Norwich bulletin., 1913-12-03
Drop IroIIeys
 and Steamships
NEW HAVEN RAILROAD TO TAKE
 THIS STEP.
A WASHINGTON REPORT
Will Also Divorce Itself from Boston & Maine and Boston & Albany Conference with Attorney General.

Washington, Dec. 2.-Negotiations between Attorney General McRey- holds and the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad company to- night reached the stage. where predic- tions were confidently made in official circles that actual litigation in the courts will be avoided but the New Haven will effect a complete reorgan- 1zation, divorce it's steamship, trolley and railroad holdings to which ob- jection has been found and bring it. self entirely within the Sherman an- ti-trust act.
 No agreement has been entered into between the department of justice and the railroad and the reorganization talk originated with the New Haven.
 To Ask For an Agreed Decree"
 Unless unexpected developments arise, however, within the next few weeks, the department will appear be- fore some United States district court and ask for what it terms ''an agreed decree" to which the New Haven would express consent The practice in such cases has been for the courts to ratify such an agreement and if the custom were followed the years of litigation which would be necessary to carry az case against the railroad through the district and supreme courts would be avoided. Under an  would proceed to carry out its agree ments and if it compiled in the time fixed further civil proceedings under the Sherman law would not be under taken.
 The whole New Haven problem was gone over in great detail today at a conference between the attorney gen eral. Howard Elliott, chairman of the board of the New Haven; E. D. Rob bins, it's general counsel; Edgar ]. Rich, general counsel for the Boston and Maine; L. S. Storrs vice president of the trolley lines, and John w Grim, counsel for the New Haven.
 What McReynoIds Demands.
 An agreement to meet the demands of Attorney General McReynoldS would provide:
 For 8 separation of the New Haven and the Boston and Mtine railroad.
 For a separation of the New Haven and the Boston and Maine railroad Rhode Island and other states.
 For a relinquishment by the New Haven of it's control of steamship lines, some of which are held by the department to compete for the New York Boston traffic.
 For the qualification of the New F3a~ ven's agreement with the Bost1p and Albany railroad
 Will Grant Reasonable Time.
 One argument which has had weight with department officials is that time should be given to the New Haven to dispose of it's outside transportation holdings. The officials have been told tf1as+. the New Haven needs money and they realize that to compel the road to go to court and dispose of several big transportation systems, in double quick order, would put it in a delicate situation.
 The attorney general has made fl plain frequently that he is seeking to better conditions in New England and that if the law is obeyed by voluntary action on the part of the New Haven he would not object to avoiding suit in court Any reasonable amount of time asked for by the New Haven probably will be granted if Chairman Elliott and his assistants convince of f1cials of the soundness of their plans.