Norwich bulletin., 1914-05-29
Questioned by Counsel for Miss Jennie R. Morse Re
 garding Metropolitan Steamship Co. Affairs
HEARING BY SPECIAL MASTER AT NEW HAVEN
Tssted That He Had No Knowledge of Manner by Which Eastern Steamship Cooperation Obtained Possession of Steamers Belonging to Metropolitan Company of New Jesey-States That Steamers Were Operated at Loss Not Trafic Enough to Support One Line.

New Haven, Conn, May 2S.-For many hours today counsel for Miss Jennie R. Morse, sister Of Charles w. Norss. qusstioced Charles S. Mellen, former president of the New York. : New Haven and Hartford Railroad company as to the manner by which the Eastern Steamship corporation ob- talned possession of number of steamers which had belonged to the New Jersey, the former corporation 6alng . subsidiary of the New Haven road MT. Mellon said he had abso- lutsiy 10 knoviedge of the transaction. and he had had no knowledge what ever. of the afna1rB of tho Metropolitan 0esamship companics. of which there
 Administrativs oniosrs of the New HAwsu company produced records boeR1ng on the sale by the Maine otsemshiD compeny of it's property to tho Dn9esru 6teaxnGhip corporation, and tho various transkers or sale of securi- t1es of both companies which through tho Hartford and New York Trans portAticn company finally. reached the 1eSw Dnglnnd Navigation company, the hosdlng company of the roads marine pFupeEeie9I whore such securities sti1
 1As bearing today was before a spe- [ efal master from New Jersey and the ev16DuDo wnS fn the form of dep0si- t6unGL n D. Robbins. former general ouunDo1 for tho Now Haven road, who, a0uDrdlng to Mr. Mellen knew most cent flhe trnna6er of properties of the nGnane 6tenmship company to the Bnotnsa 0toannship corporation, did not ta.e1fy. he having agreed to appear wAGn 0he Dnff Of Miss Morse and others fs 0naxly brought in tho New Jersey
 DuI1n9 his testimony today Mr. Hallsa sadd that tho three boats 9n Colony, Maeuachusetts and N 1t1n coenpany at an ex- ..1.. E 6 ssS,; sSeis ;see srimaa,rs fnoa rbsg Sst 46 1GE Eittleton he sadd they were not en6nomicaL- Az freight boats they D2 epsrn1ed at . 0sR-
 Tea eculd not have continued them
 -oh ysa- replied MT. Meilen-
 slGot ak c 1o61 2?
 Mell. 1t would have been a sur yiyM cf the nttests said Mr- Mellen- Tha New HaUen road could have pbDed the loss the longest and the Metropolitan company was bound to Q u1dR. think boats built at one third ths cosf would have served our eurpoee tust assweT
 Nr. Littastcn: II was highly desirable thak there should be no competing
 IT. lEsllen: t1f there was no com- Re1ns line we wculd have had the buNfnADgs
 -vastly better for the Metropolitan hne to be our cf the way!"
 There was no material advantage to the New Haven road" replied MT Aelleu- -Even if the Yale and Har- yard d1d 90 to the Pacific there wal rot enough trnflic for both lines"
 Wnere d1d ths traMc 50
 en0ugh traflc to support the Harvard end Yale. or evta our own boatsr
 What lines were Jeff after the Har- yard and Yale went to the Pacific? ?r
 H1k. Me1len rienffoned tho Easterr ste.m.hip corgoeation- the New Eng ana Nayigafi9n company and thu 4etropoiitan line.
 How did the old Colony, the Mass achuDetts and tho Bunker Hill get into tho Hastexn SteAmahip corporation ?'
 ME- 1le1lea aaad that they belonged to the 1Gafna HEeamship company anC An1&ern Mr. Idttfeton asked whal dimEence this mAde. MT. Mellen re- p1fed f1nat ft m6de great deal of diff feEence- Tho 1EaffeA Steamship com Dany itseK had, direct control of 1t, pgupeF4y, but MkeHs it was merged into flze Eastern it simply held minority in the securities of that company.
 Mr. Me1ien Wae asked questions by Ar. Littleton as to certain securities of the New England Investment com
 Mir. Mellen said the three steamers which had been mentioned were solo by the Navieation coppany to the Maine Ste1mSfip company and by ths l01ter transferred to the Eastern. The arrangements for the merger of ths ~[~ H. r-x- l. f&ought had been made by Mir. Rob-
 MT. Mellen was temporarily excused while Arthur E Clarke, secretary o the New Haven company. was called upon to put in various books showing subsidiary corupan1es. MT. Clarke sait he knew of no record of the New Ha. ven road having-any-s securities by pur- chase or transfer, of the Metropolitan Steamship conapApies, the Eastern Sc curitfes compazF the Chslmalxer com mentioned From books he produced he showed the following among othel records: That in D&cenper; 1911. tn, stockholders of the Maine Steamship company voted to seH their steamer and property to the Eastern Steamship corporation: in May. 1911, the Main' Steamship colupary had voted to bu, for s4ta, 900 the K11aryes and propert. at Boston which had been used by tn Metropolitan Steamship Company Q New Jersey: in the ssame month tIler' was action bysthe board of director Of the ocmpaaax to take over a leas of India wharf, which had been as 11xned by fhe Mef1opolftan Steamship cgnpany. Tn Eebfuafy, 1912. 1t wa VUted by Ghe directors to sell the bord end securities of the company: tha the securities were sold to the Hart ford and New York TransEortati0l coanpany bought bonds If the latte cerPorzlio11 aa1 in turn sold nese t tie New E1Eland Navigation company which stz1l hAH them.
 To every rerard put isa Afr. Idttietel 0kered ob3eetiQE. He 21so wanted tn colnpany's books marked for identffi en<ipia but Mr. Robbins told Mr. Clark not to mark them. Mir: LittletDn of fer&d objection.x He added; The Nev Haven road rims eekne thinesf but i G1nn6k run eN@fythinG
 " clnf<e 1Ioo fe1d ffo<n record