The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1913-04-25
Interesting Testimony Before
Interstate Commerce
Commission
BOSTON & MAINE
ABOUT THE POOREST

cording to Commissioner Prouty-
Louis D. Brandeis Repudiated by the /
Produce Exchange-Appear Today. +
BOSTON, April 25.-The matter of |
the freight rates charged by the New /
York, New Haven and Hartford rail /
road and its allied lines in New Eng /
land was taken up by the Interstate
commerce commission yesterday after I
noon. The earlier sessions have been
occupied chiefly with testimony regard
ing the finances of the New Haven
system.
Commissioner PrOuty said that the
commission was proceeding on the the
Dry that a transportation monopoly had
been created in New England. Three
things should be determined, namely:
- How does the service in New Eng
land compare with service in other
parts of the country? How do New
/ England rates compare with rates in
other sections! And what effect on
rates has been produced by the New
Haven ; acquisition of the Boston
Maine and its leased lines? After
studying tables introduced TO show the
/ comparative service maintained by
number Of leading railroads in the
country. the commissioner said that in
his opinion the New Haven : freight
service was as good as any of the 9th
ers. and that of the Boston 4 Maine
about the poorest.
Having heard of the present high
fixed charges of the Boston 4 Maine
in comparison with the amount of
its income above operating expenses.
Commissioner PrOuty was interested
i'm the statement yesterday by the
chief engineer Of the railroad that
S13,03S,251 could be spent wisely in
six years and could be expended to
make it possible to operate the road
efficiently and economically.
Frank :. Davis chief of the tariff
bureau of the New England lines, was
, the only witness. He produced bulky
record books, quoted rates in various
sections on all kinds of commodities
and special classes of freight, and de
ducod that since the merger Of the Bos
, ton & Maine and the New Haven road,
- there had been advances in - per eent
= of the tariffs and reductions in the re
=. naming s. per cent. Fully - pc
~ I cent of the increases he estimated
~ were due to the cancellation OF so-callet
. ''papcr' or useless tariffs.
He compared rates between New
: England points with the rates from
North Carolina to South Carolina am
Georgia points on cotton piece good
and manufactured goods; the rates O.
- the Boston & Maine, Maine Contra
and New York, New Haven and Hart
loFd roa"S beihS loWef IN every cas-
IMAM the rates In the south sine
Jhe merger, ne sal4, lolht tarlh ma
oe'n loI iii''iateo MhIeh ha' snPetseoe
II - separate farms on the boston
Maine Ihe Mdlhe 'ehtrai an" tue Ne'
nay en- lIheS.
n"er GfoSS-e examination by Da>
j. ~ IVES cndlI man % ing tIaHSl'oi u
II tioh 'o'l'HlV'ee VI tine DoS'o" Tnaih''
ne Vi commerce, anu nop"i, nom" II
ne counSel Tor the chalhpef' the "lthe'
~ salo 'h3t some OF the reductions WEI
uue 10 laws recently passed we al
ne NOT praS9InS ABOUT tneSe fe"uctiohS,
nj observed faSar =. men, couhsel TOT II
re session Name we are aPoloSlZlh
to IoT them'
OF = oSS-eN8iliI NATION alSo eIeloP'
'hal since the merger the rates
shlPhehts OF hummer from MalhG ee
tral stations to points IN New liam lam
Shire had peen a"Vahced: MI DaN
y sald thaI ne ana nor thlhk X, thesg d
II 'aIees were il''He because tue taiiro'
III had an opportunity 10 increase us re
ehue on great quantities Oh luillp
$3.50 that hao TO De moved. lie was uhao
10 give any reason Tor the aoNahc
MI laws tnouShC Ine rates on POT
. Toes from Maine 5 points 10 DoSlU" a. al
- e% ia" nteli iii'i S''?e,'' =