Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-01-05
Proposal for Trustees.

Although Mr.. Elliott has not been i'll
Washington for more than Il month. il
has been apparent to observers in the
Department of Justice that the New
Haven is showing a spirit that gives
hope for a termination of the difficulties
without a lawsuit Within the last few
weeks. since the announcement of the
agreement between the Attorney General
aud the telephone trrst, there have
been several statements concerning the
New Haven which have excited great in
terest here.
The first statement declared that the
New Haven was willing to put the Bos-
ton and Maine in the hands of trustees.
with the idea that eventually the stock
OF that road be sold to some one other
than the New Haven. The Attorney Cen
eral was to pass upon the trustees and
other matters, including the question of
stock disposition. No denial of this re
port has reached the department
The other statement was official and
declared that the New Haven had can
celed its agreement with the New York
Central for the Joint sharing of the prof
its or losses of the operations of the Bos-
ton and Albany railroad. Word also has
come unofficially TO Washington that the
New Haven might be willing to give up
its so-called outside steamship lines OPP
Grating between Boston and New York
and other more southern ports.
These steps, if taken. would meet the
view of the Attorney General. but there
is said to be considerable doubt that they
alone would be regarded as sufficient
ground to forsake q prosecution of that
road in the courts.
Government investigators have report
ed that the New Haven is practically in
control of every means of interstate or
water communication between the west
and south and New England. Breaking
its control over the Boston and Maine
system would put the old F'itchburg rail-
road, now owned by the Boston and
Maine, into the field again SO far
traffic from Boston and northern Massa-
chusetts. southern New Hamshire and
Vermont is concerned. The Fitchburg
line runs from Boston to Troy. y. Y.
Would Restore Competition.
The annulment of the Boston and Al
bany agreement would be another step
to free the same territory from the al
legged monopoly. Release of the outside
steamship lines, officials say, would be
calculated to restore some degree of COM
petition between New York and Boston
and Boston and Philadelphia and south
ern ports.
officials point out, however that an
agreement to give up the Boston and
Maine. the Boston and Albany and the
outside steamship lines would still leave
the Long Island sound cities and the
cities reached by the Rhode Island trolley
lines without the measure of compete
ton they deem Is due them. Therefore
any plan which did not include the Civ
ing up of the sound steamer lines and
the trolleys probably would be refused
by the Department Of Justice. much as
the Attorney General would like to see
the problem of New England transporta-
ton solved without the delays of litiga-
ton.
In looking into the matter the investi-
gators examined the connection between
the New Haven and the old New Eng
land railroad. a line which runs down
through the central part of Connecticut.
and for more than a hundred miles
would be a natural competitor of the
rival which absorbed it. This line was
taken over by the New Haven many years
ago, however. and it is said if Mr.. Nc
Reynolds could be assured that all these
other steps toward restoration of COM
petition would be taken he might not in
sist upon this one.