The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-12-23
PRESIDENT MELLEN'S STATEMENT IN REPLY ID CRITICISM OF THE
 NEW HAVEN RAILROADS POLICY

l The newspaper people knew the l decision of the Grand Trunk manag- 1 CTS to suspend their construction in neve k single step, personally or officially, to cause or promote or hasten that decision.
 In time I hope the anger and re- 1 sentiment so far it relates to the people. who have been unjustly. and in some quarters dishonestly! accus- ed will be aba ted, and that the ac- ton of MT. Cham berlain and his as- sociates, when understood, as I feel Tit is not at the present time will be viewed sanely
 Didn't Buy B. & NJ. Shares.
 I believe the press generally has been sincere and has been working for what it believed the best inter ests of the people in this matter, but has been misled.
 The agitation to nnis1ead the people started with my refusal to pay an abnormal price for a privately held block of Boston & Maine shares. Strange as it may sound. when the only criticism that can be directed against my financial management in New England is that I have paid higher than present values for some railroad properties yet to be fully de-
  nanagen ent of the New England lines goes back to this refusal to pay more than double their present value for a block of Boston 6 Maine shares.
 NConcerning the railroad policy of the New England lines, it is inma- terial to the aims, purposes. fees or perquisites of MT. Brandeis. The public is entitled to Knowledge con cerning the policy under which every department of the New Haven road is conducted and it is not so ma teriaI as to who raises the doubts in the public mind as it Is that there shall be clear public vision respect ing the character. aims and policy of the New England lines management.
 Didn't VioaIte Agreement.
 The most widely spread and deeply rooted islander against the New Ha- ven management and myself person ally. is that ss-I agreed in writing. through MT. Choate, our attorney at the Mass achusetts state house, never to buy any more traction properties in Massachusetts and later broke this agreement No such promise, or agreement, was ever made but can well understand how from proceed ings before, and correspondents with. ceedings and correspondence were not fully set forth to the public, miscon- captions could easily arise and in later years do duty in privately pro noted agitation.
 What was agreed to and fully, set forth in pages of correspondence was that, pending consideration of pro- posed 1egislationet that would enable the New York, New Haven & Hart ford Railroad Company to give the people of western Massachusetts greatly increased transportation fla cilities by permitting the New Ha- ven; as a Massachusetts corporation, to own shares in trolley lines, the New Haven would take. no further proceedings in this development while the matter was under consideration by the committee and the Legislature, except as specified for certain con struction work and contracts then un- der way. @
 But details of ali the plans of pur- chases, extensions and constructions were fully set forth in this cores pondence, particularly in long let ter of June 27, 1906, in which it was distinctly set out that while this leg islation was pending we would sus- pend these negotiations.
 The Legislature adjourned without action, and both the state and the railroad were as free as before The attorneys general of the state institu- ed proceedings against us as a Massa- chusetts corporation illegally holding shares in trolley lines, and we have struggled along best we could for the last six years, in an endeavoT to give western Massachusetts the trans portation facilities which have been demanded for many years.
 And if the courtesy of the press is again extended to me shall be pleased to submit to the public the entire correspondence which was placed in the files of the railroad committee in 1908, and which for more than six years has been misrep- resented before the people.
 An agreement to suspend action while legislation is pending certainly terminates when the Legislature ad- journs and the ending of the agree nent is somewhat shown by the ac- ton of the state in not only termi-1 hating legislation but in beginning lit igation.
 Has Not Suppressed Competition By
 Trolley.
 In brief, I may say that no trolley line has been bouht by the New Ha- ven road to suppress competition but on the contrary the trolley invest ments have been made to promote it and such lines have been many times extended directly parallel to the New Haven steam lines.
 Just as our steamship lines carry the coarse freight of New England farther and cheaper than our rail~ road lines could possibly do, so our trolleys relieve our steam trains and expensive terminals and carry our passengers nearer to their homes and at less cost and lower fares than could possibly be done on our expen- sive and heavily equipped steam rail road lines.
 Boston Identification.
 The New Haven railroad is accus- ed of having promised identification for Boston and breaking that prom ise. When merger of the Boston & Maine and the New Haven was un- der consideration by the commission nrl cnrnernrce and industrv a ho11t