New-York tribune., 1914-05-29

4
Hill and the Massachusetts, three pas
senger ships the New Haven built 10
meet the Yale and the Harvard, were
turned from proftless investments TO
money makers.
Have No Competitors.
ITO what extent did all the thirty New
Haven subsidiaries. working together
control the shipping of the New England
coast?" he was asked.
Very largely In fact, we have no COM
petitors now except those OF the New
England Navigation Company. which is
owned also by the New Haven
After Mr.. Mellen had written letter TO
Captain Goodall declining the offer Of the
wharf in Boston and the freight feet, he
said. he was aware that Mr.. Robbins was
still in negotiation with them for the sale
OF the Morse lines properties Why the
general counsel for the New Haven should
advise against action by the railroad in
the two Westerners Mr.. Meilen said ne
could never learn.
Every time / had the matter called TO
my attention" he said, "and would say.
Robbins, how about this?' he would re-
ply: Whatever I have to do with the
matter, If anything has nothing TO do
with the New Haven, and is for other
clients"
Then how did the wharf and frcigh.
ships wind up in the hands OF the East
ern Steamship Corporation Littleton
asked.
II know nothing OF the affair. I think
il is now in the hands OF the Eastern
Steamship Corporation, and the New
Haven company owns a large part of thar
companys stock-S0 or 20 per cent. That
represents a sum received by the New
England Navigation Company for the
sale TO the Eastern company OF the Maine
Steamship Company"
1T almost ranks with the Charlie Ross
case" Mr.. Littleton commented, and Mr..
Mellen replied:
Yes but | hope that this mystery will
terminate some time. The Lord only
knows what Robbins did"
DO you think the Lord had anything
to do with this kind Of work OF the New
Havens?"
well, if the Lord and Robbins were
eYar in close communion in regard TO the
New Haven. I'd give up trying to learn
anything as bad Job. The last actual
ly learned OF the actual ownership of
these Metropolitan Steamship properties
was when they were offered to me by
Goodall and McGovern. Then the owner
ship disappeared, although the wharf
stayed in sight and the freight ships con-
tinued 10 ply along the coast"
II suppose" said Mr.. Litteton, that
l il the wharf and the freight ships were
found in the New Haven stocking Christ
mas morning. you would decide they were
put there by ST. Nicholas
Eyes, and sew up any hole in the stock
ing
Then Mr.. Littleton and Mr.. Melen re-
viewed the corporate history of the COM
panies mentioned The first Morse live,
they agreed, was the Metropolitan Steam
ship Company, Of Maine, which .hcy
called No. /. After that, when this COM
pany was reorganized, came the Metro
politan steamship Company Of New Jer-
sey, evolved by the Assets Realization
Company, and John W. McKinnon. Then
there was an 'abortiye" attempt on ihe
part OF Arthur L. Reid, OF Portland Ne,
TO organize still another company, tut
that failed. and then came the Metropoli-
tan Steamship Company Of Maine, No 2.
I; was this company whose ownership Of
tn. wharf and freight ships was the last
established.
Puzzle in Changes.
The Metropolitan Steamship Company
% Maine No. . was sold 10 the Maine
Steamship Company. The Maine Stea m
ship Company was likewise disposed Of
TO the Eastern Steamship Company, and
this in turn became the Eastern Steam
ship Corporation, of which the New
Haven controls 40 per cent OF its stock.
The stock Of the Eastern Steamship Cor
poration repOsed for few DAYS in the
. treasury of the Hartford & New York
Transportation Company. and was then
transferred 10 the New England Naviga-
ton Company But how the Maine Steam
ship Company bought the Metropolitan
Steamship Company OF Maine No. .. or
just what was bought with it, even Mr..
Mellen could not say.
+his "'hNI tiNil Apib u tiS COiSiIuC-
ton OF the Old Colony. the Bunker Hill
and the Massachusetts by the New Eng
land Navigation Company, with the idea,
he said, lin the back OF their heads" TO
use the boats in competition with the
Yale and the Harvard.
so by avoiding the cul-de-sacs YOU
mentioned said Mr.. Littleton. You fetch
UP with three fine boats OF your own in
the passenger service. with the Boston
wharf, worth $4,000 ana ali the freight
boats OF the Morse line. all in the bands
OF the Eastern Steamship Corpora ion.
without having TO buy the Yale and the
Harvard, and without any competition 10
face
Yes, and He nearly landed all the rest
in the same place" was the answer. Il,
was a case OF the survival OF the nttest. ."
Arthur +. Clark, secretary of the New
Haven, produced records bearing on the
Morse line. Then came Julian NJ. Tom.
linson, the auditor of the COMPANY who
produced transcript OF the account.
showing the acquisition OF the Maine
Steamship Company by the Eastern
Steamship Corporation.
, Quake Registered in Australia