Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-07-09
CONTROL BY ONE SYSTEM
wAsTEFul AND DANGEROUS
extravasant Management and Lack Of
Safety Equipment Bring Financial
LOSES and Acknowledgements
Between Lines Contrary to Law
Report On Years Investigations.

commerce commission in its report Of
the invsstigation. made public today.
Tho commissions conclusions are:
That the Outside" financial man
Agement has been "wasteful in the ex-
treme." and that had the New Haven
confined itself to actual railroad actiy-
tiles under the same conditions that
prevailed in other respects" it could
have paid q dividend Of per cent for
the fiscal year of 1912 and carried TO
surplus accounts $1.794.0OO instead Of
showing q deficit Of $S30.000.''
That the New Havens agreement
with the Boston & Albany is ''violativo
of the spirit Of the statute against the
restraint Of competition and should be
cancelled. In our opinion this line
should be kept entirely free from New
Haven control"
That the New Haven should divest
itself Of its trolley lines, not because
the present ownership is in violation
of the law. but because such owner
ship might be used to prevent the
building Of competing lines in the fu-
ture.
Merusr crsatss Monopoly.
That the Boston & Names merger
with the New Haven. Il permitted to
stand. will result In IAN almost exclu-
rive monopoly Of transportation facili-
ties by the railroad In the greater part
Of New England"
That passenger train service with
out considering safety Of operation on
the New Haven 10 distinctly better
tfan any other line entering New
York. and that Of the Boston & Maine
poually % GOOD. Both roads. however.
are criticised adversely for lack OF
Steel cars.
Tha4 thS freight service Of the Bos-
tom Z Maine els 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
par with the Baltimore & Ohio"
That passenger fares in New Eng
land have been more favorable to the
local travelling public than in any 9TH
or 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 not only act
"prudently but above all within the
letter and the spirit Of the law"
No Order Made.
No order was made by the commits
sion but in its opinion the following
propositions. which have national ap-
p1ication of all railroads, lie at tho
foundation Of adequate railroad legis-
lation.
"Every interstate railroad should be
prohibited from expending money or
incurring liabilities or property not IN
the operation Of its railroad, or in the
development Of that railroad.
..No. interstate railroad should be
permitted to lease Of purchase other
railroads or acquire the stocks or Sc
curities OF any other railroad nor to
guarantee the same directly or indf-
rectly without the approval oft he fed
eral government.
.eNo stocks or bonds should be is
sued by an interstate railroad except
for the purposes sanctioned in the two
preceding paragraphs and none should
ba issued without the approval of the
federal government"
Commissioners Clements and Marble
submitted a, concurring opinion in
which they Heartily agreed with the
report" but make their position clear
as to some Of the issues mentioned.
Service and Safety Lacking.
Concerning the merger Of the New
Haven and the Boston & Maine they
assert that "this is q phase Of the sub
iect that should be left to congress
lust as the issues under the antitrust
law have been left to the courts. II 1t
were proper to be considered here.
however, we would give weight to the
suggestion that the merger has so
overloaded the executive boards Of the
entire aggregation as to impair not
on,v the correct and economical n
nancial administration but also eff
nciency and safety Of operation"
Probe Begun Year Ago.
The inquiry resulting in today's re-
mort was begun about a year ago by
the commission upon its own initiative
in consequence of numerous and per-
.istant complaints Of railroads rates.
regulations and service in New Eng
land. The carriers particularly in
vestixated were the New York, New
haven Z Hartford. Boston & Maine
and the Maine Central. Thirty seven
DAYS were devoted to public hearings.
n the course Of which more than 5000
paees Of testimony we're taken.
The report IL divided into four gem
eral heads: Service, rates, finances
and the remedy" Commissioner
Prouty, who has devoted much Of his
time during the last year to the in
o,,iry. discusses exhaustively each
phase. The report aggregates nearly
10000 words.
In An exhaustive discussion Of the A.
nanelAl aaairs. Of the New Haven and
4 me DaGt0h q Maine. Commissioner
EYYUT ElJl - IteS clearly thst the sIi-