The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-07-09

Washington, July 9.-FinanciaI op- erations of the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad, it's ownership 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 to-day. The Commissions concIu- sions are:
 That the eoutside" financial man agement has been "wasteful in the ex- treme,'' and that had the New Ha- ven confined itself to actual railroad activities under the same conditions that prevailed in other respects "it copId have paid a dividend of per ried to surplus account $1s794,000 fn- stead of showing a deficit of $930,00o."
 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" Tn our opinion" says the Commission, 'this line should be kept entirely free from New Haven control"
 That the New Haven should divest itself of it's trolley lines, not because the present ownership is in violation of law but because such ownership might be used to prevent the building O1 COInp0LIuS l11l0S III CIlG 1ulNEG
 That the Boston & Maine's merger with the New Haven, if permitted to stand will result in ian almost exclu- sive monopoly of transportation facil tiles by railroads in the greater 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 Pennsvivania but about on a par with the Baltimore & Ohfo."
 That passenger fares in New Eng land, have been more favorable to the local travelling public than in any oth- CT portion of the United States.
 That ''any betterment of railroad conditions in New England must be- gin with the assurance that the New Haven management will act not only prud entity, but, above all, within the letter and the spirit of the law
 No order was made by the Comu1is- sion, but in it's opinion, the following | pTOpOSlLIOHS WHICH nave DdL1O1td1. ap- p1ication to all railroads, lie at the foundation of adequate railroad reg ulatfon:
 'Every interstate railroad should be prohibited from expending money or mourning liabilities or acquiringl property not in the operation Of it's 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, di- rectly or indirectly, without the ap- provaI of the Federal Government
 'tNo stocks or bonds should be is sued by an interstate railroad ex- cept for the purposes sanctioned in he two preceding paragraphs, and none should be issued without the ap- orova1 of the Federal Government.
 Commissioners Clements and Mar 'le submitted a concurring opinion in which they agree heartily with the eport.' But make their position clear Is to some of the issues mention
 Concerning the merger of the New Haven and the Boston and Maine, hey assert that 'fthis is a phase of he subject that should be left to the ongress, just as the issues under the rlti-trust law have been left to the curts. If it were proper to be con idered here, however, we would give 1eight to the suggestion that the mer- CT has so overloaded the executive eads of the entire aggregation as 0 impair not only correct and eco omicaI financial administra ton, but ] lso efficiency and safety of opera ] ion. The Boston & Maine and the