Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-05-08
Mellen's Attorney Says the Bos-
ton Lawyer HAS Superb
Destructive Talents"
CALLS him MINORITY OF one
Answers Charges of Misman.
agement by Claiming Far
Sighted Policy Has Been
Course Pursued.

Washington. May 7.-Chargcs of maad
"'niS'ratlon' reckless extravaganza ant
undue expansion. induced by spIrit Of
m"n"poiHa'ion and ACKNOWLEDGEMENT wer,
made today before the interstate com
mere" commission by Louis II. RrandcS Of
BOSTON ngninst the officials of tho Nov
r"rH' New Haven Hartford and III,
| lioSton Maine railroads
The charges We're mndc in the course of
oral arguments submitted to The rommi =
| SION upon the testimony adduccd ai The
| commissions Investigations Of the opera
tions of the New England railroads re-
! Gently taken in Boston.
The criticism OF Mr. Rranclpis was met
| by statements of Charles f. Choate. Jr
personal counsel Of President Chas. s Mel
len of the New Haven, who while admit.
ting that large prices had boon paid for
| some of the properties constituting. tho
New Haven system. declared the action
of the directors already had been justified
fully in some instances. and. he was Ger
tain. would be justified in alI hv time
Expensive improvements. he said had heon
made by the roads to meet the demands of
the public
Referring to Mr.. Brandeis as IN minor
ity Of one" Mr.. Choate said that criticism
OF the New Haven was rapidly waning in
New England as its operations had become
better undcrsi ood and hc drew smiles from
the commissioners and from Mr.. Brandeis
as we'll. by saying of him: He has su.
p"rb destructive talents. but not a single
constructive idea ever has cmanatcd from
him to the benefit Of our New England
public"
Mr. 'hoatc said as 10 the merger of the
Boston Maine and the New Haven thai
it was certain they would come together
eventually. because they were natural
compliments Of each other"
ALWAYS SHOWED A PROFIT
MIR. Choate declared that the period he
tween l"o:' and 1912. which had been re
fcrred to by Mr. Hrandeis as the darkest
period of New England transportation"
had shown immense Improvement both in
the equipment and character of the scrv.
ice Of the New Haven properties
Within the New Haven system there
are rs operating companies which work
independently rowardS a common rnd."
said Mr. Choatc. Much of the comment
and criticism that has been excited as to
the management Of these properties is due
unqueStionnby to misunderstanding De
spite what Mr.. Brandcis has said here. II
Is fact that a surplus of income over
dividend requirements has been shown hv
the New Haven ~ystem in every wear hv
tho firm of qualified accountants which
prepares the general balance sheet Of the
system"
General-Solctor Rich of the Boston &
Maine, who discussed particularly rates
and service, maintained that the arrange
ment between the New Haven and the
Boston Maine should be- permitted TO
stand. He declared that there was no
freight service in the world cqual to that
between Boston and New York and insist.
cd that II was perfectly satisfactory TO the
shipping public He asserted that the
financial difiicultics Of tho Boston & Maine.
referred to by Mr.. Brandeis. had been
caused almost wholly by the efforts of
the management To meet the demands of
III shipping public. that during the last
year the number Of It's employees had been
Increased ~ per cent. while in the same
period the traffic had increased only five
per cent. lie said he had no apology to
make for the acquisition Of other lines
policy which had called out the criticism
Of Mr.. Rrandcis because almost all Of
them had been acquired under the super
vision and with the approval of the
Massn chusctts railroad commission,
ERA. .DEIS OPPOSES INCREASES.
In concluding the arguments, Mr.. Bran
deis said: "To increase the rates of rail
roads that have been managed as these
have been managed would be like increas
Ing the income Of a spendthrift to meet
the deficiencies he is up against Mt the
end Of each year. The answer to the
problem, the real remedy. Is to operate
these roads not only honestly but efficient.
ly. All the increases In rates this com.
mission allow would not MI the hole which !
the management Of these roads has dug
An Increase of the rates would not inrrea So
the income Of the property but would
merely strife many industries in our com.
munity and choke industrial progress"