The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-11-18
PROBING INTO
 MELIEN'S ROAD
INTERSTATE COMMERCE CON- ING INTO THE FINANCES OF NEW HAVEN SYSTEM FOR SOME TIME.

Providence, F. T., Nov. 1e--A Wash ington dispatch received here states: It is stated here that the interstate commerce commission will begin this week a hearing into the New Haven Railroad monopoly. An official of the commission is quoted here as follows:
 ''It would appear, from the reports reaching us; that New England is be- ing swept by an anti-roa1road agita- ton, which is quite as determined and violent as any that Kansas or California has ever known.
 The Ngw tS Haven success in in throw 5y- brought the situation to a climax a1- most in an hour.
 .'when the present ndna cement took control of the New Haven road about a decade ago, the system had as I recolIect. about $s. 300, 900 capitalization. representing about 4s000 miles of road. increased about $40.o0o,00O while the mileage of the railroad system has in- creased only about 100 miles.
 We know in general that vast amounts have been expended in buy ing control of trolley systems throush- out New England We know that that coastwise shipping has been taken over and that In general. a sub stantfally complete transportation mo- nopoly has been established through.
 
 more money has gone into the erec- ton of summer hotels and their man agement and various other enter prises.''
 Continui1ls,. the official said: "A force of experts from the accounting department of the commission has New Haven, in the general office Of the road, in the effort to dig out de- tailed facts concerning the finances or the property.
 was anticipated that there would be some opposition to laying all informa- ton before them; but since they have been at work in New Haven. no word has come from them indicating that they are encountering obstacles of this sort
 offices of the commission is that the railroad people are opening their af- fairs frankly and fully to the inves- 'tfgators. and that 1t is going TO pc possible to secure a complete financial exhibit
 .sWhethers conditions in New Eng land have really been worse than in yet say. explained the official, ''but the people up there undoubtedly be- lieve they are. and we have under of them.
 For example, we had careful SUIT yey made of the foreign shipments to and from the towns of Nashua. N- H.; Lr for a fixed period. Every shipment from or to either place was traced out in detail. to determine exactly how long time 1t had occupied. We have not had detailed reports on this phase of the investigations: but some data has come which seems to indicate bad service
 s.For instance, from Hartford, Conn. to Holyo4ke, Mass. is, as recohect, 3S miles, The normal time that the company claimed for getting. a, ship ment from one town to the other was three days
 livery would be made in that time but there was percentage of cases in which one, two, or more additional days have been required. It has seemed as if this did not indicate a high efficiency in service.
 ''Between New York and Boston, ap- parentIy, there is not much ground for complaint about service. Boston, with being dependent on a single rail- road and convinced that it's proper development demands more roads, nevertheless is in vastly better con These are the places in which condi- tions exist against which complaint is made
 act validating the shefding company plan for the Boston & Maine It i'm serted a provision under which the State of Massachusetts is empowered ings in Boston and Maine, if it at any time decides this is a. desirable course People up there are today so hostile to New Haven that there is talk of exercising this option, probably in some indirect way, such as by hav- ing a new corporation formed to oper- ate the Boston & Maine and having the State take over the stock and sell it ka