New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-12-25
NEW HAVEN TO SELL
IT'S STEAMBOAT LINES
Will Divorce Rail and Water
Business Early Next Year,
MeIIen Says.
AWAITS INTERSTATE BOARD
Ready to Dispose Of Adjuncts
Unless Commission Author
ICES Properties Held
May Be Civil Suit.

CfiIeSS the Interstate COHlInefCe NOIU-
mission authorizes the holding OF the
steamboat properties OF the New York.
New Haven e. Hartford Railroad Com
pany, practically every steamboat line
now controlled by the railroad will be
sold. probably within the coming year,
according 10 a statement made yester-
day by Charles s. Mellen.
BY the proposed transaction the New
Haven road will rid itself absolutely
Of every piece of floating stock except
that used directly as an adjunct to the
railroad business.
The great transportation system
which the New Haven road has built
up since IL was chartered i'm 49,. may
be indicated by it's waterways interests
alone IT indirectly controls the Hart
ford and New York Transportation
Company the Maine Steamship Com
pany and the New Bedford, Martha's
Vineyard and Nantasket Steamship
Company. and controls directly the
New England Navigation Company and
the Hartford and New York Trans
portation Company.
What the New Haven Controls.
The New Haven controls the New
England Navigation Company and the
Hartford and New York Transporta
tion Company through ownership of
their entire capital stocks. The New
England Navigation Company operates
the Fall River Line, between New
York. Newport and Fall River. the
Norwich Line between New York and
New London the New Haven Line be
tween New York and New Haven, the
and Bridgeport, tho Providence Line,
between New York and Providence. the
New Bedford Line. between New York
and New Bedford. the Providence
Block Island Line. between Providence,
Newport and Block Island and the
New London Block Island Line. be-
tween Norwich. New London, Watch
Hill and Block Island
The Hartford and New York Trans
portation Company operates a line Of
passenger and freight steamers be-
tween Hartford and New York. Early In
1907 the New England Navigation Com
pany acquired by purchase the entire
capital stock OF the Boston and Phila
delphia Steamship Company. which
rail lines OF the New Haven road be-
tween Boston, Providence and Phila-
delphia Negotiations were almost inn
mediately entered into with the Mer-
chants and Miners Transportation
Company reaching the two principal
ports south from Boston. which eventu-
ated in the acquisition by the New
Haven company OF half interest In
the Merchants and Miners Transpor-
tation Company and the entering into
a close traffic arrangement with the
latter corporation.
Since June !. 1907. the steamship
lines Of the company have been ope-
rated under contract with the New
England steamship Company. and all
OF its capital stock is owned by the
New Haven system. In 1909 the road
also purchased at foreclosure the New
port and Wexford Railroad and
Steamboat Company, the twelve miles
Of whose water mileage was turned
over TO the New England Navigation
Company for operation.
Holding Company in Massachusstts.
on June 49, 1909, an arrangement.
known as the Boston Railroad Hold
ing Company. was incorporated In
Massachusetts under special act
with power to hold securities Of the
Boston & Maine Railroad. The New
Haven owns every share of common
stock and S965 per cent OF the pre-
ferred stock I'm the holding company.
Through this holding company it has
absolute control Of the Boston &
Maine Railroad. which operates a few
lines Of lake steamers in Maine and
New Hampshire.
From The Tribune Bureau
Washington. Dec. PA civil suit under
the Sherman law is contemplated by the