The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-03-01
.MELLEN PLEADS FOR
 HIS COMMERCE COURT
President of New Haven Road Declares That if Over Capitalization is Made a Crime
 Companies Can be Left Unhampered

 tion, make it a crime as you do mur- der, arson, rape, etc. Leave to. the discretion of the directors of the com. Ipany the issue of the securities 'neces- sary for the conduct of it's business, for its lawful necessities under it's chartered powers and make it a crime with such penalties as may seem wise to you for any director Or. officer to issue or consent to the issue of any securities except for full value, and you will have no further trouble of that character thereafter.
 Put the responsibility where it be- longs, upon those for the time being poration, make, the responsibility per sonal, let it follow the man who is guilty, those who have sat in the board of directors and consented, and there will be an immediate stop to everything of this nature.
 You should. not seek to obstruct the transaction of legitimate business be- cause advantage has been taken in the past to make illegitimate profits in similar line of business.
 It would seem a little hard to re- spectacle members of community to be required to express their intentions to commission, before being permit ted to call on their best girls, just because some less Scrupulous person had some time in the past not behaved as he should. You cannot prevent misbehavior, but. you can prescribe punishment for those who misbehave, and fear of punishment is all we have discovered that will keep people straight and even that is not always effective. The law should distinctly state what it is you do not permit to be done, and the directors should be given the fullest discretion to handle the property in their own way pro- vided they do not violate such law.
 Nothing in the bill providing for a Commerce Court in any way inter- fereS with the Railroad Commission, which will continue to exist as an ad- ministrative body with all it's present powers, and such others as you may in your discretion confer upon them. It may, if you like, and it may be wise that it be given the additional power of presenting complaints to the Com merce Court for such as do not care for the publicity of presenting them in person.
 With relation to fines and penalties I have not thought it necessary to fix any, for the reason that the Commerce Court will sit with all the powers of a court of equity, and can enforce it's decrees by injunction, and will in con sequence secure the most implicit re- spect and obedience because no one VII be willing to incur the liability to fine and Imprisonment, both of which may be imposed by the court for any contempt, punishment for which is most drastic and immediate, and entirely in tie discretion of the court.
 I have never been able to see wherein a State investigation into the causes of an accident has been productive of any good
 All accidents are investigated in the most thorough manner. by the officers of the company, and they have the ut most interest in trying to avoid every thing that will cause loss of life, limb. or property, on account of the very great financial loss everything of this nature involves.
 All the officers of the company are i'll constant commun cation with the officers of others to learn the nature ef-every hazard that occurs. whether avoidable or not. and the rules, regu- lations and appliances that are adopt ed in mitigation and for prevention. There is no objection to having the results of such Investigations open to the public, or subject to review if there is considered any occasion by the comm ssion or any officer of the State to whom such reports may be referred.
 That you may know the State of Connecticut has not been exactly giv- in g tself away. in it's liberality to- wards our company, I may be par dohed for reminding you of a few lit tie matters.
 The New Haven Road is one of the most heavily taxed railroads in this country, if not in the world. If the taxes of the New York Central were upon the same basis as are ours in this State, it is doubtful if it could pay it's present dividends. Were our