The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1913-07-11
RAPSRAILWAY OPERATIONS
is AN EXCLUSIVE MONOPOLY.
FINANCIAL Affairs of New York, New
Haven & Hartford Railroad
Severely Criticised.

Haven & Hartford Railroad
Severely Criticised.
Washington, July 1O.-Financial
operations of the New York. New
Haven d Hartford Railroad, it's own
ership of trolley lines and control of
allied New England railways, are
condemned in unmeasured terms by
the Interstate Commerce Commission
In the report of it's investigation
made public here yesterday. The
commissions conclusions are:
That the outside" financial man
agement has been "wasteful in the
extreme" and that had the New
Haven confined itself TO actual rail
road activities under the same condi-
tions that prevailed in other respects
1T could have paid a dividend of
eight per cent for the fiscal year
1912 and carried to surplus account
$1,794, 200, instead Of showing a
deficit of $500, ,OOO."
That the New Haven's agreement
! with the Boston & Albany is "viola-
tive of the spirit of the statute
against the restraint of competition
and should be cancelled" "In our
opinion" says the commission, this
line should be kept entirely free
4 AbOhh ANeW maven cOnIrOl.
GET RID OF TROLLEY LINES.
That the New Haven should divest
itself OF it's trolley lines. not becanse
I the present ownership is in violation
! OF law but because such ownershin
might be used to prevent the build
ing of competing lines in the future
| That the Boston e Names merger
with the New Haven, II permitted to
stand Will result in IAN almost ex-
J elusive monopoly of transportation
facilities by railroads in the greatest
part OF New England"
That passenger train service, with
out considering safety of operation.
on the New Haven, is distinctly better
than any other line entering New
YORK, and that of the Boston &,
Maine equally as good. Both roads,
however, are criticised adversely for
lack OF steel cars.
That the freight service of the Bos-
ton & Maine, "is much less reliable
than that of either the PENNSYLVANIA
or the Baltimore & Ohio, while that
OF the New Haven is slightly inferior
TO the Pennsylvania, but about on a
par with the Baltimore & Ohio"
Ihat passenger fares in New Eng.
land have been more favorable to
the local travelling public than I'm any
other portion Of the United States.
SPIRIT OF LAW.
That "any betterment of railroad
conditions in New England must be-
gin with the assurance that the New
haven management will act not only
prudently, but, above all, within the
letter and the spirit OF the law"
OF6nr 10
mission, but in it's opinion, the fol-
lowing propositions which have ma
tonal application to all railroads, lie
at the foundation OF adequate rail-
road regulation.
Every interstate railroad should
be prohibited from expending money
or incurring liabilities or acouiring
property not in the operation of its
railroad or in the legitimate improve
ment, extension or development of
that railroad
No interstate railroad should be
permitted to lease or purchase any
other railroad, nor to acquire the
stocks or securities OF any other rail-
roads, nor to guarantee the same
directly or indirectly, without the an
proval of the federal government.
''No stocks or bonds should be is.
sued by an Interstate railroad except
for the purpose sanctioned in the
two preceding paragraphs, and none
should be Issued without the ap-
proval of the federal government" +"
Commissioners Clements and Mar
BILE submitted a concurring opinion
in which they "agree heartily with
the report" but make their position
clear as to some of the issues men
toned.
UP TO CONGRESS.
Concerning the merger of the New
Haven and the Boston & Maine
they assert that "this is a phase OF
the subject that should be left to the
Congress, Just as the issues under
the antitrust law have been left to
the courts. If 1T were properly to be
considered here, however, we would
give weight to the suggestion that
the merger has so overloaded the
executive heads of the entire aggre-
CATION as 10 impair not only correct
and economical financial administra-
ton but also efficiency and safety of
operation. The Boston e. Maine and
the New Haven are shown to be SEN
arate organizations.
They are not one system but two
systems under one management.
Therefore closer superintendence
with corresponding gains in efficiency
and safety, might be expected from
a dissolution of the merger.
mo competition between carriers
Is nnimportant. Moreover any sup-