Connecticut western news., 1910-09-01
PRESIDENT >MELLEN'S- VIEWS ON
 PUBLIC SERVICE REGULATION
Hopes No Legislation Will be Prompted or Framed in Response to Any Populistic Clamor
 Against Railroads.
An Injury to the Railroads is Injury to the Public for Diminished
 Earnings Tend Impair the Ability Pay Wages Employees

Charles s. Mellen, president of the N. Y. N. H. 6 H. R. R., was requested by letter under date of August 8, by Presi. dent Everett G. Hill and Secretary Ar thur s. Barnes, of the Connecticut Edi- torial Association, to present to the pub. lie through the press his views regard ing public utility commission, which problem.is at present such of widespread interest throughout the state. President Msllen has courteously complied with this request and says:
 'I have received your letter of the Sth inst. in which you ask me for my opin- ion about proposed legislation to regu- late public service corporations.
 Corporations
 "In the country at large, legislation upon this subject seems to be influenced to considerable extent by a prejudice against corporations. But corporation is in general only financial arrangement adapted to permit many individuals - men, women and children--to use their separate savings in large business under takings, under Q management which they can trust. it had not been for this financial expedient, the industrial history of Connecticut would have been much humber. To test this proposition one has only to imagine what any city or industrial village in Connecticut would be to-day without corporations. Where would the wages paid in Connecticut come from, if there were no corporations not paid, would be the customers of the merchants, and where would be the market for farm produce
 Railroad Corporations
 "In the country at large there are also appearances indicating the influence of 8 particular prejudice against railroad companies. I wish very much that every man, before indulging in any vague prejudice of this sort, would stop to think what railroad really is.
 "In the first place, it is an enormous physical plant specially adapted to the performance of services of great gen eral importance, which has been created by the money of investors and the earn ings of that money. In the second place, it is an enormous and complicated human organization,
 Organization
 "The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Company is an organ. ization of 35, 900 men, every one of whom play an essential part in the operation of the railroad. Acts of omission or neglect, often slight and generally very human, on the part of any one of thousands of these men may cause discomfort and often danger to considerable number. Bad judgment or i'll temper shown by individuals may be very annoying. Ex- periences of these kinds do occur, as they must always where human agency is re- lied upon. Yet ignoring entirely any personal contribution of my own, may with propriety say of this great organiza- tion, taken as whole, that its results will bear careful comparison with the results achieved by the organization of any railroad in this country, or of any similar body of men ill the world.
 The Plant
 "The plant of this Company is not perfect. can see, perhaps more clearly than anybody else, how much money needs to be spent on it in order to make it fully adequate. Yet am not aware of any railroad in the country which has a plant on the whole more adapted to the service of the public.
 Is There Prejudice Against Investors ?
 "Since early colonial days the Govern ment of Connecticut has been character ized by exceptional steadiness and just ness of judgment. There is to-day no more thoughtful people in the world than the people of Connecticut. l have a right, therefore, to hope that the legis- lation regarding which you inquire will not be promoted or framed in response bo any populistic clamor against rail- roads. Against what or whom would such clamor be really directed? Against the investors? Over twenty thousand stockholders of The New York, New Haven and Hartford Company hold less than fifty shares of its stock. Most ap- parently large holdings are really for the benefit of many individuals men, women and children. None of the in VesUOTS III GtlS S6curltlas OI GlllS OO1pduy receives more than a fair return on the money which they have paid for these securities.
 Is It Against the Organization?
 "Is there to be @ clamor against the operating organization If 80, it is fair to ask against what element of the or ganization this clamor is directed. l presume that very many can suggest some particular trouble caused by some individuals in this huge organization. Is it fair to hold all the rest of the organ ization responsible for this Leaving myself again entirely out of the question, can testify from personal knowledge that the officers and employees of this railroad company are hard-working, duty-performing men.
 Is 1t Against the Directors?
 ''Is there to be a clamor against the directors of the corporation? A majority of the directors of this Company are citi- zens of Connecticut. They do not own Al sr%a