Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-07-23
NEW HAVEN SUIT
FILED BY GOVT.
CONTINUED from First Pass9


convict directors and officers does not
lead to a great legal battle, which
probably will not end this side Of the
United States Supreme Court
The brief, written by Mr.. Gregory,
charges the New Haven with being
an unlawful monopoly, which controls
more than 80 per cent. of the rail-
roads and trolley traffic of all New
England, and more than IS per cent.
of the steamship transportation OF
that region. The court is asked to
restore competition by ordering the
separation of the New Haven from
the Boston and Maine railroad. from
its sound and outside steamship lines
and from its trolley system in Rhode
Island and Connecticut. The brief
suggests that il the court deems best
it appoint a receiver to take over the
property and bring 1t in harmony
with the law. and asks for the GUS
tomary general relief If the court
finds it necessary. The government
alleges that the New Haven began its
march toward a monopolization of
New England transportation in 1898
md that its domination over five
States Is now almost uncontested.
THE brief carries with it an ex-
hibit purporting to be copy of an
agreement between representatives
of the New Haven and the Boston &
Maine Railroad, made on March s,
1893, by which those two roads di~
vided New England between them
selves. This agreement purports to
have been made at the home of the
late ]. Pierpont Morgan in New York.
At that time the two roads concerned
were entirely separate.
Terms of Agreement.
IT, Naur
Haven was to aid the Boston & Maine
to acquire transportation lines north
of a certain line, the Boston & Maine
to aid the New Haven to the same
end south of that line. The bill does
not show any termination of this
agreement, but years afterwards the
New Haven, after it had secured the
lines south and after the Boston &
Maine had taken up most of those
north, in turn took over the Boston &
Maine and became the almost undie-
puted master of the field from the
coast line Of Connecticut to the st.
Lawrence river and the Canadian
border.
The New Haven, the bill declares,
resorted to many elusive and round
about methods to cover its tracks in
perfecting its combinations; it ac-
quired properties, got stock control,
impoverished competitors and bought
them in, and resorted to many Illegal
practises to attain its end.
New England makes, the bill says,
about 100000, 100000 worth of products
annually and there is consequently a
heavy movement to and from that
section of raw materials and finished
products, so that a transportation
monopoly there is of vast interest to
every section of the United States.
Maps accompanying the bill show the
difference between transportation
conditions of 1888 and 1913. In the
former years they show New England
with nearly a dozen competing sys-
TENS: in 1918, with the New Haven
and the Central Vermont and Grand
Trunk only. In 1893 the map shows
hundreds of towns and villages in
the five States reached by more than
one transportation system; in 1918 it
gives possibly twenty where there is
competition in transportation, the
rest touched only by the New Haven
or its subsidiaries.
Arbitrary Methods Charged.
This great change in transportation
conditions, the government alleges,
has led to unreasonable delay in de-
livering freight, use of inferior and
unsafe rolling stock, the lack of prop
er signal systems and safety devices,
the destruction of the autonomy of
the units now combined in making
rates, the suppression of competition
among these units, the diversion of
freight traffic to the New Haven COM
pany, an effort to increase freight
rates and dilatory and arbitrary
methods in dealing with patrons.
The brief is one of the most COM
prehensive filed by the government in
any similar suit. Mr.. Gregory began
its preparation almost a year ago and
has worked steadily upon it much of
the time since. 1t goes further than
the department of justice proposed to
go in untanglng the New Haven in
the agreement for that purpose made
last March, which is now void.