The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-01-03
Gov. FOSS FOR
STATE RULE OF
NEW HAVEN ROAD
MASSACHUSETTS, CHIEF EXECU-
TIVE RECOMMEND STOCK
PURCHASE AND APP
POINTMENT OF
DIRECTORS

Boston, Mass, Jan. State control
Of railroads, the object being to break
the New York, New Haven and Hart
ford's monopoly OF the New England
transportation system is urged by Gov.
Foss in his inaugural message. The
Governor does not once mention Chas.
Sanger Mellen, president of the New
Haven system, whom he strongly de-
nounced in the last campaign for
throttlinE competition by absorbing
the Boston and Maine and stopping the
building of Grand Trunk railroad ex-
tensions to Boston and Providence.
Nor does he refer to the New York fl
nanciers who he has many times as
serted are back of all that has been
done by Mr.. Mellen.
Without control of the railroad sys-
tenn he says, "the trust system can
not long survive. Railway ownership
is the chief support of the so-called
Money Trust
The railroad situation in New Eng
land, and especially in Massachusetts,,
is such as to cause the deepest con-
Germ.
I'm this day and generation no pub
lie service corporation can prosper If
1t lacks public confidence. The con-
tinued hostility OF the press and the
public to the great railroad system up
on which we depend is sure to lead to
serious results.
This hostility has been provoked by
acts upon the part of the railroad dis
tinct1y repugnant to public sentiment
and, indeed in some instances in vio-
lation of the law, and has been inten-
sified by the failure of the railroads
to afford the public the service to
which it is entitled.
1.-The situation today clearly de-
n1ands something more than criticism.
adopted by the New England states SO
that this great factor in our CONNER
cia1 life may be made to contribute, it's
full share to our prosperity and de-
ve3opnent, instead OF continuing, as
at present, a cause of discord and vex-
atIous uncertainty"
The Governor recommends:
That the Governor be empowered
to appoint a number of the majority
of the directors of every corporation
which owns operates or controls a
railroad in Massachusetts, proportion
ate to the mileage Of that railroad in
this state.
THAT the state be obligated to pur-
chase every share in the railroad Of
fered it for sale unless it already holds
at the time when the proposal is made
shares of capital stock equal in its pro-
portion to the total capital stock to
the proportional representation of the
State IN the majority of the directors
of that corporation.
That the directors IN the railroad,
or railroads, shall not have the pow
er to withhold the declaration of pay
ment OF a dividend rightly earned
If this is not acceptable, Governor
Fsoss suggests public service ec-por-
alton, with mandatory authorit-- ever
the public service Failure o. the
state to control thesrai1road situation,
he predicts, VIII eventually mean fed
eraI ownership and operation of all
railroads.
In conclusion Governor Foss says:
THE election OF q United States Sem
ator by a partisan caucus will be a
declaration that the control of the Leg
islature, which has secured the defeat
of every measure designed to effect a
regulation of the railroad monopoly,
is still potent
AS an early solution, Governor Foss
urges the dissolution of the holding
company through which the New Ha-
ven road now controls the Boston and
Maine railroad.