The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1914-01-09
NEW HAVEN WANTS.
TO CONTINUE ITS
WATER ROUTES
Asks Permission To Retain
Steamship Business
TO DODGE PANAMA ACT
Chairman Elliott Leaves Washington
for New York to Confer with
His Directors
TO DODGE PANAMA ACT

Washington, Jan. 9.-After another
dav of conference with Attorney-Gen
eral McReynods, Chairman Howard
Elliott of the New York, New Haven
and Hartford railroad left Washing
ton last night to meet his directors
in New York today. still hopeful taat
the department of justice will agree
to such plans for a reorganization o.
the road as its officials believe are
practical. Mr. Elliott tomorrow or
Monday and resume negotiations. IL
is believed at Washington that With
his assistants will press the whole
New Haven case" to some conclu-
sion, either the peaceful one of reor-
ganization or to dissolution suit In
court.
With the announcement yesterday
that the New Haven system had TAX
en- the first step to bring before the
interstate commerce commission the
question of its retention of compel
ing steamship lines, it was said one
difficulty had been removed from the
path of the negotiators. The princ'7
pal point in controversy when Mr.
Elliott left was understood to be the
disposition of the New Havtn's trolly
lines.
The New Haven brought the mat
ter of it's ownership of competing
steamship lines to the attention o,
the commerce commission in comph-
ance with the Panama canal act OF
1912 That act prohibited after July
/. 1914. any ownership or interest BY
a railroad or other common carri r.,
in any common carrier by water,
when the railroad does or may com
pete with such water carrier. In an
amendment the commission was
clothed with power to determine
questions of fact as to competition or
possibility of competition and was au
thorized to extend beyond July l, the
time in which a railroad may cont.n-
ne the operation of the steamship
lines which it controls. 1t goes at
length into the history of all the
many steamship companies which
the New Haven owns or in which it
is interested. Permission is sought
for continuance on the ground THAI
the rates are lower on the rail and
water routes maintained, than on the
all-rail routes. II declares that the
continuance of the service is of adj
vantage to the convenience and com
merce of the people.
Under this application the New
Haven will undoubtedly be granted
an opportunity to argue the business
of its claim to keep the water lines
before the commission. No date had
been set last night for a hearing on
| the application. but the commission
may take such action shortly.
It was pointed out last night. how
ever that although this step by The
New Haven has put the matter OF
steamship line ownership before the
commission. it has no binding effect
upon the department of Justice. The
department is not negotiating with
the New. Haven over the Panama ca
nal act. but the Sherman law. and il
ii feels its own method of procedure
to remedy this condition. At the
same time, since the New Haven has
taken the matter up with the com
merce commission some officials fec
that the department of justice efforts
on this line might lead to an unpleas
ant situation between two govern
ment agencies.