New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-07-24
Last Years Surplus $lll,OOO.

The company. II viii reclte, IS SOL
vent. paving it's bills promptly a. ma
turity and earning surplus OF - III, :
600 over all fixed charges IN the hscal
year ended June 80.
The netition Of the government the
answer will further assert. rs inaccu-
rate IN many OF the charges n con
,ains. betrays lack OF knowledge IN
some and in others makes charges that
are untrue. indefinite or ambiguous
and therefore impossible TO answer
with certainty. The answer Will be
rled By r. d. auckland. vlce-presldent
and general counsel for the company.
The suit % the government was Med
shortly after: ten O'Clock Yesterday
morning. when a printed brief OF more
han 100 pages and SIS. the filing fee'
was handed 20 Alexander GllchriSt'
IT,. clerk Of the United States District
Court. With the brief was an elabor-
ate series OF maps showing New ing.
land covered with the various lines OF
the New Haven system, with mere ana
there bit Of railroad in another color
80 indicate thai u VAS not part OF the
system.
The bill set up that the New Haven
Is guilty OF violating the Sherman law
BY restraining trade and commerce,
and that II has acquired monopohes OF
railroad, steamship and trolley trans
portation i'm the New England states
until IL now controls q per cent or
me freight handled BY railroads IN
that territory. % per cent OF the ran.
road passenger traffic. 80 per cent OF
the steamship traffic and q per cent
OF the trolley traffic.
Describing The territory, the bill goes
Of 20
.cnger ard frciCh. traffic Is many
tunes greater than the average for
me rest Of the United States. and
that. under natural conditions and
prior 20 the assembling OF the New
Haven system as 10 now stands. there
we're numerous competitive routes by
which this traffic might be moved a
condition which the New Haven Is &C
cused OF destroying slnce 1898.
Ten Companies Competed.
PRIOR 20 that year. the bill sets up,
there were ten railroad companies OPP
Grating IN New England and the ada
cent territory, exclusive Of the Cana
dian Pacific and the Bangor & Aroos-
foo., which were not substantial com
pctitoIs Of the others. There were also
tVenty-One steamship lines and
few trolley lines. Nine OF
the railroads were independent OF
each other. and sixteen OF the
steamboat lines were independent and
competitive, while five were owned by
railroads The trolley lines were in
dependent Of and beginning 70 com
pete with the railroads. The New Ha-
ven at that time did not operate east
Of Prov idenCe, owned no trolley lines
controlled but two boat lines and had
but sf8 Of the 6,49s miles Of main
rack IN New England
Since then, says the bill. the New
Hascn has acquired control Of nine
ol the ten systems referred TO, and
nas repeatedly tried % secure the
.cnth. until Do now controls 6.45l m ii &c
Jf railroad In New England out OF a
Total Of 1888. and receives 1921 900 0O0
on. Of the Sl3O.O0O.OOO paid for rail
road transportation In that territory
n has also acquired twenty two out Of
thirty boat lines and 800 out OF .62J
miles OF trolley Lines % the territory.
The effect Of the monopoly 'hus SCI
10. says the bill. ~ 20 cause unrcasOn-
able delay in handling freight, the use
% inferior and unsafe rolling stock
ne lack o. proper safety and signal
devices. the destruction o. autonomous
units in rate making, the suppression
Of competition FOR freight, the diver
ION Of freight from subsidiary lines
20 the New Haven proper, al effort %
.oeresse freight rates and dila'ory and
arbitrary methods IN dealing With the
public
The BIZ follows closely the reports
81 the Interstate Commerce COmmis-
,.ou In describing the methods used
in acquiring control o. other comps-
uteg Il charge thc use Of elusive
Method ~ conceal the real character
NJ tranzsc, ions and 20 render Assets
md physical property indistinguiah
4Dle in AZ Effort 20 20 intrcuch the
80 70 make - imprscticsble
.or iAs government 70 spply tpecile