Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-02-17

| I'ootoll MASS, rep. 16.-Ine attltuuC
Of the New York, New Haven Il Hart
ford Railroad with respect to possible
action by the Massachusetts Legisla-
ture was outlined by President Charles
S. Mellen of that railroad in an adj
dress before the Boston Boot and Shoe
| Club tonight.
Clear away all the subterfuge, all
the assertion, all the misstatement
from the situation of the New Haven
road in this commonwealth and there
| is little to have controversy about, .
| said Mr.. Mellen. He continued:
IF Massachusetts is content to eX-
ecute her own laws within her own
| territory, she will have enough on her
hands to occupy her time fully to the
limit. And it is no part of the business
Of this comm onwealth to seek to extend
| by agreement with the New Haven
road, under threats of punishment, her
jurisdictions over the action Of a pub
| lie service corporation in neighboring
states that have never been declared
| Incompetent to arrange their own af-
fairs, and which solicit neither advice
nor assistance in such matters.
| In touching on the public future re-
| latiOns of the New Haven, Boston &
Maine and Canadian Pacific Railroad.
Mr.. Mellen apparently referred to the
efforts of the Grand Trunk to secure
a charter for a branch line in Rhode
Island when he said that "unprovoked
attacks" by Canadian lines upon the
business of the New England railroads
might change the friendly relations of
both the New Haven and Boston &
Maine, with their Canadian neighbours
President Mellen regarded a through
Boston Buffalo line advocated by May
or Fitzgerald as feasible and thought
a better effect might be had through
the use of existing lines than can be
had through the construction of an ad-
ditional one.
The policy of the New York, New
Haven & Hartford Railroad with ref
erence to electric street railways will
be to let them severely alone within
the commonwealth of Massachusetts
and elsewhere to promote them as adj
juncts and feeders to the railroad sys-
tenn said President Mellen.
1T is we'll nigh impossible for a
public service corporation, with an in
come fixed, which cannot be advanced
without a serious struggle with the
public patronizing 1t, to continually
pay higher prices for all materials it
uses to meet a constant demand for
advance in compensation on the part
of it's employees.
There must be a change somewhere
there must be some more fixed rela-
ton between income and expense. Ex-
penses cannot continually increase, and
receipts remain stationary. 1t costs
very much more than a short time ago
to manufacture the transportation we
sell All other lines of business secure
an increased price for their product,
and unless an increased price can be
secured for the product we manufac-
ture-that is, transportation, it is goinS
to be impossible for US to give so good
a product. and so much of it, for the
benefit of our patrons.
rs any further readjustment of pas
senger rates contemplated?
THE answer to this question will
have to be not dissimilar from that of
the preceding one. / think if an ad-
vance is to come at all. it must come
with the passenger tariffs. ! think it
scription should be necessary, but the
return upon the capital invested in
New England railroads is not at all
unreasonable-quit the contrary; and
as between a reduction of that return
and slight advance In passenger
rates, think the latter much the pre-
ferable.
1T is early, however, to discuss this
1t remains to be seen what the result
Of present negotiations with employees
will be and if there can be an adjust
ment that will render unnecessary any
advance in rates whatsoever, it will
ne unnecessary to discuss the subject
at ALL 1t is only in case the exactions
made of the railroads are of a char
acter that cannot be borne without an
additional revenue, that an advance
VIII be considered.
With regard TO the probable future re-
lations of New Haven-Boston e Maine
With Canadian roads, Mr.. Mellen said
mo good reason occurs to me why
the relations of the New Haven and
the Boston e Maine with the Canadian
connections should be different from
what have prevailed in the past. 1t
certainly should be the desire of any
management. desiring to make a sue
cess Of it's efforts in behalf Of the
properties to promote the most friend
" relations with all it's connections and
that Canadian lines have always been
favored connections of the Boston &
Maine and there should be no good rea-
son why this should not continue in
the future as it has in the past.
Certainly the only obstacle to a
continuance of such relations would be
acts on the part of the Canadian roads
and net from either act or disposition
on the part of the New England roads.
should the long esta blished rela-
lions become endangered in the future
it win, I am sure. be because of I'M