Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-04-11
Gov. FOSS
Suggests Creation Of Pub
lie Service Commission
And Direct Lease Of Boston &
Maine Railroad,
Conditionally, by the New York,
New Haven & Hartford.

Boston, April 10-The creation of a
public service commission and the d.
rect lease by the New York, New
Haven & Hartford of the Boston &
Maine Railroad on condition that the
New Haven spends 100000. 600, for
improvements in and near Boston are
suggested in a message made public,
tonight, by Gov. Eugene y. Foss. At
present the New Haven controls the
Boston e. Maine through the Boston
Holding Co.
Gov. Foss asks for an expression
from the public as to whether it will
endorse a direct lease providing the
New Haven will make an actual con-
neetion of tracks on the north and
south of Boston, build a four track
tunnel under Boston and electrify all
the combined trackage within the
metropolitan area.
The message came from the Cover
nors office after many and long con-
ferences between the executive and
the officials of the New Haven and
Boston & Maine roads and it is I'M
derstood that the proposition in gen.
eral is one which will be met with
favor by the railroad officials.
In his message, the governor says:
THE transportation problems of
this state seem to me to have reached
a critical situation. Our freight and
passenger service is VIGOROUSLY poor;
and we are at a disadvantage as COM
pared with other commercial districts
and other Atlantic ports. Public SER
vice on the Boston & Maine, in par
ticular. has practically broken down.
The state exercises no real power of
supervision and control over the rail-
roads.
AS a first step toward better con-
ditions, [ have asked the Legislature
to create a public service commission
with broad powers of regulation and
control over the railroads and other
public services" The governor then
asks:
Are the people ready to permit the
New Haven road to lease the Boston &
Maine on the condition that they expend
100000 in the actual connection of the
tracks on the north and south of Bos-
ton, making four track tunnel under
Boston for that purpose electrifying all
their combined traekage within the met
ropolitan area and bringing the whole
system up to the highest standard of eff
fciency?
no such lease ought to be granted
he declares, unless the state first asserts
its power of regulation and creates a
commission powerful enough to enforce
it.
"0ther indispensable safeguards are
that the terms of such lease must guar
antee flat rates for freight and passen-
ger service throughout the metropolitan
area, and in and out of it; an end of all
discriminatory rates against Boston as
compared with New York; and the mod
ern equipment and operation of the Bos-
ton & Maine Railroad i'll II manner long
demanded by the district it serves Also
1, think the designations New York,
New Haven Il Hartford and Boston &
Maine should be abandoned, and the
name New England Lines substituted,
and that this new corporation should
maintain general offices in Boston.
IF such lease were to como before
me in the form of a legislative measure
for approval / should require that
all independent roads entering Boston
should have the use of the tunnel and
the terminal stations