the plan are have not yet fully materialized. It is known, however, that men, believed to be in the employ of the New England Navigation Go. have been here for weeks, inspecting the loading and un- | loading of the New York business of | the Bridgeport steamers of the line, indicating that there is some anxiety on the part of outside interests to keep ] track of the work of the new compe- tition. 2s l They are also taking cognizance, it | is said of the fact that the Bridge port and New York Transportation line is considering the introduction of boats up the Housatonic river to Der by, as indicated above, to act as feed
 CTS for the new combination either at | | freight service of the concern at New Haven will be added to quickly by the l putting on of two New York propellerS
 of 1000 tons burden to make daily trips | from each end of the route; that the ! John H. Starin line to that port will | be absorbed by the new concern. It is calculated that the undertak-
 ing marks the beginning of competi- tion in Sound freighting more impor- tant than has ever been known before,
 as it will be a line which will be fed by trolley freights along the Shore Line section in eastern Connecticut. and in Rhode Island The suggestion is made plausible by the fact that Nor
 ton F. Plant, the eastern Connecticut millionaire, who is largely interested in New England trolleys is also a firm believer in steamboat transportation. And back of this comes another story. If the Vermont Central railroad is behind this move, as is commonly believed it is well known fact that the Grand Trunk is it's packer. For years the only outlet which the Grand Trunk has had to the Sound is via the c. ", by the way of Brattleboro, Will
 limantic and New London. At New London the Central Vermont has built the finest ocean pier in this state. It was calculated entirely for the recep- ton and shipping of the heaviest of steamship cargoes and that freight trains are running night and day from New London to carry freight in ship
 ment from New York city via its steamers to the Grand Trunk, and thus forward it to the west. This round about line has always been a thorn in the side of the New Haven road managers who now make a liberal rate themselves on western bound business, but the New Haven has never been able to get hold of the little and old ia shioned line of rails which the Grand Trunk has control of down to New London and which is said to be about the only railroad in this state which II, does moi own.
 The competition of the Grand Trunk in connection with it's western busl- ness is said to be a thing zealously watched by the New Haven road peo- ple.
 John F. Grandfield. local agent of the Bridgeport & New York Transporta- tion Line. was seen at his office at the foot of Pembroke street, this morning. He said that he was aware that the big combine was under way, but that the including of the Starin line in the proposition was news to him. He said he had received notice from the New York offices of the company that a larger boat would be placed on the Bridgeport line next month. to take the place of the Conohoe which was doing more WOrk than IL was inleHueu she should do.
 Arrangements have been made for the enlarging of the company's per here and the erection or a larger Shed and freight house.
 AS for the local business. MT. Grand field said his company was bringing more freight from New York to this city than the other company. but the loads from this city were much lighter.
 The merchants. he said, were giving the company splendid support, but that many manufacturers being obligated to the railroad company because of sidetrackS, continue to send all of their freight to New York by the New Eng land Navigation Co.'S lines. The side tracks and the failure of other steam boat lines to hold on in recent years have also caused merchants to hesi- tate before removing their patronage from the company. MT. Grandfie'd is quite elated over the future prospects of his company. The Stratford Oyster Co., which rented a portion of the lines pier havevacated during the past srzeek to make room for the propose sA
 Aprovements-
 A marriage license was issued this morning to Stephenson s. Bishop. aged 21, an electrician employed with the